The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-01-04
GEN. WOOD COMING H0ME.
Will Protest Against Sending Gus
toms to Havana.
POLICY WAS ONE OF WORST FEA-
TURBs OF SPANISH RULE.

Santiago Papers says That II Means
Anarchy and Riot I'm the Province
Mass Meeting Of Citizens to Protect
Against the gton
Explains why n Should De EN-
forced.
Santiago Dc Cuba, January General
Leonard Wood, the American military
commander here, has cablcd for permits
sion TO go to Warrington for two dsys
and has bsen granted leave Of abssnos. Ne
viii leave Santiago on board the United
States transport Aississippi tomorrow.
The reason OF the generals departure Ii
unq uestionably the order received from
Havana 10 transmis the entire customs
srceipts each week 10 that city. Compli-
snoe with thsss instructions would In.
voive the abandonment Of many necessary
rublio improvements and would throw
10000 Cubans out Of employment
1t is believed that General Wood 10
desirious Of seeing the President on this
subject. The members Of the San Carlos
club are In o fever Of sxcitsment over the
order.
Colonel valiente, the Cuban who was
appointed chief Of the dom d. armirs.
said the Cubans had fought thirty years
against this policy and thsy were ready to
fiaht thirty years more II neoeaasry.
The Cubans are making elaborate pre-
partitions for demonstration on General
Woods departure. A band will escort
him to the wharf and the members Of the
Supreme court will accompany tho Mis-.
sissippi down the bay on steamer, at
the expense Of the Cubans.
The mass uieeting was held In the
plaza and was attended by 5000 persons
Energetic speeches were made against
the policy of collecting money at SAntia-
90. Most of the speakers declared that
the principle which 10 Is now propoeed to
put into effect had been fought against by
them for thirty years. All were exceed /.
General Wood imploring him to use his
influence with the Washington govern
msnt against Q revival Of one Of the worst
features of the Spanish regime. GsneIsl
Wood expresses the emphatic opinion that
all customs receipts should be expended
In the improvement of the provinces In
which thsy are taken, With the exception
Of such percentage TOR Havana AS may
be necessary for government expendi-
lures, geological surveys and other public
usss OF that charactera. This local papers
again renew their assertions that II such
an order 10 enforced 10 will mean II noe
civil war, &C least anarchy and riot in
the province Of Santiago calling for q
large force Of United States troops.
WASHINGTON EXPLAINS.
Washington. January a-Tae order OF
the war department programme requiring
the customs collections at Santiago and
at all other Cuban ports be sent to Ha-
vana. Is felt to be absolutely necessary,
the intsrests of good government reQuir-
ing that there should be but one respon-
sible head to the customs service in Cuba.
1t was pointed out at the war department
today that, II Santiago at one end OF the
island and Havana, near the other, were
allowed 90 keep their customs receipts, pro-
vinoes such as Porto Principe and Pinar del
Rio, would be without funds to make any
public improvements. The officials are
disposed to allow each OF the military
commanders of the seven departments
into which Cuba Ia now divided to sub
NIT reQuisitions based upon estimates OF
cost OF such public works as sanitation.
harbor Improvements and road and bridge
building as IL is deemed desirable to
undertake.