The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-02
TWO EXTREMES IN CUBA
One Hand Are Military Chiefs and on the
Other the Pure Spaniards.
IMPERATIVE THAT THE TROOPS Be PAID.
The Cnbans Want $500 Pcr Nan. the
Amount TO lie Deducted from the
Customs Revenues.

Mobile, Ala, February i.--Iiannis Tay-
Tor. cx-minister to Spain. who returned
| yesterday from a two weeks visit to Cuba,
has given The Associated Press the fol-
lowing interview on the Cuban situation;
while in Cuba upon purely private
business, came in contact with the lead
ers of every faction into which the popula-
ton is now divided. The extremes of
opinion are represented on ono hand by
Cuban military chiefs, demanding inime-
date and absolute independence; on the
other by the purely Spanish element seek
ing protection under our flag. Between
the two extremes are ranged the main
body OF the people standing In an expect
ant attitude, ready to give their approval
TO any plan that will re-establish law and
order and material prosperity upon per-
manent basis. Upon one point all agree
American officers as well as Cubans--
ana that is that outside of the cities the
country is In condition of want and mis-
cry that can hardly be exaggerated As an
aggraVation of that condition stands the
CUBAN army, composed OF ut least 10000
IDLE men, waiting with arms In their hands
Tor such settlement OF their dues as
VIII enable them to resume civil life again.
When l asked those who had right
10 speak for the army, what sum would be
sufhcisnt for satisfactory settlement, they
said S10,O00,O00 or $ll,000,O00 at leasta
sum that would give about $500 10 each
man. with that they said the small farm
ers could procure stock and live until they
could make crop. The Cubans neither
ask nor desire us to contribute a penny
for the payment of their army. All they
buf oh h,, bn far bs
purpose, charged upon their custom house.
now yielding from $t2,O00000 to $1b, 1000 600
year, the proceeds Of the loan to be paid
TO their soldiers through our military att
thortics. Every class in Cuba is now de
manding that settlement be made al once,
SO that menacing and consuming body
of idle men may be converted into pence
full producers. In that way the Industrial
energies of the country could b. revived
and a force dissolved which, like the army
of Cromwell, is not only military body,
but the dominant political power in the
island II the present military government
is continued in the island for a long time
believe the Cubans will hate our gov
eminent as much as they did the Span
iards Their officers are treated with con
tempt and ignored in many ways that
tends to make them regard the military
government as burden.
THE urgent needs in Cuba now are
prompt ana satisfactory settlement with
the army OF the revolution and The eatab-
lishment as soon as possible of a provis-
ional civil regime in which Cubans them
selves can have a voice. The president
should labor INCREASINGLY TO attain both
ends, and In the effort to do so he should
have the cordial cooperation and support
of all patriotic and liberty loving men,
regardless of party. We should learn from
the English how suicidal it is to carry
our party difficulties into our foreign ar
fairs. The patriotic instinct of Mr. Bryan
hit the mark when he urged the immediate
of the impending treaty and
the settlement of all difficulties afterward
The senate should end at once the present
situation. SO detrimental TO all our for
eign interests, while congress as whole
should give to the president every facility
necessary to enable him to settle every
foreign question now demanding an imme-
date solution