The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-02-04
SELF GOVERNMENT IN CUBA
Il STATEMENT By SPECT4E nonr-
MISSIONER PoRTER.
Entire Policing of Island shou1d ~.
Done by Cubans-Bulk of American
Soldiers Must be Taken Out by April
Pledges of Cuban Military Leaders IL
Maintain Order All That is Neee.sn,v.

FleoSes OF cuban Military Leaders tO
Maintain Order All That ia Nec...,,..,
Havana, Feb. 3.-Robert P. Porter.
the special commissioner of President
Mckinley, who has arranged for tho
dlsbandment of the Cuban army at II
cost of $3,000000 to the United States
government, made the following stateE
ment for publication to-day: ..Whiia
the situation here has been improved.
the advantage thus gained should ba
followed up by the American authorl.
ties. The entire policing Of the island
should be done by the Cubans them
selves. The real police work Is, in fact.
now in the hands Of the Cuban soldiefs.
| and law and order are well maintained.
There should not be moments delay
In the organization and equipment Of
these civil guards. The bulk Of tho
American soldiers must be taken out of
Cuba by April There is really no ne4
cessity for more than two regiments III
each province to serve as background
of support for the Cuban police. In
giving the best of these people employ-
ment all the more will be left Of the rs.S
lief fund for those who must be helped
back to the land.
"The feeling Of distrust between the
Cubans and the Americans has been
temporarily checked by the message OF
General Gomez to President Mckinley
and the presidents reply through Sec
retary Hay. If the younger military
elements of both armies will now get
together and complete the several
schemes for policing the provinces,
which at this moment are awaiting
crystallizatton, the problem will be-
solved. Delay in this work will be fa-
tai. If such men as General Gomez
General Monteaguado of Santa Clara
province, General Mayia Rodriguez of
the province Of Pinar del Rio, General
and others whom know personally will
assure President Mckinley and Cover
nor General Brooke that law and order
will be maintained their pledge will be
carried out at any cost.
'N IucIe IS LOO MUCH ulSpOSlJlOn TO Ql6S
cuss minor details. There is too much
hesitancy in bringing matters to head.
In the province of Santa Clara Montea- g
guado's admirable policing plan has
been already put in operation; and 1T IL
one as General Leonard Wood told me
yesterday, which is along right lines.
The entire police work in that province
so Major Logan provost marshal, in
formed me-has been done by Cubans
since the evacuation. Why not take
up at once and dispose Of this matter?
Things must be kept moving in Cuba
or summer will overtake us with too
many troops here. Our soldiers them-
selves fully realize the situation. They
frankly say that their chief occupation
Is to guard each other while their chiefs
In Washington, Havana and Remedies
are exchanging condolences. The young
sr officers on both sides still come to-
gether and evolve preliminary policing
plans and get these into working order
without delay. Once this is well done,
matters will take care of themselves
n Cuba. At least, that is my opin-
on"