New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-30

Of the problems that arose numerous reforms
were accomplished out OF hand which In the
other provinces have had to await the co-opera
ton OF both civil and military authority.
So one finds In Santiago the oppressive prac-
tice OF accommodation long ago abolished
Court OF Appeals established to give final Jude-
ment In itigations rural police organized anu
doing effective service. public schools opened
the vexatious problem OF currency solved pubic
works undertaken on liberal scale, ana the
English tongue coming noticeably into geherai
use-all these reforms marking a stage OF prog
ress not yet attained In the departments further
west 1t IS true that General Leonard WOOD
commanding here. has had nine months in winch
TO accomplish such decided results. while the
commanders in the other provinces have had
barely three. Yet the work OF re-establlshlhe
order was begun here under the worst possible
conditions. and its prompt success In TINS the
most IMPOVERISHED and turbulent province in
Cuba only demonstrates the ease with which
similar transformation may presently be &C
complished in the richer, more populous ana
more tractable sections Of the island.
GENERAL WOODS ENORMOUS TASK.
The story Of General Woods administration OF
this province is more or less familiar TO Ameri-
can readers When he assumed office last July
he had an enormous task before him. Santiago
had been the focus of the Cuban insurrectlon.
Its negro and Indian population had furnished
fully half the recruits to the Cuban Army. Inc
coast and interior towns held by the spaniards
had been for two years in state OF blockade
and agriculture had practically been abandoned.
The city of Santiago had suffered the ravages OF
the American siege. and Its condition AFTER the
surrender pitiful in the extreme Generai
Wood had TO fight disease and famine from the
outset Last August there were as many as
two hundred deaths In one day In the hospitals
Of this city Now there are scarcely so many IN
civ weeks or two months. Drastic measures or
sanitation soon made the town itself mt TO
live in.
Then the problem OF restitution had to be
faced There were hundreds OF thousands OF
ratjons 10 supply the starving. But mere char
fly offered no remedy for the evils of the situa-
ton. Work had to be supplied, and by gradually
reducing the supply distributed gratis. and
using the ration part payment for labor the
unemployed OF the city were drafted in large
numbers into the Government service. and set
10 making a system Of roads and driveways
which will ultimately prove OF the greatest
value TO the province and the municipality.
Brigandage had been tolerated for generations
in the rough roadless country stretching back
from the coast. The war had drawn most OF the
disorderly elements into the Cuban or Spanish
guerilla ranks and with the signing or the
protocol II was feared that the bandits in both
camps would resume their former occupation
rural guard was therefore organized and put on
scouting and patrol duty. The mettle of this
force was tested only recently. when a series OF
robberies was committed near Holguin Under
the direction Of a few American officers, the
guard overlook the bandtti. killed eight OF
them and captured about forty prisoners TINS
single demonstration OF force was sufficient.
Other bandits came in and surrendered. anu
most OF them begged to be allowed TO reform
and TO enlist In the rural police. No organized
svstem OF brigandage is now possible In san
tiago.
ERADICATING SPANISH ABUSES.
To repair some OF the more fiagrant abuses OF
the spanish criminal code General Wood several
months ago gave notice TO the judges that ne
would not sanction the practice OF putting pris-
orers incomunicado-that IL. forbidding them 10
Lnow the charges made against them or 10 nave
access 10 counsel. In Havana recently when
General Ludlow. insisted on n prisoner being al
lowed 10 see his lawyer. one Of the hold-oVer
snanish Judges threatened to bring the military
commander to trial under Spanish, law for IN
Conference with the courts. But here both courts
and the public have gladly acquiesced In inns
u,qent reform as they have also In Gehera'
woods decision 10 allow prisoner the common
-,-h. 90 ha haaa corpus HQDea9 corpus mas