The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-19
Views as to The Future
of The Island.
MOST IMPORTANT TASK.
He Thinks the Island Will Become
Americanized and Has q Bright Flu
ture Before it-Forty.Five Thousand
Troops Sufficient for Temporary Gar
TisOn-The General's Conference with
the President and Secretary Of War
Urged for Governor Of the island.

Washington, August 15.-Major Gem
eral Fitzhcgh Lee, in command Of the
seventh army corps, at Jacksonville,
Fla, was in conference today with the
president and the war department au-
thorities. He anne here on a special
Geographic summons from Secretary
Alger and it was with the latter he
conferred for an hour with the presi-
dent. General Lees experience as
consul general at Havana has given
him an intimate knowledge of Cuban
conditions which will be awaited of
by the administration. 1t is generally
expected that he will head the military
commission which will adjust the af-
fairs in Cuba and also he has been
strongly urged for the governorship Of
that island after the functions Of thai
commission cease. On both of these
points, however, General Lee asserts
he knows nothing. He would not
speak of the subjects discussed as the
result of his hasty trip here, beyond
saying he has been talking over mat
ters in Cuba generally. Then he add
ed:
The first work which will have to
be done in Cuba will be to make ar
rangements by which all the munich
pal machinery can be put in operation
in all the towns, and governmental
machinery throughout the Island for
each district. There will have to be a
military control, 1 suppose, until such
a time as the people Interested can
organize and put in operation a gov
eminent, which should be stable and
strong enough to impartially protect
the interests of Spaniards, Americans,
Cubans and the people of all other
natiOnalities now on h island or
who may hereafter go there"
rs there a probability of Spanish
interests suffering through the Gu
bans?'
THE Spanish property holders, mer-
chants and all other classes of Span
iards, naturally, would unite with all
the rest of the conservative inhabi-
tants for the preservation of the inter-
ests of all the citizens, n 1 think
they will help the natives and the
Americans to maintain a strong, safe
government. This would be natural,
because no class of people would be
more interested than they are in main
tanning property and all other rights.
The most difficult problem to solve is
the first organization of a preliminary
form of government as, later, the is
land will be very rapidly Americana
ed and all such questions will take care
of themselves.
LAS to the probabilities Of the Gu
bans attaining a stable government,
L presume that as soon as possible a
proclamation will be issued setting a
date for the holding of a general cleo
ton for a chief executive of the is
land and for a legislative body to
which all matters affecting the future
of the island will be referred. This
legislative body will probably adopt a
constitution and make the proper laws
to put into operation the political form
Of government.
LAS to the army Of occupation which
will be necessary to maintain u po-
sition with respect to Cuba, $4,000 men
will be ample to garrison the whole
island. OF this humble possibly 1000
would be stationed in and about Ha-
vana Matanzas will be the next most
important point for a garrison. Other
points should be regulated by the prob
abilities of disorder that might take
place and the number of troops at
the various points will naturally be
governed by circumstances.
Properly directed, Cuba will have a
great commercial future. It's unbound
ed and great will be very
rapidly developed by American push,
vigor and capital"
General Lee says he has no plans be-
| yond going back to Jacksonville to re-
corps. He will leave for h point
Wednesday,