The National tribune., 1899-03-30
NEWS OF THE WEEK.

March 19.-There was more rioting il
Havana. An effort was made to close thu
public balls, as sources of trouble, ant
the crowd opened upon the police at ONT
place and three policemen were killed anc
about 25 persons were wounded on both
sides. Public opinion supports the police
without reserve. There seems to be con
certed action among the Nanigos, the
| secret society of the lawless class, tf
attack the police upon every possible
| occasion. Gen. Ludlow SuStainS the
police IN their actions toward maintaining
order.
March 20.-AdJt Gen. Corbin to day
made public the statement which Mai.
Gen. Joseph Wheeler has felt called upon
| to make. The statement is voluminous,
making history of the fighting at Santi-
ago. He aims to refute various state
ments rejecting upon him as q military
man. The San Juan battle account is
most interesting. He tells OF the weak
ness of the line at San Juan, and says
that many officers insisted that the ridge
could not be held, and he learned the
same statements had been made to
Shafter. Says Wheeler: 81 did everything
told those who came to me that the enemy
had fled from us at La Guasimas, and
that We had driven them from their forti-
fications on San Juan ridge; that they
would expect us to take Santiago the next
day; that there was no possible danger of
their making an attack upon us that
night, and that If they did we could hold
the ridge. - The fighting was
more or less severe during the day, but0y
night we were well intrenched, and l re-
garded our position as impregnable, He
quotes numerous authorities in the field.
who wrote personal letters.
March 2f.-One OF the most remarkable
mistakes in newspaper history occurred
when on receipt of a dispatch from Santi-
ago de Cuba to that effect, all the principal
afternoon newspapers published a state
ment that Hon. John Sherman had died
on board the Paris. The State Depart
ment notified President Mckinley, and
suitable documents were prepared to he
published regarding the ex-Secretary,
crowds of friends gathered at the Sherman
mansion at Washington, where Mrs. Sher-
man lay very ILL., and, fortunately, she was
not told the news. Even Gen. Wood at
Santiago had Q cable dispatch written
instructions as TO the special honors they
were desirous of Payingto the remains of
the distinguished statesman. A few
hours afterwards 1the Paris with John
Sherman en- it alive and much better
arrived at Santiago. The men IN the
signal office at Guantanamo explained
that they had received the alleged news
from the French cable company and sent
an official cenfirmHtion, as they had no
cause to doubt the authenticity of the |
report.
March 22-The Executive Committee
of the Cuban Military Assembly appointed
Gen. Bartolome Maso, former President of
the Cuban Revolutionary Government,
in Chief of the Cuban forces
in the easiein provinces. From Cen.
SIaso telegram Was received recognizing
on his part che superior authority OF the
Assembly, and lamenting the controversy
with Gen. Gomez.
now looks as if the receipts from customs |
for March will be s21, 100000. This is the |
estimate of experienced officials. March |
is always a large importing month, and |
on account of the b!izzards and storms !
which have generally characterized the |
January and February trade of this year |
we're somewhat held back, in part az
for the heavy current returns. |
l'u. more than that, these custom re-
,eipts are evidence, it is said, that times
ire better and that people are spending
more money on luxuries. The heavy re-
:eipts ut all ports are paid almost wholly
IL gold. The Treasury is loaded with the
,ellow metal coming in from customs,
md if the expenditures had not been SO
ligh on account OF the war with Spain it
$ impossible to estimate what the ac
of gold in the Treasury would
lave been.
March 2i.--Cuban and Spanish rancors
md hatreds, the outgrowth of the war
conditions, are still active in Cuba, and d
sent to Gov. Gen. Brooke
~ Senior Lanuza, head of the Department
4 Justice and Public Instruction. says it
5 a matter of daily occurrence that pro
eedings are taken against those who
belonged to Cuban and Spanish forces
Turing the war for crimes imputed to have
,cen committed at that time. Cuba's
,eace, Senior Lanuza adds, requires that
his he stopped. Gov. Gen. Brooke issued
decree to the efIecG that the civil and
military Judges must not recognize and
must dismiss all present and pending
ctions against troops in the field for OF
gainst Spain during the war for acts
then.
March 2s.-lt was stated .hat the Secre-
ary of State will ask Congress to make
rovision, by the appointment of a COM
mission, or otherwise, for the consider
tion OF claims of indemnity against
pain for losses resulting from the recent
7ar in Cuba, liability for which was as
umed by the United States in the Paris
reaty of peace. More than 200 claims of
his character. aggregating about S21 ,oC0,-
%, have been already fled ut the De
artment Of State. Most of them are for
Indemnity for destroyed sugar plantations
nd for alleged illegal arrest and i'm
risonment.