The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-09-15
MALICE and VANDALISM
Important Maps and Records
Destroyed by Spaniards.
BLOCKING PEACE AND0RDER
Efforts to Blot Out Illegal Acts of
the officials in Control at Porto
HicO-Lnnd Titles CIOuded and I'M
pOrtant Documents ObIiterated-A
Legal Chaos in Prospect.

New York. Sept 1.-THE San Juan cor
respondent of the Herald, writing under
date of September I, says there is daily
increasing probability of friction during
the meetings of the Porto Rican commits
sion.
He admits the exchange of courtesies
between Capt. Gen. Macias and the
American officials in the island. Macias
even went so far 10 call personally
upon Rear Admiral Schley, Gen. Brooke
and Gen. Gordon. driving out 10 Rio Pie
dras, six miles from the capital, to see
Gen. Brooke. This was a most uneXpect-
ed honor as Gen. Macias outranks all the
American officers, and the habit of Span
ish captain generals is to visit by proxy.
This is all very well, says the cores
pendent, and eminently proper, but there
are unmistakabie signs that breakers are
not far ahead. Several points upon which
material difference of opinion is certain
to arise have already cropped out.
While ar the captain generals palace
lines of police were salutng and high Off
GERS smilingly bowed to Rear Admiral
Schley, Gen. Gordon and Gen. Brooke
yesterday over by the arsenal hundreds
of Spanish soldiers were busily engaged
in dumping barrel after barrel of powder
and case after case of ammunition, rifles
and all kinds of military stores into the
sea.
This, 1t is shown. has been going on
for weeks, indicating very plainly that
the Spaniards prefer 10 see their war
material wasted rather than have il fall
into the hands of Americans.
Nothing but malice can inspire these
acts, for the possession of this class of
property can benefit the Spanish govern
ment nothing when IL no longer possesses
Porto Rico, but the extent of the evil
entailed cannot be foreseen. Clouding of
land titles. obliteration of. court records
and inventories of government proper
| " and works, and confusion of revenue
receipts and disbursements are only a
few of the possible hurts.
Among the property destroyed was a
series of maps of the Island, which re-
quired eight years in making and cost
$50, 600. II
1t is understood that not all records
are being destroyed This would be too
fragrant and easily detected. Out of
series a single book wifi be found miss
ing, the absence of which will render the
Acknowledgement of accounts either inn
possible or a labor interminable and not
likely 10 be undertaken by a new gov
eminent.
Charles w Russell, ,legai adviser to the
American members OF the commission,
has been made acquainted with these
facts, and inquiries will undoubtedly be
made when the commission meets.
San Juan, the correspondent states, is
still a Spanish town, dominated by Span
ish influences. Probably a majority of
the population earnestly sympathiZe with
fallen Spain, and their cup is full of Bit
terness, albeit they wear smiling faces
and bow politely TO their late enemies.
The city is filled with Spanish troops,
while only a handful of Americans are
here, which condition inspires the Span
ish residents with fictitious confidence
and chokes down the rising effervescence
of the natives.
However, there is less of arrogance in
the demeanor of the naughty Spanish
officer as he struts along the street way
ing his cane and curling his perfumed
mustache and the Porto Ricans are man.
ifestly buoyed up by a hope rapidly dawn
ing to fruition Still, they dare not shout
and cheer and decorate their houses with
American. flags, as they would like to do.
All that will come later
Rear Admiral Schley and Gen. Gordon,
unaccompanied by their stats, went out
to Rio Piedras this morning and had a
long consultation with Cen Brooke con-
corning the work before them. They
agreed to begin as soon as possible.
Gen. Macias, however, is disposed to
block proceedings for a time. He has no.
| titled the Spanish commissioners that
| their full instructions have not yet ar
| rived from Madrid. There is an idea
| abroad that these instructions will be
| conveniently delayed until the destroyers
| and mutiators in the government offices
here have had ample time to complete
| the work in hand.