The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-03
Gen. Nunez
On
Cuba's Future

An abundant supply Of chickens has
already been counted, though as yet the
hen is still laying her eggs, and the Gu
bans and all the rest of us are talking of
what is going to happen when this war
Is over. The most interesting topic is OF
course the reorganization OF Cuba and
what will be done in the island when
tho Spaniard has been driven out.
General Emilio Nunez and Dr. Cas-
tillo are at Key West Nunez talked
quito freely while coming here on the
boat from Tampa
my opinion about the war and about
the United States is wen KNOWN" he
said, land there Is no reason in my re-
peating what / have already said doz-
en- times. But some wrong ideas seem
to have got around as to what we in
tend to do in Cuba when this war is
over. Some persons think that we in
tend to do as the Spanish have done
confiscate the property Of the Spanish
residents, as they have confiscated the
property belonging to my friends. That
isa false impression. Every native born
man in the island of Cuba is Cuban,
80 that it would be manifestly wrong
to take away from the generations to
come what shoul1 rightfully be theirs.
"Our movement is not against chill
dren growing up to be good Cubans and
men who may be an honor to our coun-
try. No Spaniard who owned at the
outbreak Of the war what he now has
and who came by it by hard work and
enterprise is to be despoiled. That
would not be justice, and two wrongs
hardly make a right. The Spaniards
have despoiled us, but we have no
thought Of repeating their tactics. The
same crimes that have made Spain obi.
Gus would make us odious.
"We intend to havc our own, how
ever, and all that property taken from
my friends by the government will cer-
tainly be returned to them. They will
get their own, but nothing more.
"The only way in which we intend
to discriminate against the Spaniards is
by denying them the right to vote. The
future of the island will be decided upon
at an election to be held as soon as
peace is fully assured. The autonomists
and the Spanish will not be allowed to
vote On the future of the island. If we
permitted that, then Cuba would cer-
tainly be annexed to the United States,
for the Spanish and autonomists are,
first of all, enemies Of the Cuban repub-
lie and would vote for annexation. do
not say that am against annexation,
but the future Of the island will depend
upon the will of the majority. What
ever that is, so will we decide, except
that if the vote is in favor of returning
to Spain the election will certainly be
declared null and void.
1t is understood here that General
Fitz- Hugh Lee will be made the first
military governor, and General Nunez
was asked what he thought about that.
Whatever the United States does"
he said, "we will agree to and will re-
frain from discussing its action. We
would, however, prefer as the military
governor q man who has never been in
Cuba and who has formed absolutely
no opinions as to what should be done
with the island. Then we would be left
alone and permitted to decide for our
selves. General Lee has his opinions
about what should be done with Cuba
He has been our great and good friend,
but we would prefer man who has
never been in the island and who has
no opinions about us, say General Shaf-
ter, for instance. talk this way about
what is to be done in Cuba because
look upon her as already free. A defeat
for the United States is incomprehensi-
BILE to me. OF course we cannot tell how
long the war will last.
''The Offering of reforms to Cuba by
Spain is like Spain. A story is told that
shows what Spain is like. 1t is about
two men who went out hunting. One
man was Spaniard and the other was
his enemy. The Spaniard fell into
well and couldn't get out Of it. His
enemy found him.
"'You help me out said the Span
lard, and will spare your life. ,"
The operations of tho fleets off Key
West are not allowed to pass over the
cable, but they are nevertheless inter-
esting to persons here. There never was
a better position or opportunity for
DAOOh0AAliB iCSo WtoAA NOAhihObOAO sEas-
son has His boats can slip in here at
any time for coal and be out again at
once. While enough vessels are left on
the blockade the others may come over
here for coal. There is danger of the
coal supply running out.
The hospital arrangements here are
nearly complete. DIR. Hall is now in
charge. The Convent of Mary Immacu-
late has turned over all of its buildings
to the government to be used as hospi-
tails. The school children have been dis
missed and cots have been placed in all
the rooms. An operating room is now
in what used to be u schoolroom. Hos
pital tents have been put up in the
grounds, and 400 mon can be attended
In tho convent. -Four trained nurses
from the north are here. The convent
grounds are most suitable for a hospital.
No pretticr place is to be found in tho
south of Florida New York Sun.