Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-20

"A report mas Deen received from General
Ludlow, governor of Havana, giving some
| information of the organization of the Ha-
vana police force, with especial reference to
a very abusive communication attacking
the police organization and declaring it in
competent. General Ludlow replies to some
of the accusations. but most of the report
is devoted to a description of the force as
organized. He says Captain McCullagh of
New York did extremely well in organizing
the force.
Suppression of Public Gambling.
Gambling has been thoroughly stopped in
Havana. The only places where it is car
ried ON are clubs, which are private affairs
The general did not think he was required
| tc invade clubs, unless some public scandal
was created by the playing.
1t had been charged that men of the po-
lice force were getting rich by granting per-
mits for gambling and for houses of ill
repute. Regarding the latter, General lud-
low says they have in Havana the CONT
mental system of licensing houses and wo-
men, ana keeping them all under constant
| police and medical supervision, requiring
physical examinations and certificates OF
good health.
After describing the Spanish police sys-
| TEN, General Ludlow says of the new force:
An American police was out of the ques-
| ion. We did not want American army Off
| GERS members of d Havana police, and
| We did not want United States policemen.
| We needed men who We're familiar with
! the language and the locality and could
make themselves effective and follow a
| criminal. Furthermore, it was of the ut
| most Importance that the new police to be
| constituted should be of such material as
| should command the respect and confidence
of the public. l determined to organize it
| on the highest plane practicable. | took
| major general in the army a man highly
| esteemed, and American bred, as the CHIEF
| ana through him secured the cooperation
| OF young officers in the Cuban army OF
| rank ana nigh social position as inspectors
| captains, lieutenants and the like. For the
| bulk had SJU men selected out of over
| ",ooO applicants, requiring that every man
| should have a standard of height and
| weight and be able 10 read and write and
| IN other respects be certified as a man of
| intelligence and good character by two or
more citlzens y good many of these l got
| from the cuban army, but the read and
| write difnculty kept out twenty-four out of
| twenty-five of this class and of these 1
| used about 200 in the organ. .zatjon of the
| iui al ponce, VINO are mounted and patrol
| 1he SUBURBS TO the limits of the department
| Praised by the People.
| OF course the police was entirely new
to It's duties and functions, but these peo-
PIE are quick TO learn, and it did not take
them long to present a very favorable an
| pearance and to earn the cornmendation of
| people here. Naturally being Cubans. they
| have not the Anglo-Saxon steadiness of
Judgment. Ihey are eXctable according
| TO our standard, and lack the stoliditv and
stSoiiity OF Broadway policeman but they
are doing exceedingly well They do ,,nt
! know how to handle crowds bnt III, -
| learning that W 'iSs "ie
| They have had two pitched battles with
| the dlsonderV classes, in both cases com
ing OH victorious, though with copsidarobIa
| loss TO themselves and have therahyy baao
| hardened up to a sense of their respon shit
| ~ "hlie the disorderly classes have learn
81 t Naludoie lesson at the same time that
| the ponce nave earned the public svmnat NV
as their protectors and guardians Ita1,
| sun 90 not know how to arrest criminals
VINO occasionally take their clubs au,ay
ar' ION mem ana maltreat them, and they
| are 100 quick to draw their pistols and they
| shoot too crooked for anything IN aim ~
a nylnS thief down the street and shoot ON
| innocent citizen in the calf of the leg across
| me @.he street Is quite too much and [ told
| Menocal that if his men could not be taugbt
| to shoot straighter l should have to e.
| their guns away" i>o
! Trouble Caused by Americans
| Gen. Ludlow speaks of some troubles that
| were occasioned by the American soldiers
| some of whom are hard to control al tin,,s
| He thinks that when all get in their ouar-
ters there will be less disorder ana the no.
lice viii get along better. The. = have beea
| quite a number of spectators and adyen-
turers who have caused some trouble but
| as all OF these characters find they must
conform to the regulations OF leave the
| situation is improving. There has not been
anything more than superficial 'sorder nor
| Is there, in any sense, any deep-sea ted dis
| position on the part of any one to disorder
| Gen. Ludlow says the people he finds there
| are well meaning, amiable and responsive
| though with little judgment of consecutive
ness. Gen. Ludlow concludes by saying:
Making Extraordinary Progress.
IN all respects l think that we are MAX
ing steady and traordinary progress
Handled properly, the difficulties are in no.
wise serious or overwhelming either in the
conduct of affairs or the organization of
government. There is apparently a lack of
conference and scope about some of the gen
erai administration, and decidedly too much
interference in minor and detail matters
All TINS Is very annoying and makes ex-
haustVe demands on ones time and ner-
Vous energy. but we count 1t a part of
| the days work and go on with our labor
aad observations, notwithstanding the small
mosquitoes that interfere and harass"