Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-12-03
GENERAL BUTLER BACK HOME.
Has Lots of Information About the Sltua-
tion In Cuba.

GENERAL BUTLER BACK HOME.
Has Lots of Information About the sItua-
ton In Cuba.
General NJ. G. Butler, q member OF
the Cuban evacuation commission, ar
rived in Washington last Saturday
direct from Havana. He came in
response to telegraphic summons from
President Mckinley, and during two
hours of Saturday afternoon was in
consultation with the president at the
White House.
He made an extended report of the
negotiations for the evacuation and OF
the terms upon which the Spaniards
had agreed to complete it by January
l. General Butler gave it as his opin-
ion that all the Spaniards have met
the American commissioners with rea'
sonable fairness and that there has
been little friction. Some of the claims
they have made for compensation for
the Spanish property have been ridicu'
lous, and they will, of course, be aban-
doned in the end. General Butler
denies all the reports of dissension
among the members of the American
commission.
In addition to his report upon the
actual work of the joint commission,
General Butler gave the president
much valuable information as to the
general situation in Cuba, the ability
of Cubans for self-government, the
sanitary conditions of Havana and
generally the results of his observations
during his stay there. General But
ler is of the opinion that the military
government of the island must be con-
tinued for sometime but that it should
only be as rigorous as may be neces-
sary to preserve order. He thinks the
Cubans are ambitious for self.govern-
ment and anxious to avoid. friction
with the American authorities. II
military control is exercised with dis
cretion, he believes there will be little
trouble.
One of the most troublesome feat
ures if the situation as the criminal
class and the difficulty of determining
in the case of prisoners who are incar-
cerated for political offenses and who
for crime. There has existed in Ha-
vana in the past an OATH bound organ
ization on the order of the Italian
malta known as the mango, which was
a source of terror to the inhabitants.
One of The few commendable acts OF
Weyler was the deportation of about
700 of the members of this organiza.
tion to the penial colony of Ceuta.
But fears are expressed that these Grim
inals may return or that the order
may be revived by some Of those who
were not deported.
One of the features of the situation
in which the authorities here are es-
pecially interested just now is the san
ltary condition of Havana. The ship
ment of troops which has already be.
gun and The existence of yellow fever
IN Havana all the year round makes il
absolutely necessary that the city
should be placed in thorough sanitary
condition. General Butler describes
the city now as pesthole, filled with
unmentionable fifth, squalor and desti-
tuition. The Spanish authorities have,
however, agreed to inaugurate the
work of putting the city in sanitary
condition with the aid of the American
authorities and work to this end is to
begin at once. Genenal Butler paints
a dark picture of destruction among
the poorer classes and says it will pro-
badly be necessary for us to furnish
some aid to the starving and wretched.
General Butler paid high tribute
to the discipline and accomplishing
suffering of the Spanish troops. They
endured hardships, he says, which
would have caused American soldiers
to revolt. AS an illustration of the
admirable discipline Of the Spanish
soldiery, he said that at one time there
were $4,000 Spanish soldiers in Hava-
ma; yet he never saw or heard of an
act of violence, nor did he hear or see
a single Spanish soldier intoxicated.
General Butler will remain in Wash
ington several days and probably have
another interview with the president.
He will then 60 to his home in South
Carolina whence he will return in
about 10 days to Havana. His wife
and daughter will accompany him on
his return. This fact leads to the
belief that be may be destined for
military service in Cuba, as his present
mission expires with the completion OF
the evacuation.