The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-11-30
Gen. Butler Comes From Cl;I,a.

ASlINGToN, Nov. 2G.-Gcn NJ. {
Butler, Of South Carolina, q member o
the Cuban evacuation commission. ar
rived here to-day direct from ilavan;
i'll response to q tclcgraphic summon
from President Mckinley. and th
afternoon he had y two hours consul
tation with the President at the White
House. He made M extended repor
of the negotiations for the evacuation
and of the terms upon which the Span
iards had agreed to complete it by
January 1. Gen. Butler gave ii as li
opinion that all the Spaniards have
met the American commissioners Will
reasonable fairness and that there ha:
been little friction. Some of the claim.
they have made for compensation fol
Spanish property have been ridiculous
and they will, of course, be abandoned
in the end. Gen. Butler denies all the
reports of dissensions among the mem
bers of the American commission.
In addition to this report on the actll.
al work of the joint commission Gen
Butler gave the President much valll-
! able information as to the general situ-
| alton in Cuba, as to the desire of the
| Cubans for self-government, the san
itary condition Of Havana and gene
rally the results of his observations
during his stay there. Gen. Batter is
Of the opinion that the military gov
crnment of the island must be contin-
ued for some time, but that it shoulc
be only rs may be necessary to preserve
order. lie thinks the Cubans are am
bilious Tor selfgovernment and anX-
ious to avoid friction with the Ameri-
can authorities. If military control Is
exercised with discretion he believes
there will be little trouble.
One of the most troublesome features
of the situation is the criminal class
and the difficulty of determining ii. tho
case of prisoners who are incsteeratcd
for political offences Or ioi crime
There has existed in Hayai.i- III the
past an oath-bound organization OIL
the order of the Italian Malta, known
as the Nanigo, WHICH was q source ol
terror TO the inhabitants. One Of the
few commendablc acts Of Gen. Weylel
was the deportation of about seven
hundred members OF this organization
to the penal colony OF Ceuta. But
fears are expressed that these crimi
nails may return or thag the Order may
be revived by some OF those who were
not derorted.
One OF the features of the situation
in which The authorities here are espc-
cially interested just now is The SAM
taly condition OF Havana. The ship
mcnt Of troops, which has already be-
gun, and the existence Of yellow fever
in Havana all the year around make it
absolutely necessary that the city
should be placed in thorough sanitary
condition. Gen. Butler describes tile
city now as 4 pest hole, filled with un-
mentionablc filth, sqnalor and destitu-
ton. The Spanish authorities have,
however, agreed 10 inaugurate the
work of putting the city in sanitary
condition with the aid of the American
authorities, and work to this end is to
begin at once. Gen. Butler paints a
dark picture Of the dcstituiion among
the poorer classes, and says it will
probably be necessary for us TO furnish
some aid to thc starving wretchcs.
Gen. Butler paid a high tribute to
the discipline and accomplishing suf-
fering Of the Spanis! troops. They
cndu.cd hardships, he says, which
would have caused American soldiers
to revolt AS an Illustration OF the
admirable discipline Of the Spanish
soldiers, he said tllat III one time there
We're $4,000 Spanish soldiers i'll
Havana; Jet he ncycr saw or heard oi
an act Of violence, nor did he hear OF
see single Spanish soldier intoxicated.
Gen. Butler will remain here several
days, and probably have another inter
view with tie President. He will then
go to his home III South Carolina,
whence he will return in about ten
days to Havana. His wife and daugh-
ter will accompany him on lis return.
This fact leads to the belief that he
may be destined for military service in
Cuba, as his present mission expires
with the completion Of the evacuation.