Evening star., 1898-03-07
LOYAL VOLUNTEERS
No Longer Menace to Blanco, But
to the United States.
THEY ARE NOT TO Be DISARMED
SmoIdering Volcanic Patriotism
in Havana.
EVIDENCES OF FOUL PLAY
THEY ARE NOT TO Be DISARMED
EVIDENCES OF FOUL PLAY
Copyright. 1898. by Chas. NJ. Pepper.)

HAVANA March 5, via Tampa, Fla.
March 6.-Once more the volunteers. They
may have something to say whether there
shall be war with the United States. If it
comes they will be the most threatening
force to the innocent people of Havana.
The volunteers are less a menace to Capt.
Blancos authority than they were ten days
ago. That is because of what has hap
pened during these ten days. While the
Maine inquiry has been going on. and the
American people have been waiting the
official Information that the ship was
blown up, the volunteers have had in
quiry o. their own under way. They are
now holding meetings and are discussing
the findings. 1t Is satisfactory. The vol
unteers wanted to know how they stood
with the government. In the wild reach
ing out by handful of autonomists to the
insurgents the disarming of the volunteers
was among the concessions offered. When
Blanco came to power it was known that
this was one of the measures in mind. The
volunteers were made up of the unreason-
ing Spanish class who thought autonomy
was treason to Spanish sovereignty. They
muttered, but so long no overt act was
committed by Bianco they had not the
chance to demand an explanation. In the
in showing that autonomy was a failure.
Since then they have been quiet until Gil
berga and others of the so-called radical
autonomists formulated the program which
included the disarming of the volunteers.
Then tie members Of the organization
acted. Secret meetings were held. These
were followed by a meeting of the officers,
who carried out the plan that the rank and
file had agreed upon. Captain General
Blanco was formally asked by letter to dis
avow the reports which were current that
the government was in sympathy with the
scheme 10 disarm the volunteers.
Not to BE Dfsarmed.
A reply came within twenty-four hours.
1t was from Gen. Pavyado, chief of the
military staff and to the captain general
in command, speaking by authority of Gen.
Blanco. He told the colonels of the vol
unteers that the government had no such
purpose. The incident is. therefore, closed.
The volunteers kept their arms. These
arms are not stored in the armory, where
they might be secreted by the authorities.
Each member of the organization has his
own equipment. He pays for it and keeps
it with him. There are between eighteen
thousand and twenty thousand of the vol
uHtSeiS Al nav did. ue pOSSeSSlOE OI mu-
nitions Of war by SO many individuals who
are not part Of the regular army might
cause disquiet to the government. How
ever stated the volunteers are less a
menace to Blanco than before the dis
claimer of disaI ming them was made
Ready to Turn Against the United
States.
They are less likely to be turned against
the government because there is more
probability that they will be arrayed
against what they think is a foe from
without. This is the United States Here
tofore it has been the policy of those in
authority to disregard this hostility, but
now they no longer seek to do so. For
three months l have watched the change
in public mind in Havana. 1t has ebbed
and flowed. Sometimes passion has surged
up and tnen would come a period of calm.
But at the bottom were always the dregs
of hatred that come from ignorance. Now
1t is possible to mark distinct sign. The
feeling is mounting from the ignorant pop
ulaCe to a class higher both in intelligence
and authority. Several times lately l have
had a glimpse of what is passing in the
thoughts of Spain's representatives in
Cuba. These include army officers Of high
rank. They appear to think that the time
is near when the Sagasta ministry can
submit to the test of maintaining that the
people of the Antilles are lost, but they
are to be lost through war with the United
States, and not by selling the island. We
are so completely shut off from the knowl-
edge of what goes on in the world outside
that 1 don't know how far this feeling
finds utterance in Spain. All we learn is
that the Bishop Of Valladolid has been ex-
hOrting his flock to punish imprudent
Americans. and that other prelates in the
peninsula are talking for loyalty, but the
representatives of Spains disappearing
sovereignty in Cuba reflect something
more than the feeling of the bishops. If
they do not have official sanction for their
utterancec in private, it is at least possible
for them to encourage the sentiment
against the United States without rebuke
SmOldcring Volcanic Patriotism.
Part of the plan now is to keep the vol
canic patriotism of the volunteers smolder-
ing. but will not attempt to quench It,
They are fiattered to believe that while
the town has impregnable fortresses, and
while the fleet of Spain is invincible. yet
the real defenses of Havana are the re-
serve soldiery. They are now in training
as part of the artillery, and are made to
itself is on such good terms with the vol
unteers that none think of asking whether
the two organizations would fire at each
other. That matter was discussed not long
ago, when the keeping Of public order was
the uppermost topic in the city. 1t is no
longer discussed, because Of the certainty
that the thing cannot happen.
Spanish Loyalty and Confidence.
A common sentiment pervades all ranks.
1t is that of Spanish loyalty. The pres
ence of the war ships undoubtedly helps
to swell the war feeling. The enthusiasm
over the Vizcaya, while no longer demon
strative, has not died out. Its battle flag
is a shrine at which the offerings of 10y
atty are laid with fervent eulogies to the
imagination of those loyal and ignorant
The Vizcaya is much more formidable
ship than was the Maine. They see her
dimensions double and her guns twice as
large. The Almfrante OQuendo and the
torpedo hotilla encourage the Illusion /
believe 1t to be a fair statement that the
majority of the Spanish class think they
have another invincible army They be-