Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-23
IN A WHIRL OF GAYETY.
SPANISH TALK or coNoUERlNG U. S.
Sights and scenes in the Spanish Head
quarters On the Gem OF the
Antilles.

Havana, March l7.-fFrom staff
correspondent Of the Associated Press.I
Unless history and poetry alike mis-
take, there was sound of revelry In
Brussels on the eve Of Waterloo. Paris
too. Just before that big battle, was In
the whirl of balls and fetes. Havana
is very gay today-strangely so when
the losses of It's well-to-do and the dire
poverty of It's poor are considered. Oi
course. the presence of the warships.
with their large complement OF officers
has much to do with the festivities
prevailing Then, too, there are cen
turtles OF customs and scores of pro-
verbs similar to the familiar "Tomor-
row, another day" These tend toward
Inducing somewhat mercurial people
to forget the sad things while they
may, In singing, dancing and all the
rest that goes to make up soclai
rounds.
But there ere many serious ones
who, If they join in the lauShdrop INTO
other moods than joyous wheh lcit
alone, You can see them frown at the
absurd carioatuues Of Uncle sam and
his minions. with which the comic pa
pers of Madrid and Havana TEEN. You
can see them sneer at the fleets OF ior-
ntdaDle war VESSELS Iltlultu III lHt
magazines and illustrated journals ana
labeled Part of SPANS great navy
You can hear them laugh sardonlcally
at the foolish rantings of boyish olli-
GERS when they say tas the writer ac-
tually heard one say today: Wen
land our army at Key West, march
straight inland to Washington. ana In
q week from landing Wen capture Nc
Kiney and all his ministry, unless
they run away"
As cabled recently, Havana has at
last awakened to what its people re-
gard as the probability of war with the
United States and the sober-m minded
are counting the cost. Some, whom
the government assumes to be the
most extreme conservatives, are count
ing that cost with satisfaction. They
are annexatlonists now, no matter
what they were a year or so ago, and
In the number are editors, lawyers
bankers, merchants. manufacturers,
officials, even priests though those of
that function cling more tenaciously to
the vested rights of the royalty.
Deep Is the interest felt in the atti
tude of the European powers In regard
to Intervention. and loud are the ac-
claims of delight over published cable
grams purporting to give words OF aid
and comfort from the German empe-
ror. French minister or Italian deputy.
But the livellest grow grave at the
UltntluU OF IL DtSNlDlt DtlNftll
Great Britain and the United States
and the anxiety manifested by Senior
Congosto to interview Mr.. Collin. Brit
ish representative here, and even our
Gen. Lee. and learn the truth or falslty
Of the story that the prince of Wales
has said that a British fleet would sup
port the United States in putting an
end to the war in Cuba, was almost
ludcrous, II was so openly expressed.
OF course all the above is from the
point of view of the looker-on In Ha-
vana We know nothing OF what is
really going on In the great world OF
American and continental statecraft
Through all the drubbling and the
wondering. the beggars Of Havana
laugh. dance. sing or groan as time or
the occasion serves. A merry lot and
careless, and not unpicturesque in
home made apparel. Three years ago
there were more than ! 200 beggars,
mostly children In Havana. known to
the police, and endured as necessary
Evil. That number has been greatly
Increased by the troublous times and
Iack of work.
The beggar boys and girls ply their
trade in all most frequented places
with absolute freedom and generality
sure OF a courteous answer from the
Cuban or Spaniard, In Gods name
pardon me-" This courtesy even in
lief. They cling to the garments or
run by the carriages Of Americans,
who, when newly come. are an easy
prey. While some are repulsive-made
more so by beggar's arts-and nearly
all are annoying, few among the
children are SO pretty. naive and jolly
that they reap u copper or even a sill
yer harvest here. Take four year-old
Iosefa, who has become mendlcant in
ordinary to the cOrrespondents Her
plump little figure, bronze skin, deep
melting eyes, and flowing head dress
Of dlngy silk are attractive In their
way, hut pale their Intellectual fires be-
'ore the Jolly sunshine OF her smile
md the conscious certainty of her de-
nand for "una pesota' go cents).
Another picture and sadder. Several
lays ago your correspondent walking
IN Oblspo street near Villegas heard
low song from n doorway, and look
ng within saw u little lad OF nine or ten
Gears, to whom was clinging very
atom of baby as TO size and weight
lIough from it's eyes and face II must
nave been eighteen months old. The
wo had three garments between them,
he baby using one. From its socket,
'ecently. one of the boys eyes had been
,orn and the CHASTITY wound was limo
cent of dressing or Cnre. He accepted
he preferred coin with n smile and a
'Gratios Senor" but when an inter-
prefer was secured, We sought to learn
III his history he maintained for IA
ong time resolve born of fear. cruel
y and sad experience. II is not neces-
AIRY to repeat his story.
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