The Mena star., 1898-08-24

America Speculate About the Catholics
In Porto Rico and Cuba.
New York, Aug. 23.--A dispatch to
the Herald from Ponce, Porto Rico,
says: Senior Ramon Lopez, editor of
La correspondence de Puerto Rico,
the principal journal of the island.
which is published in San Juan, has
arrived at Ponce. He says:
San Juan has been cut on from the world
since the war began. I could print only Official
! bulletins issued by the government regarding
the progress OF the war 1t was weeks after
| the battle of Manila before the government
i issued a bulletin admitting defeat The news
| Of the destruction OF Cerveras fleet reached
| san Juan the day after 1t happened but was
not permitted to print even rumor for ten
days Later Capt Gen. Macias issued bulle-
| tin stating that six American vessels had been
| sunk He declared that the six included two
battleships The truth was never published In
San Juan, but the facts leaked out unoficialiy.
| The same secrecy was observed when Santiago
surrendered Early in the war the citizens of
| San Juan, who are extremely pro-Spanish,
/ credited the official announcements Of victory.
/ but after Santiago fell they lost hope. Even
! the most rampant Spaniards began to admit
that Spain was not able to fight the United
| States.
| Before the Americans landed in Porto Rico
many citizens of San Juan organized regi-
ment to defend the island. After the landing
they began to hear stories OF the strength and
/ efficiency of the American army and the regi-
ment was disbanded We had little news of
! the progress OF the campaign In Porto Rico,
but could easily tell that things were going
4 against the Spaniards / was permitted to
! print nothing about the American success;
nevertheless the facts crept into San Juan.
greatly discouraging the Spaniards among the
| population
Macias preserved a bold front and maintained
his waning authority For weeks have been
! expecting to be awakened during the night by
! shells bursting We feared bombardment and
/ siege Everybody realized that the city could
not be successfully defended When the news
OF peace came everybody rejoiced Even the
! Spanish officel knew the war was hopeless
and had better he brought to an end
soon The terms caused q little mortifi-
cation, but the Spanish residents seem
l. now to be resigned They say now
| they prefer to be an American territory rather
than Porto Rican republic Most of the
! Spaniards will swallow their discontinue and
remain on the island and become American
citizens Those of the better class naturally
feel humiliated. but II the government OF the
island is to be changed they prefer to be part
of the United States They expect an era OF
great commercial prosperity under American
rule. They no longer call Americans pigs and
the American flag
The Annexation OF Cuba Favored.
Havana, Aug. 23. 3.-An immense ma
jority of the Spanish conservatives in
the island and the natives favor the
annexation of the island to the United
States, which they consider the only
means of securing stable government
in Cuba. In no country has public
opinion ever apparently undergone
such radical change as In Cuba.
Even the most ardent Spanish resi-
dents now favor annexation. The
colonial secretaries and a number OF
other officials met at the palace a few
nights ago to receive orders
from Gen. Blanco regarding the
preparation of documents and
other preliminary steps for the
evacuation of the island. Reports
from Cardenas say that party OF
Spaniards recently captured near that
point four men who were carrying am.
lnunition and provisions to the camp
of the insurgents. The rumors which
have been put in circulation of late to
the effect that the Spanish army would
not obey the governments decision
and evacuate Cuba are entirely base.
less. 1t is reported that the insur-
gent forces from the provinces OF
Pinar del Rio and Matanzas are unit.
ing in Havana province, purposing to
make a triumphal entry into Havana
city.
Amaigamation OF Catholic Communities
Washington. Aug. %. Among those
occupying high official positions with
the Catholic church it is said that the
amalgamation of the Catholic commu.
mites of Cuba, Porto Rico and other
Spanish colonies presents no serious
difficulties. The first requisite, it is
pointed out, is to terminate the con-
cordat by which Spain and the vatican
Jointly conduct the church admins
tration of these colonies The con-
cordat is a formal agreement, some
what like treaty, by which the Span.
ish government and the vatican carry
on relations of mutual advantage. 1t
is understood that the hierarchy OF
Porto Rico will at once become at
tached to the American church, but
there is some question as to the status
of the church in Cuba owing to the
doubt as to the exact form of the civil
administration of the island. While
not annexed to the United States, the
church in Cuba may not be attached
to the American hierarchy, although
it's administration is likely to be su'
pervised from here.