The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-30

""hHiCAN COMMANDERS nrr,rs
NOT CLEARLY DEFINED
m, ofhce Holders win soon y.
ssed-iiavann city Ccuncil
looking Ont for Bopd,e.

New York, December % a,..
NY tribune from Havana saws; ndu...
.ponai work among both spaniaras ~ ~, !.
u,ns promises to be one OF the firs, ,a,,,.
wnen American military control Z os,aS
nsueu. Neither class as vet f,,av una.r.
stands Its relations to tho llni,od &C.,.
uo sianlafus are satisfied with the as.
ave thai their property will be safe
ana tna1 order will be maintained ~ =,
BUSINESS VIII not be interrupted, That
tney would be asked TO share ~ ~ i,
sponsioiiities Of government under Ameri.
san military control has not been mana
pain to them. They have assumed ,hat
everything would be turned over IL tho
cubans' With the military authority back
OF IL they have not worried pre,t,y oyor
Cuban administration, though they may
nave misgiyings about It's effectiveness
The Spanish classes have not Thought that
uhey would be wanted In executive posi-
tons and they shirk the idea Of such re-
spons'biffties. This does not apply to the
office-holding class, which has been in Of
ficial places. Its members would be quite
willing TO remain. Their retention would
aeteat the prospect of attaining the good
government which the United States has
pledged Itself to give Cuba, Most Of them
are too thoroughly identified with the MAST
Spanish system of corruption to be useful
IN establishing new regime A different
ciass OF sPaniards will be needed and they
can be found.
Inc exact partition of authority among
.ne Anenlcan military commanders does
not seem TO have given them a definite M
lion OF their respective functions.
General Fitahugh Lse, as commander of
the Seventh corps in Havana prov.ace, does
not understand that he has anything ia do
Win the military administration of Havana
city. and apparently is glad 10 be relieved
ef tfat responsibility. General Ludlow, IA
mliltary and civil governor of the city.
does not understand that he has anything
TO 90 with the collection of the customs
efuties oy Major Bliss, though he hopes to
have their disbursement for public inn.
proVemenfs. That will be essential Cen
eral Ludlow's experience as an engineer
commissioner in Washington will be valu-
aple, thcugh the problems he will nave to
meet In the sanitation and the policing of
Havana will be of different nature from !
those at the National capital.
some progress has already been noted in |
cleaning the streets OF tie city. That is a |
temporary relief. A mere oompr; hensiye
system Will be necessary IN order to in |
sure permanent Improvement.
Whlle no details are given, IL is assumed |,
That General Brooke. as supreme military
commander on the island. will promptly |
replace the machinery of civil adm mis-
IRA .aon which lis now represented by the |
colonial cabinet by some agency more in |
harmcny with the new conditions TIL, |
pest thing that can happen to Cuba will |
Dc for the cabinet to disappear completely |
On January l. The most Of them are al! |
willing to stay. They have been fixing |
heir relatives in office on tho .hesry tia.
hey would remain. But the cabinet as a |
body is hated by the Cubans and distrusted
'y the Spaniards. The official INSIDE eds
,f Individual members NAV cause others
o suffer un1ustly. The public has no con-
idence IN any OF them.
The ayuntamiento. or city council 81
1avana, presents a similar condt ion Its
proceedings becsme so scandalous that the
ivil governor dismissed nine of the alder
men. This did not work change for the
'etter because the ayuntamlento went on
n its old course, simply giving 3 new set
II SPECTATORS the benefit Of its libera!'y
The decree of the captain general made
odd the ads of the city council as we'll
S of the cabinet Some kind of mupic,-
al machinery Is desirable in Havana while
cntrol The ayuntanierho may fulfil the
ornling 1t With honest men is difficult