Evening star., 1898-08-18
ORDER IN HAVANA
Troops Will Be Sent at Once if Nee
essary.
ATTITUDE OF BLANCO AND PANDO
Not Disposed TO Relieve the Situa-
ton.
LEES OPINION

Some anxiety is shown among War De-
partment officials over the means for keep
ing public order in Havana until the city
is occupied by American troops. General
Lee, who left for Richmond this morning,
had several conferences with both the
President and Secretary Alger concerning
the situation. Generals Wade and Butler
of the military commission have also been
in consultation with the President and the
Secretary After the arrival of Admiral
Sampson and conference with him it is
probable that the instructions drawn up
for the guidance of the commission will
be more comprehensive than was at first
supposed to be necessary. After the pro-
tocol was signed the reports from Havana
showing how welcome peace was We're re-
ceived with relief With this feeling pre-
vailing it was thought the evacuation of
the island by the Spanish troops might be
accomplished without friction and without
disorder. There is not much fear Of trouble
between the Spaniards and the Cuoans and
confidence is still felt that the commercial
classes and the greater part of the popula-
ton WILL strive for good order.
Attitude of BIanco and Paudo.
The element of uncertainty which has
been injected into the situation comes from
the attitude of the military authorities.
The statement from Madrid that General
Blanco's resignation as captain general
will not be accepted does not clear away
the difficulty. He will probably remain un-
der the strict orders from his government
but IN the Spirit he has shown will not be
OF much aid in cooperating with the Amer
lcan military commission. The dispatch
from Mexico saying that General Pando
INTENDED to leave Vera Cruz to join Bianco
at Havana and return with him to Spafn
gave a hint of the purpose of the high
Spanish officials in Cuba to abandon every
thing and avoid personal responsibility for
tne arrang -ments for embarking the troops
Pando Is next in authority to Blanco How
ne got TO Mexico or what he was doing
there is mystery. That however is NOT
important What is significant is the indi-
cation of the sulen feeling which peryadps
the ofncial and military classes
win TINS feeling so pronounced and with
biahco and his chief subCrdinates remain
ing practlcally under duress, no trust can
be placed in their taking pains to turn JIa
Vana over to the American forces in good
condition. They are apt to be Indifferent
as to how they leave it and careless of the
a. diraliiteIlahce S OF pubic order pending their
own departure. Gen. Arolas. the military
governor OF the province, is not understood
10 be SO rabtd as others of the officials He
was IN command of the city during the
army riotS IN January, and the firmness he
showed then would not be lacking if he
had to deal with another mob But it is
doubtful il he could find support with which
to maintain order. Havana has had half
a dozen kinds of local policemen hut since
the insurrection its only effective police
force mas been a body of regular troops
! Ihese are Known as the ''order publicos."
Ihey are picked men of a higher grade of
Intelligence than the rank and file of the
spanish army. Everybody bears testimony
to their effectiveness. However as they
are part OF the army, it is presumed that
they will be embarked for Spain with the
rest Of the troops. The Spanish govern
nent would hardly be willing to leave its
best soldiers to do police duty after lis own
withdrawal from Cuba.
If Needed Troops viii Go Promptly.
In spite of the Indications from Havana
it is still the hope of the administration to
avoid sending any considerable body OF
troops there before October That viii
leave comparatively short yellow fever
season to be bridged Nevertheless, if the
emergency arises troops will be DISPATCHED
at once, possibly some of the regiments
from General Lees corps at jacksonville
Lee is con1dent that he could place them on
the Mills around Havana SO as to be free
from the danger of the fever. His idea is
that FOR the entire island a garrison of a.
oO0 to 5000 men will be needed with half
that number stationed in Havana province
but this force need not be available imme-
dlately. 1t will be needed when the COM
plete responsibility for the maintenance of
order is placed in the hands of the United
States.
In view of all the circumstances it is
likely that the Policy to be followed by the
administration will provide for the military
occupancy and control of Havana not later
than October l. 1t is not assumed that the
Spanish authorities will have embarked all
their army by that time. In its crippled
condition and with its lax methods of ad-
ministration the chances are that Spain will
be withdrawing her last soldiers from Cuba
about the tina the peace commission at
Paris concludes its labors. But the local
government and management of affairs in
Havana will hardly be left to it for that
period. Cable messages of all kinds includ-
ing newspaper dispatches, are still subject
to Spanish censorship. The customs rev.
enues are yet collected by Spanish officials
who will have changed their natures en-
tirely if they are not making the most of
their present opportunity. This is one OF
the first things to be corrected. Under mil
itary administration the custom house
would be placed in charge of American Of
done at Santiago.