The record-union., 1898-10-31
Both Factions Of the Cuhans Want All the
Offices.
Each Side Thinks the Other Should
Have None-Cubans Will Not
Disband and Will Not Work, as
Their Leaders Will Not Allow
Them to Do So, Although They
Wish To-


of General Leonard Wood, Governor of
the Military Department at Santiago,
has been instrumental in bringing all
the elements among the Cubans to the
front. No fewer than 1900 insur-
gents, of whom 500 are officers, want
offices and their clamor amounts almost
to a demand
There are two leading factions, one
headed by General Jesus Rabi and the
other by General Rios At present
most of the offices are held by repre-
sentatives of the Rabi faction includ-
ing the Mayoralty and the Custom
House Inspectorship. General Wood,
in order to pacify the Rios faction, has
given them six positions in the rural
police force and turned over to one of
their people the lighthouse at Cape
Cruz, together with several other minor
appointments. But neither party is
satisfied, each thinking that it ought
to have all the offices.
The majority of the insurgents here
have no money and go about living
from hand to mouth aid wondering
what will happen next. Armed men are
not allowed rations. AS the Cubans will
not disband and will not work. nothing
remains for them but to strut about
the city with machetes and revolvers.
Some of them are nearly naked:
others appear in long legged patent
leather boots with silver spurs. carry
ing superbly wrought Toledo machetes.
A few wear immaculate white suits and
Panama hats. They are for the most
part the New York contingent, each
man now veritable bombastes furioso.
E,XrRnt when hn c hao ri ba
boat Hist, which brought him here,
General Wood is besieged by these
seekers for offices. Among the inter-
views he has had was one with Cen
eral Rios, who wanted the Mayor of
Manzanillo. one of Rabi's faction, dis
missed and his own man appointed to
the Mayoralty. General Wood asked on
what grounds the dismissal could be
sustained. He said: rs not the
Mayor a competent officer? Has he
not an excellent reputation? Did he not
serve bravely and effectively through
out the war?
To all of this General Rios replied in
the affirmative, but he insisted that his
own nominee was entitled to the posi-
tion because he was a Rios man. The
interests of the city, the locality, were
apparently minor considerations in the
mind of the Cuban commander But
this appears to be the case everywhere
among the Cuban insurgents
General Wood and Colonel Petit re-
gard the outlook as rather discourage
ing. Still they hope that some means
may soon be found to break up the
Cuban army. The members of the
rank and file are anxious to go to
work but the leaders refuse to allow
them to do so, and the men do not
dare to do so. as they would certainly
be shot if captured.
General Wood is hoping that the
other towns he will visit on his trip
around the province will not present
the same vexatious conditions as pre-
vail here. where the Cuban problem is
presented in very difficult form, the
most difficult he has yet encountered.
1t was necessary to send a detach-
ment of the Fourth Immune Regiment
to the Reina plantation in order to
compel the Cubans to allow men to go
to work. The undertaking. however,
proved successful, and 200 men are
now regularly employed.
The latest advices from Santa Cruz
Del Sur, the meeting place of the Cuban
Assembly do not report the arrival
there of General Gomez but there are
persistent rumors that the friends of
Gomez who are delegates to the As
sembly will endeavor to embarrass
General Calixto Garcia and his sup
porters.
Lieutenant Young and the officers of
the Hist have been most enthusiastic
ally welcomed here by the Cubans, who
are grateful for the help many times
extended to them. The gallant little
boat during the war was as much an
object of enthusiasm and love 10 the
Cubans along the coast as of fear to
the Spaniards Lieutenant Young has
formally claimed on behalf of the Uni
ted States navy the wrecks of the
Spanish gunboats which are ashore or
sunk by the United States gunboats in
the engagement off Manzanillo on July
1st last
After a conference with Colonel Petit
regarding the management of the dis
trict General Wood left for Santiago
at noon to-day on board the Hist.
Wednesday next he will proceed to
Guantanamo. from which point, after
first returning to Santiago. he will
leave for the north coast of the pro-
vince to be gone probably a week or
ten days
Two companies of Colonel Pettits
immunes are to be sent Immediately to
Bayamo.