The Portland daily press., 1898-03-21
READY TO OFFER FREEDOM.

Havana, March IL, VIA hey mese. lno
military operations have been suspended
by Gen. Pando in the east OF Cupa anu
he is seeking conference with zen.
Gomez. President Masso and ten.
CaIizto Garcia and other prominent
chiefs Insurgents to the numDer Oh
several Thousand have gathered on the
east and west sides OF the Jaruco- MORON
trocha which is much weakened py tne
withdrawal of troops by Gen. Pando. IL
is believed this conference is the las. Sa ~.
of the autonomist government pacKeo py
Madrid, to secure peace. A formal ten
der is sought to be made OF the offers OF
the radical wing of the autonomlsts, atne
same being the practical independence
of the island. Havana officials believe
the offer will be accepted and that the
war will be endfd. The insurgent au-
thorities and the best posted merchants,
bankers. etc., believe on the contrary
that the failure of the conference means
the death blow of autonomy while 1t 10
nrobable that q large force of Insurgents
will break through the trochas and will
raid the country up to Havana.
CoLoNIzING WORK.
Havana, March 19.-One six-inch gun
and a valuable cable were recovered to-
day from the wreck of the Maine. The
bodies of two of the Maine victims We're
sent to Key West this afternoon ON the
steamer Olivette. Chaplain Chidwiok Is
revising the list Of the bodies thus far
taken from the wreck. He 1nclines to
the belief that larger number has
been recovered than has been stated, but
will know positively as to this in few
days. ,.4, 4,.,oa
CAN for Humanity" La Luchia today
refers to the fact that Spain Is entertain
ing the people with carnival and CUBA
Ia deeply interested in the coming eleo-
tions while the United States seems to
be entirely devoted to humanity. Inc
editorial says the relief work is SO wide
spread and so greatly varied here that IL
is impossible not to suspect that there
ia not some other motive for 1t than
charity and hints at desire to Amerl-
canize Cuba. The papers say OF Miss
Barton's offer to build houses for the
sufferers that "In time these must grow
into Yankee colonies, with the stars
and Stripes floating from each house -"
The editorial Is written In gooo hu-
mored tone.
MAKING YANKEES SAYS SPAIN.
Havana, via Key West, March 10
Troops left Matanzas city yesterday TO
make reconnaissance of the Cuban
coast to the eastern extremity OF the ISL
and.
Miss Clara Barton, after calling upon
Captain General Blanco, at his sugges-
| ton, visited the heads OF the colonial gov
eminent. The autonomists treated her
with such distinguished courtesy that
she preached to them the subject OF the
allotment of the lands to poor Cubans,
engaging to furnish their houses from
America. and also to superintend the
| colonies thus formed. Miss Barton was
| told that the matter would be carefully
considered. After she had left the ottie-
ials said:
1--WE are Spanish; does she think she
can make Yankees Of us? Her desire
must be to AmericaniZe the Creoles."
| At meeting held at the palace yester-
day OF the committee appointed to secure
funds for the Spanish navy, Captain
| General Blanco was elected president.
He said Che would use all his influence
tn induce the officials, military, civil
and municipal, to make monthly contri-
buttons to augment the naval fund.
News of the result of the interview be-
tween Gen. Pando and other delegates
and Gen. Calixto Garcia, Senior Masso,
president of the Cuban republic and
other insurgent leaders, is anxiously
awaited here. There is no change in
the belief held by the best posted men
that all propositions looking to the laying
down Of their arms by the insurgents
were rejected.