Daily inter mountain., 1899-07-11
OF the Inhabitants of Cuba
May Be Taken
ANNEXATION QUESTION
Confidential Reports Say the People
of the Island Would Like to Come
Under the Stars and StripeS--A
Successor to Gen. Brooke.

New York, July 11.-According to a
! correspondent of the World at Washing
ton, President Mckinley is working en-
| ergetically upon plan to submit the
question Of independence or annexation
to the people of Cuba. He believes that
they would vote for annexation Reports
from Governor General Brooke indicate
contrary view, but the president has re-
ceived confidential letters from influen-
tial representatives of commercial inter-
ests and from other sources in and about
Havana that has convinced him that Gem
eral Brooke is mistaken and that the
people in :he western portion of the
island, as we'll as those in the eastern
portion, would gladly vote for a terri
torial government under the great re-
public.
These confidential reports reveal good
deal more discord among the American
provincial rulers than is usually believed
! to exist The policy applied to the gov
ernment Of the provinces in the western
end of the island-Pinar del Rio, Havana
and Matanzas-which are directly under
| the supervision of General Brooke, is for
| instance, radically different from that in
| augurated by General Leonard Wood
military commander of Santiago. The
government of Santiago is looked upon
! by the president as more desira BILE than
that in the western provinces. General
| wood, while here recently, made a re-
port to the president, who indorsed his
! policy and urged it's continuance Gen.
eral Wood, it is learned, made many sug-
gestions which will be published for the
guidance Of the commanders Of other
Cuban provinces. The president inquired
particularly as to the extent of the senti-
ment for and against annexation.
II am firmly convinced" said General
Wood, that annexation would be carried
by four to one in Santiago. The people Of
| that province, and 1 believe the majority
of the other provinces, do not want in
dependence. They have realized many
benefits from the temporary government
we have given them and are anxious to
secure these benefits permanently. Amer
leans who have established themselves in
Santiago and endeavored to extend their
operations to other provinces, tell me
that they have been repulsed by the
, American commanders and that English
enterprises have been given the prefer
ence."
Complaints Of the unwarranted con-
sideration shown European enterprises
, in Havana and other western provinces,
to the detriment Of American interests.
nave reached the president from many
sources, and 1t is not improbable that a
change in the administration of the Gu
ban government will soon be made. It is
stated upon very high authority that the
president desires General Brooke's at
tendance in Washington in the capacity
of confidential adviser, and is contem-
plating the substitution in his place OF
General Wood as governor general. So
strong is the presidents tendency toward
annexation that it is expected that an
effort will be made in congress al the
coming session to rescind the resolution
providing for Cuban independence and
to substitute plan by which the matter
may be submitted to vote of the people
of the island