The Portland daily press., 1898-07-20
STRAINED RELATIONS.
Trouble Brewing Between Oar Men
And the CubaDs.

: Santiago, July ia fact which is
Impressed more and more every day
upon the American officers and men, is
the increasing strained relations between
| the Americans and General Garcia S
soldiers. Indeed, the situation has now
reached point where there is practically
no communication at all between the
two armies and their relations border on
| those of hostility, rather than the rela-
lions which one would suppose would
exist between allies. AS soon as General
Shafter announced his decision not to let
the Cuban Junta enter the city of Santi-
ago deep mutterings were heard among
General Garcias men. 1t was evident
the Cubans were greatly disappointed at
the step taken by the American COM
mauder, for they had confidently
counted upon having Santiago turned
over to them to loot and plumber, as they
had in succession sacked Baiquari, Sibon, y
and Ell Caney. Consequently, their dis
appointment was keen when they ascer-
tanned that they were not to be permitted
to take possession of the city upon GEN
eral Toral's surrender. On Friday last,
Castillo, a brother of Demetrius Castillo,
went to General Skaters headquarters
in order to ascertain the cause of this.
"Why is Santiago to remain in the
hands of our enemies?" he asked.
" The Spaniards are not our enemies, :"
replied General Shafter. "We are fighting
the soldiers of Spain, but we have no de-
sire to despoil her citizens. No Cuban
will be allowed to enter the city, nor will
any American soldiers. The government
of the city is a matter for the people to
decide. When the American army leaves
it presume it will be turned over to you
but not until then. -
Castillo, who came direct from General
Garcia's camp, did not attempt to con-
ceal his chagrin.
The Cuban soldiers now fully realize
that there is a rising sentiment against
them in the American army. They. hear
nothing but words of scorn from our men
as they pass onward, Juggling their bacon
and hard tack into the woods. Even our
officers no longer conceal their1disgust
for thor allies, and it is understood that
the warm friendship displayed towards
them at first has now turned into CON
tempt, for the Cubans have neither
fought nor worked. The correspondent
of the Associated Press who sends this
dispatch saw group of Cubans refuse
point blank to aid in building roads and
during the two days heavy fighting while
they were lettering in the rear our sur-
geons sought in vain to secure assistance
from them, even to cut poles for impro-
vised litters for our wounded.
Hundreds of such instances are being
told about the camp fires until the name
of Cuba is usually wreathed with camp
profanity anu very rarely is kind word
spoken of them. In fact, in some quarters
there is a disposition to prophesy an early
collision between our men and the
Cubans.
General Shafter yesterday morning sent
an invitation to General Garcia to attend
the ceremony of raising the American flag
over Santiago, but the Cuban general
showed his resentment by sending a re-
ply, which followed the course which he
and his ragged, ignorant soldiers have
taken during the weeks of hard fighting
and the campaigning which have resulted
in the fall of Santiago. He declined the
invitation, said he hated the Spaniards
and added that he did not want to- be
where any of them were. Since that time
the Cubans have remained in their Camp
eating American rations, and our troops
have had no communication with them.