The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-07
LUDLOW SEEING
SPANISH RIFLES
Cubans Try to Keep the
Guns.
NOT ALLOWED BY LAW
AMERICANS TAKING NO
CHANCES IN HAVANA.
One Spanish Officer Who Wanted the
Soldiers to Come to His
House After
Arms.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

HAVANA. Jan. 6.-Major General
Ludlow, Governor of the Department
of Havana, has decided to issue a
proclamation inviting the surrender OF
arms at the arsenal. Receipts will be
given for the arms, which will be prob
ably returned later. There are sup
posed to be as many as 10000 rifles in
private possession, held chiefly by for
mer Spanish volunteers.
Acting on reports received from vari-
GUS agents, Adjutant General Greble
and Captain Blunt have searched at
night time this week, a dozen dwellings
and seized altogether about 300 rifles,
with a number of machetes.
The largest collection found in any
one instance was in a chocolate factory
where twenty rifles were found. Parties
of Cubans have been going into the
residences Of former volunteers, taking
their rifles and handing them over to
the nearest American patrol. But this
is quite another matter. Nine Cubans
were caught in the act to-day, among
them a colonel, captain and a lieu
tenant. They were arrested, taken be-
fore General Ludlow, lectured roundly
and dismissed.
The military administration has no
objection to individuals having a re-
volver or a sporting rifle or so in their
residences, and the searchers decline to
take the weapon in such cases. They
make seizures only where two or more
military rifles are found and no salts
factory explanation is forthcoming. A
Spaniard, formerly a colonel, asked
General Ludlow to-day to send to his
house and seize thirty Mausers. as he
did not seem to wish to give them up
voluntarily. This was done. A local
dealer in arms has $500 rifles in stock,
but agrees not to sell them at present.
All these are simply precautionary
measures taken against any possible
disturbance.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-The Cabinet
at its meeting to-day gave special con-
sideration to the administration of af-
fairs in Cuba. There seems to be mis-
understanding among some of the peo-
pie of Santiago as to the policy Of the
Government with respect to the expen-
diture of money collected from internal
revenue customs sources.
1t is not believed that General Wood
who is in command at Santiago, mis-
understands the purposes of the Gov
eminent, but in any event nothing will
be done in the matter until General
Wood arrives here. Then an effort will
be made to arrive at some general plan
for the handling of the receipts in the
lSldnu II seems Certain, however, tndL
all moneys disbursed must come
through central head, and that under
no circumstances can any particular
city or section be allowed to expend all
of it's collections to the neglect Of other
sections.
General Wood, however, will receive
a proper and probably a sufficient al
lowance for Santiago province, but full
consideration is certain to be given to
sections which collect nothing or little
from customs. 1t is very likely that
soon after General Woods return to
Santiago the governors of the several
provinces will be instructed to assemble
for discussion of the question of their
respective needs for administrative pur-
poses and also for pressing internal i'm
provements. Thus it is expected that
fair and EQUITABLE distribution of the
funds collected on the island will be
secured.