The herald., 1898-10-20

Wade and his associates, General Butler and
Admiral Sampson, have not been able to
point to the transports departing with
Spanish troops in large numbers. On this
account, as much as for other reasons, the
people of Havana were becoming hopeless
Of seeing the Spaniards depart for months
to come. They believed the evacuation would
be delayed until the verge of another yellow
fever season had gained possession of them.
As they could not be taken into the conf
dence of the Washington administration and
its policy be fully disclosed, they formed
their own opinion, and it was mistaken
one:
The reasons which in the United States
were conclusive against sending soldiers to
Western and Central Cuba before November
did not appeal to the people here; They
have seen the Spanish soldiers die like
flies from yellow fever. It was not quite
clear to them why 80 much greater re-
gard should be shown for the lives of Amer
lean soldiers. Recent events have con.
vinced Americans in Havana of the wisdom
of the policy that has been followed. The
sending of troops here at any time, during
the last two months would have been Grim
inal unless an imperative necessity had
arisen for maintaining public order. For
tunately there has been no such emergency.
Lacking in many respects the authority Of
Captai9 Genera! N % Blane9, St H. the s,S sutoni n
OnllSC NdUlucJ, WHlCA 10 DuV OhC puuuoW VI
the Captain General, has been sufficient to
preserve the peace.
It is so we'll understood in the United
States that the Spanish evacuation commits
sion is the puppet of Sagasta that the differ
ent impression which had obtained in Ha-
vana would not be understood there without
q word of explanation. The duties of the
Peace Commission in Paris cause little COM
ment here, because there is little interest
in the Philippines. The most ignorant Span.
iards, the Cubans among them. know that
Spanish rule is at an end. They are irdif
ferent in other parts of the world. But ir
what concerns themselves they have seer
delay after delay interposed. The patience
which the American military commission has
was becoming prevalent that the Spanish
commission was in some indefinite way gain
ing advantages. The continued presence of
the Spanish troops was the supposed evil
dence of this advantage.
While the Spanish understanding is dull,
It is reached through the senses. For this
reason the activity of the engineer and SAN.
itary officers is the best possible means that
could be taken to dispe1 the delusion that
Spanish occupancy Of the island and Span.
ish sovereignty were to continue until next
April
Every step taken in preparing the camps
for the American military garrison is con-
vincing argument that the old order is com
ing to an end. The more openly these prep.
arations are made and the further they ad
vance the more cheerful will be the feeling
+, of the community. The fact of American
control is the needful thing. As this fact
approaches the conditions will improve
Pending the change, business in Havana
will be on a gradually narrowing scale. Fol-
few weeks times will be even duller than
at present, but 1t will be only for few
weeks.
1 The outlook is not luminous with hope
but it is better. The drawback to agricult-
ure which was foreseen when immediate
possession of the island by American troops
did not follow the signing of the protocol
is real, but it was unavoidable. The to-
bacco firms are not yielding as much as they
will under favorable circumstances, yet they
are yielding something. The same will prove
true of the sugar plantations. and there will
be a quantity Of cane to grind IN December
and later. 1t is necessary to state those
things, because if all the pessimistic talk
which is heard were credited there would
be no escape from the belief that not blade
of grass would grow in Cuba this season.
The condition of the poorer class of the
population is also little better. The suffer.
ing is great, yet relief is finally reaching
those who are in need. This is true of the
country as well as of Havana.
/ The rations discharged by the Comal at
Matanzas have been pretty thoroughly dis
tributed. This relief work will be more ef-
/ fective when the troops occupy all parts OF
the island and the distribution can be made
by the Commissary Department. Until
| then the present system will answer fairly
| well.