Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-11-26
CABINET CONSIDERS PUERTO RICO
Asserted Practical Anarchy Exists
In the Islands Among the


Troops.
Washington, Nov. 2t.-Thc cabinet
meeting today was devoted 10 consid'
ering complaints made that practical
anarchy prevails in Puerto Rico.
1t is said that lawless elements are
committing d~epredations of the
grayest character and that the United
States soldiers arc guilty of gross mis-
conduct. A cable was sent TO General
Brooke inquiring as to the facts. Duri
ing the meeting il was learned that q
long cable had arrived from the Paris
peace commissioners and was being
translated.
1t appeared to contain nothing new
or sensational, bearing OF the presenA
tation of the Spanish case made
Wednesday.
Department. Expects No Trouble.
The war department does not antici-
pate any trouble in Puerto Rico grow
Ing out of disorderly conduct Of troops
recently sent there. There was some
trouble with soldiers of the Sixth i'm
munes and Forty.seventh New York
about the time of their arrival, bat it
was soon quoted. The lack OF dis
cipline in the volunteer organization is
believed TO have been responsible FOR
the disturbance, but the officers are
getting better control of their men.
The two new points laid down by
the Spanish peace commissioners IN
the answer presented by them at
Wednesdays session will not be per-
mitted to change the attitude OF the
United States commissioners.
These points were, in substance, that
the Spaniards could not permit any
question to be raised as 10 the author
ity of the Spanish government 10
plcdge the csource of the Philippines
TO meet the Philippine loan, and, that
they could not permit an accounting
of the method by which the proceeds
Of this loan hud been expended.
There is reason TO believe that the
Spanish purpose is To conceal the cnor-
nous dcfalcations by the Spanish Of
iicials who have governed the Philip
pines since the issue If the loan, and
their ostensib!e purpose iH TO he ble
TO plead inability to state what the
pacific expenditures have been on
account of the Philippines, which was
all that the United States proposed to
reimburse them for.
Our government, however, In antici.
patton OF some such cNasirc dealings,
has prepared the American commits
sioners with instructions which exact
IN meet this ease. They know approx
imately just about the value Of the
bettermcpts in the Philippine islands,
having asccrtained this from private
but thoroughly reliable sources,
knowing this, they can afford to ig-
more entirely the efforts of the Span
iards to becloud the facts and will
adopt the simple eXpedicnt of prefer
ring a sum of as many millions Of dol
lars as it is deemed fair and just to
tender for the Spanish properties, re.
ouiring and rendering 40 statement or
calculation as n basis for the offer.
Thus there will be avoided the danger
OF n long wrangic over a complex
statement of figures, and the issue VIII
be made with perfect clearncss.
II is believed that the Spanish com
m%isioners finally will accept this Of
fer. though it is fully expected that
once the commission reaches the point
Of naming sums Of money and has left
behind it all of the irrelevant discus
sion touching sovereignty, the Span
ish commissioners may make deter
mined CYort 10 secure n lnrEcr allow
ance than the president has sane
toned,
Judging, however, by the conduct of
the American commissioners up TO this
point, there will be very little latitude
allowed the Spaniard in this matter,
and il is believed that they have come
TO appreciate the fact that the Ameri-
can proposition is in the end about
what it was at the beginning and that
American diplomacy is straight for
ward nj all pOintS.