The times., 1899-05-24
INTEREST WANING IN
CUBAN DISARMAMENT
Payment of the Troops Will
Begin on Saturday.
Few viii Fail to BE on Hand to
Share in Americas Donation.
Colonel Bliss Efforts TO Check Snug
RliBG-Thc Rural Guard Cues
ton Again A-itated.

Havana May 23.-Interest in the dis
armament question is apparently waning.
The "Reconcentrado" is the only paper
which discusses the matter today. It says
that the American money appropriated for
the payment of the Cuban troops will go
back to the United States untouched. The
authorities at the Salon Trocha expect,
however, that a majority OF the soldiers
will appear on the designated days ald
take their money. and are proceeding ac-
cordingly. General Brooke's order regard
ing the payment of the soldiers was sent
10 the printers today and it viii be official
ly published tomorrow. General Gomez is
very anxious for the Cubans to accept the
money. He called a meeting of his gem
erals at the Hotel Roma this afternoon.
at which he urged slem all to use their in
fiuence to get the men to accept payment.
He said that he would appear in a ridic-
ulous light If they did not. II was decided
to send General GARLIC TO the Santa Clara
headquarters of the Fourth Corps to urge
the men TO take the money. Teiegrams TO
the same effect we're sent to Gen. Jesus
Rabi in Santiago and Gen. Pedro Diaz in
Pinar del Rio. Arrangements were com
pleted today TO begin the payment OF the
Fifth Corps in Havana province on May 81.
The payment will continue twelve days.
the last detachment being paid in Carde-
mas The arrangements for the payment
of the Fourth and Sixth corps have not
yet been completed. Another meeting of
Cuban veterans was held this afternoon ar
Cerro, at which the course Of the soldiers
in refusing to accept the American money
was approved
In order TO check the smuggling Colonel
Bliss. Collector OF Customs. has forbidden
the use OF all vessels of less than twenty
tons burden in the Importation of merchan-
disc. Some Of the merchants here Will pro-
test TO Washington against an order issued
by Colonel Bliss forbidding inspectors to
pass more than one manifest a day. The
merchants say the effect of this order is
TO delay business for more than q week
The order was issued to prevent corrup-
tion.
General Sanger Military Governor of
the city Of Matanzas will leave for the
United States tomorrow.
The question of the establishment Of n
rural guard viii shortly be considered by
General Brooke, but it is thought that it
is hardly likely that he VIII take favorable
action On the proposition. There are now
500 rurals in Santa Clara, 230 in Puerto
Principe, and $50 in Santiago. but there
are none in PinGr del Rio. Havana. or
Matanzas provinces. General Wilson, Mil
itary Commander of the department of
Matanzas and Santa Clara. is opposed to
rurales. he believing that they are IN
necessary. The 500 men employed in that
capacity in Santa Clara are a relic of Cen
eral Bates regime. The opinion is ex-
pressed in competent American quarters
that much OF the banditti scare is part of
scheme to force the appointment of large
body of rurales. Most of all the reports
OF bandits come from Cuban sources. and
are persistently discredited by the mill
tary authorities for that region.