The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-02
PORTO RICO WANTS LIBERTY.
NATIVES GLAD TO SHAKE OFF THE
SPANISH YOKE.

The Power of the DOns i'm the Island
Rapidly CrumbIing-Spanish Vol
uRteers Reported to Have Refused
TO March to the Defense-The Span
ish SoIdiery Short of Ammunition.
Tales of Outrage and LOoting by
the Spanish Soldiers Coming in.
Fight May Occur at AibOnitO.
Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press
Ponce, Porto Rico, July 81, 10 p. m, by
Associated Press Dispatch Boat via st.
Thomas, d, w. l., Aug. l, a. MN
spite of the brave words of the pronun-
ciamento of Capt Gen. Macias. Spanish
power in Porto Rico is rapidly crumbling
P. c. Hanna, United States consul at
San Juan when the war was declared,
gives the Associated Press the following
text of a dispatch received by him to-day
from a Spanish official in the northern
part of the island:
Resistance is impossible. The volun-
teers have refused to march, and we have
no ammunition
MIR. Hanna declines to give the name
of his informant but it is known that he
has excellent secret sources of informa-
ton.
He has all along insisted that the ma
tive Porto Ricans were eager for a change
from Spanish to American rule, and that
the only danger in the island was from
the Spanish regulars under the direct
command of the captain general
Pickets have been thrown out to-day to
feel for the enemy.
Deserters from the volunteers who are
coming in constantly. report that there
Is a small force of Spanish regulars at
Coamo, midway between Juan Diaz and
Aibonito, on the road to San Juan. They
also say that Gen. Otega is on the way
with re-inforcements and that the main
body of regulars are concentrating at
Aibonito.
A small skirmish recently occurred at
Fortuna, between a few regulars, who
were out foraging, and the residents Of
the village.
To-day 1SO volunteers, including fifteen
officers, have signed the parole.
There is no reason to change the opin-
ion that if any stand is made before San
Juan is reached it will be Aibonito, where
the mountain pass gives the enemy
great opportunity.
AT Guayamo, twenty-seven miles east
of Ponce, 200 Spanish regulars. under in
strucdons from the captain general, seiz-
ed the funds of the town.
The residents resisted and Gen. Miles
was appealed to for help He has advised
a naval demonstration in front of the
town and it is possible that this will be
made tomorrow.
Troops may be sent if the reported
presence of the Spanish regulars there is
confirmed.
Tales of looting and outraging continue.
the reports covering numerous small
towns in the province of Ponce.
The arrival of Gen. Brooke, with the
troops on board the auxiliary cruiser st.
Louis, is highly gratifying TO Gen. Miles,
who says that positively nothing Is to be
done prematurely.
Mr.. Hanna is busy in assisting to adjust
local conditions TO the new stale of af-
fairs. He is endeavoring to establish
American postofices in all the important
centers of the occupied territory, and he
has frequent interviews with merchants
and bankers on the question of the money
premium, an awkward question which is
giving the American and local financiers
much trouble. The situation briefly in
this respect is that prior to the American
occupation the premium one English gold
over Porto Rico silver has been from $12O
to $1.75 The Spaniards, on leaving, took
away all the money they could find and
this resulted in an abnormal scarcity.
Gripping the merchants who must nay
import duties in Porto Rican coins. The
premium fell quickly to 100 and is now
down to 50. The serious question is as to
the intrinsic value of native coin, which
is adulterated with nickel
To-day the merchants proposed to Mr.
Hanna to agree to pay a premium of 100,
provided import duties on goods from the
United States were removed. They also
offered to buy everything from the United
States