The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-02
A MENACE TO BUSINESS
Cuban Army Stands in the way
OF Commercial Activity.
II MUST BE DISBANDEO
No Produce Coming From the Country
on Account of the Unsettled State
of Things-No Lawless Acts
by United States Troops.

New York, Sept. IA special dispatch
to the Herald from Santiago de Cuba
says:
1 talked to-day with many merchants
of his city. and every one of them was
anxious that the Cuban army should
be disbanded at once. 1t is a standing
menace to business, they say. They
all are anxious to resume. but find IL
impossible to do so because property is
threatened by the ill-disciplined leyies
of Garcia's command.
C~ultivators refuse to return to plan-
'tations. where they Will be subject TO
contribution Tor the support of the Gu
ban soldiers who are still in the field
NO produce therefore will come to the
market here, and the ships that bring
cargoes cannot take anything back. II
the province Is TO return to a s~elf-sup-
porting basis and trade begin again. the
cuban army, it is generally admitted.
must be disbanded.
Robert Mason, the British consul here
who is local manager for Brooks e. Co,
toid me that his business is absolutely
at a ~standstill.
NO produces is coming from the coun-
Try, he said, because the condition of
Things there is unsettled and merchants
are AFRAID to engage in operations until
the political situation is better defined.
owing to the lack of labor lighters
and Wharfage facilities we are COM
pletely blocked and our business inter-
ests are suffering. We cannot order
cargoes. There is no money in the PROV
ince. If trade is to be resumed some
definite steps must be taken immediate
ly by the United States
Spanish merchants view the situation
from a most gloomy standpoint. and are
prepared TO cease all connection with
cuba II the question of dominion is SET
tled in any other way than that the
United States shall be in possession.
Julian Bendoza, agent Of the Ward
line, makes a statement to the effect
that utter disregard is shown in the
chief q~uartermaster's department TO
private importers.
we had arranged" he said to me.
TO establish a regular mail and freight
service New York and here. hut
we nave had to discontinue il tempo
rarlly owing to the difficulty of dis
charging cargo For instance, when
the Philadelphia came here with a cargo
of only 400 packages, the vessel had 10
remain unloaded for Is days. ell of which.
on demurraS6 cost he company $500 a
day. Much of this unreasonable delay
was due to Colonel Humphreys, who
paid no attention to my protest.
The war is over and it is to the inter-
est OF the government to pri-
Vate trade; but the reverse is appar-
emily the case. We cannot obtain labor.
lighters or wharfage. | obtained a
lighter at considerable expense and il
was confiscated by Colonel
together with a gang Of men / had en-
plOyed."
L have just returned from a visit 70
Nan IliG Wharn I nod, s--,.ss-- i
the truth of reports Of o~utrages com
mitted by the men of the Sth Illinois
that had come to US here. The Sth is
stationed in San Luis.
These reports were brought in by Gu
bans. | found that they had been much
exaggerated. But that is not strange,
and the charge against the colored men
of Illinois was impelled evidently bv the
which causes every Cuban
now to see in the slightest jollifcation
Iresh proof OF the lawlessness of Amer
lean soldiers. There were no wild or
gies. followed by breaking into houses.
There were no thefts and no attempted
outrages.
The only occasion when the conduct Of
the men was not all that was desirable
occurred a few evenings ago.. Several
of the colored soldiers, who had been
drinking in the store of a Spanish mer-
chant, became hilarious and had to be
| found that what really serious
trouble there has been was caused. not
members of the Sth Illinois, but by
Cubans and Spaniards of the neighbor-
A wild n had been circulated i'm
that the Cuban troops under
General Castillo were going TO march
San Luis and eject the Americans.
rushed to Colonel Marshall
and assured him that some movement
the kind was contemplated and that
the Cubans had planned to attack his
Colonel Marshall was made APP
prehensiVe, because he knew that some
cuban had been riding around speak
insolently about taking charge of
everything and saying that the Ameri-
cans would soon be out Of Cuba.
Colonel Marshall talked with some
prominent Cubans and cautioned them.
telling them that the United States is
now supreme in the province of Santi-
that Spaniards and Cubans alike
will be protected, but that both must
recognize the authority of the United
That was last Saturday even
ing.
Extra pickets were placed around the
in the early part of the evening. '
Shortly after dusk a sentry noticed a
body of men moving in a suspicious :
manner in the direction of the camp. !
Receiving no reply to his challenge. he '
fred. The guard was turned out and S
shots were fired into the bush. The
ire was answered, the men of the
guard say. and Private Charles smith
If Company h was killed. The Off J
,ers believe Smith was killed by the '