The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-16
OF CUBA.
General Fitzhugh Lee Explains
What Will Be Done.


Washington, Aug. 15.-Major Genera
Fitzhugh Lee, in command of the
Seventh army corps at Jacksonville
was in conference today with the pres
ident and the war department. He
came here on a special Geographic sum
mons from Secretary Alger, and il
was with the latter that he conferred
for an hour with the president. 1t is
generally expected that General Lee
will head the military commission
which will adjust affairs in Cuba, and
also he has been strongly urged for the
! governorShip of that island after the
functions of that commission a On
both of these points, however, General
Lee asserts he knows nothing. He adj
mitted, however, hat he had been
talking over matters in Cuba generally.
Then he added:
The first work which will have to
be done in Cuba will be TO make ar
rangements by which all the municipal
machinery can be put in operation in
all the towns, and governmental ma
chinery throughout the island. There
will have to be a military control, !
suppose, until such a time as the people
interested can organize and put into
operation a government which should
be stable and strong enough to impair
TALLY protect the interests of Span
iards, Americans, Cubans and the peo-
pie of all other nationalitieS now on
the island or who may hereafter go
there.
rs there a probability of Spanish in
terests suffering there through the
Cubans?"
The Spanish property holders, mer-
chants and all other classes of Span
iards naturally would unite with all the
roct of tho oncaruafiNa hahitant for
the preservation of the interests Of all
citizens, and 1 think they will help the
natives and the Americans to maintain
a strong, safe government. This would
be natural, for no class of people would
be more interested than they are in
maintaining property and all other
rights.
The most difficult problem to solve
is the first organization of a prelim-
mary form Of government. as later the
island will be very rapidly American
lied, and all such questions will take
care of themselves. AS to the proba-
bility of the Cubans attaining a stable
government, l presume that as o as
possible a proclamation will be issued,
setting apart a date for the holding of
a general election for a chief executive
of the island. and for a legislative
body, to which all matters affecting the
bNulG vi III "a VIII OG ltLGl u
This executive body probably will adopt
a constitution and make the proper
laws to put into operation the present
form of government.
A to the army of occupation which
will be necessary to maintain our posi-
ton with respect to Cuba, 5000 men
will be ample to garrison the whole is
land. Of this number possibly %. 900
would be stationed in n about Ha-
vana. Matanzas would be the next i'm
portant point for a garrison. Other
points should be regulated by the pos
sibilities of disorder hat might take
place there, and the number of troops
at the various points viii naturally be
governed by circumstances.
Properly directed, Cuba will have a
great commercial future. It's I'M
bounded and great will be
very rapidly developed by American
push, vigor and capital"
General Lee says he has no plans
beyond going back to Jacksonville to
resume command of the Seventh army
corps. He will leave for hat point
Wednesday,.