The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-20
CUBAN ARMS CAUSE TROUBLE
HAVANA IN 4 FERMENT OVER THE
LATEST REPORTS.

Porter Agreed That the Arms should
Go TO the Cuban, Assembly or Its
ReprcSentntives-It Is Now Insist
ed That They should BE Turned
over to the Mayors of the Cities
La Discussion Asks if War Is
Wanted.
Havana, May 19.-Havana is in fer
ment again over the idea that the Wash
ington administration has determined to
take the arms of the Cuban troops and
to retain them in military possession.
This view of the latest news from Wash
ington has been telegraphed to the various
cities.
Governor General Brooke is thus far un-
aware, save through the press kilograms,
of any dissatisfaction on the part of Gen,
Alger, Secretary of War; with his (Gen.
Brooke's) plan to have the arms depos-
tied in the care of the Mayors of the
municipalities, nor has he received any
other inkling of the secretary's purpose to
lay the matter before President Mckin-
ley. Consequently, unless instructions to
the contrary are received from the Wash
ington administration, the governor gen.
erals order respecting the distribution Of
the $3.OOO.OOO as modified, will be issued to-
morrow.
The Secretary of War has been informed
of the substance of this order, in the usual
course of business.
Cause of More Discomfort.
Havana's midday papers publish the
Washington news, some of them comment
ing editorialy upon it, AS the point
about where the arms are to be kept APP
pears to be thought of vital Importance in
Washington, the conviction announced
there that the Mayors cannot be trusted
with them is cause of fresh discomfort
Just at the moment when the various COM
pHcations appeared TO be unraveied. The
Mayors are the appointees of the governor
general. and when the military assembly
dissolved, they were made its representa-
tives to receive the arms.
Article four of the agreement between
Gen. Gomez and Robert p. Porter, Presi-
dent McKinley's special representative,
runs as follows:
THE Cubans shall surrender their arms
to the Cuban assembly or to its represent
atives"
Was POrter's Agreement.
Gen. Gomez, who at the time of coming
to the agreement with Mr.. Porter had
not quarreled with the assembly insisted
upon this point. Since the quarrel, he has
again raised the point repeatedly. saying
also that MIR. Porter brought full written
authority from President Mckinley, and
in the Presidents name, agreed that the
arms should go TO the custody of the as
semby or its representatives.
At Monday nights meeting of the So
ciety of Veterans of Inuependence-orga
lied by former members of the assembly
the speakers dilated upon article 4, as
serting bad faith, the Presidents plenl-
potentiary having agreed TO deposit the
arms with the representative of the as
sembly, while. through the connivance of
Gomez they were to be surrendered to
the American army.
Asks if War Is Wanted.
La Discussion says:
Secretary Alger appears to wish to pro
woke a conflict here. He is more distin-
guished in the United States as a busi-
ness man than as a politician. and his re-
lations with certain syndicates are wen
known. He opposes everything that
Cuba wants and favors everything that
would cause feeling and provoke excite
ment. His attitude prompts the ques-
ton, What does he want? Does he de-
sire war here similar to that in the
Philippines? We are forced to believe
that he only approves what is unsatisfae-
tory TO Cuba
Cubans Of prominence object to talking
for publication on the subject, bur wher-
ever they have been interviewed they say,
without exception that such an order as
was referred to in the press dispatches
from Washington would cause much
trouble and would still further separate
Cuba from the United States.