Evening star., 1898-12-09
PAY OF INSURGENTS
The Anxious Feeling in Havana
About It.
WILLING TO PLEDGE THE CUSTOMS
American Occupation Always
Spoken Of as Temporary.
G TO PLEDGE TIE CUSTOMS
QUESTION OF INDEPENDENCE
Copyright, 1898, by Charles NJ. Pepper.)

Copyright, 1898. by Charles NJ. Pepper.)
From a Stan Correspondent.
MARIANOA, Cuba, December 4, 1893.
After the Spaniards. what of the Cubans?
The question is bound to come. 1t is a
proper query. Thus far, the answer has
been satisfactory. Some restlessness is
shown while awaiting the outcome of the
Garcia commissions visit to Washington.
The insurgent soldiers want their pay, or
part of it. They are naturally anxious to
know whether money can be raised for
them through the agency of the American
government. Pending knowledge on that
point the American military commanders
are finding work for increasing numbers of
them on the camp sites. Later there will
be more work on sanitary improvements.
Meanwhile the tardy rations are coming.
These troops which have managed to sub
sist for nearly four months without forag-
ing on the country and without aid from
the United States now receiving some
provisions [ do not know whether the fic-
ton is kept up that part of the rationS
should go to CubanS in arms. Whatever
the hctlOn the fact would not be changed.
The people who received the rations would
share them with the soldiers, and if the in
surSents were the recipients the starving
population would be provided for by them.
Whatever the defects and vices of the Gu
bans as a people may be, they are mutu-
ally helpful to one another in distress.
The Temporary Occupation.
All the insurgent commanders from Memo
cal down declare that the American tenn
porary military occupation is going to be
accepted in good faith. They always say
temporary. When they have made this
qualifying statement they supplement it
with the evidence. 1t is their belief that
less friction will be had here than was ex-
perlenced by Gen. LawtOn and Gen Wood
in Santiago The conditions are more fa-
Voraple. Besides, both American military
commanders and insurgent leaders have
learned something since the misunder-
standing between Shafter and Garcia An
occasional hint from Washington has helm
ed. The Cuban commanders in the vicinity
OF havana think that tie anxiety of their
uen To earn money, as shown in the ap-
rilcatlOns for the chance of working at the
American camps. is the best proof they can
give OF good intentions. They also point to
the ciNli administration in Pinar del Rio
under lnsurgent direction during the in
terVal between the departure of the Span
lSh sarrlsonS and the arrival of the Ameri-
can troops. The same thing is happening
IN some parts Of Havana province
Paying the Insurgent Troops
Ihis does not touch the main proposition
OF what is to be done about paying the in
surgent troops. / do not imagine that pub
lie sentiment in the United States leans
any more favorably to assuming obligations
TO the insurgents than 1t did toward as
Stunning any portion of Spain's Cuban debt.
ihe policy of guaranteeing Indebtedness of
this kind is not apt to be p0pular Never
theIcss condition has to be met. In act
ing as trustee in collecting and disbursug
the revenues of the island the American
authorities 1t is presumed, will be respon-
sive to the wishes of all classes who will
n a mar in he. for
Inc stable government which is pledged. If
a plebiscite were to be taken and the will
OF the people of the island determined /
have no question that 20 per cent would
pronounce in favor of mort ging the reye-
hues TO an amount sufficient to make a
partial payment TO the insurgents. This
would include the Spanish merchants and
the large element Of business men who,
when the time comes, will mako known
their support of annexation. They want
the insurgents paid a step toward in
dusUial recuperation and political good
feeling. Some American property owners
who have claims awaiting adjustment by
th2r own government would also like to
see this done. 1t might appear that the
duty OF the United States is first to it's
own citizens and then possibly to the Gu
bans, yet most of the Americans are in
favor Of early payment to the insurgents
though their own claims must wait. One of
them told me the reason. IF these Cubans
receive some ready money" he said, may
be l can get some of them to go to work
on my plantation and trust me for their
pay
Pledging the Customs.
Whether an arrangement is made or not
the plan Of giving all classes q chance to
say If they viii sanction a credit is going
to be urged with plausibilty and force A
voice in the American trusteeship will be
asked in their behalf. The only class which
would oppose pledgiDg the customs or other
q IJ.N-
would probably join in a petition for a
plebiscite just for the privilege of voting to
pay the Cuban soldiers. But they would
be what Is called in the states an insignif-
cant minority. If the circumstances should
warrant a favorable consideration of the
plans of Gen. Garcia and his associates the
American government will probably find 1t
wise to act directly, rather than to sane
tfon any general plan of bonded indebted
ness for a Cuban government which is not
yet in existence. The sentiment of the
great majority Of the people who will live
under that government when formed, shar-
ing its burdens and responsibilities is 10
pay the soldiers They do not favor issuing
bonds for miscellaneous purposes And
their notion Of paying the insurgent troops
IS based on the understanding that the rev
enues which will be used TO meet the pay-
ment shall be collected while The customs
houses are in American hands.
The Question OF Independence.
An arrangement for paying the Cuban
army would not change the movement
for the early settlement of the question of
independence. AS as the Spanish ,
press censorship is raised food of Cuban
papers will appear advocating independ-
ence.
1t will surprise many persons to learn
that several of the Spanish journals will
then become stronger in their anti-Ameri-
can crusade. They Will demand the i'm
mediate submission of future government
80 that the odious Americans NAV be
gotten out of the island quickly" Neither
they nor the rabid Cuban anti-annexation
papers need be taken too seriously The
chief concern of the American military au-
thorities will be to administer the govern
ment properly, leaving Cubans and Span
iards free to agitate and settle among
themselves whether they want independ-
ence or annexation.
Gen. Lacret's RadieaIism