Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-09-28
HAVANA STRIKE IS
BECOMING SERIOUS
Military Governor Issues a ProcIa-
nation Warning Working
men Against Violence.
GENERAL PARALYSIS OF BUSINESS
striking stcvedorcs and Wharimcn
Have Blocked Wheels of In
dustry and Tradc--In,d-
lows N1anilcsto.

Havana. Sept. IS. There will not be
general strike" said General Ludlow
asst evening. Il have sufficient assur-
snees to satisfy me on this point
Civil Governor Rivera says the mat
Ter is out of his hands, and entirely
within the jurisdiction of the mill
tary authorities. To all intents and
purposes the city is under martial law.
lhe civil authorities will do their III
most to cooperate. and will do nothing
10 embarrass the military governor.
General Ludlow says that if it should
be necessary he can find room at the
presidio for 1000 prisoners and at Ca
banas for as many more. Where all
the rights of citizens are at stake he
considers that the existing military
power should supersede amy legal tech
hicality.
The military governor has issued Il
'ong proclamation. which is in part as
follows:
TO the People of Havana: At the
present .iuncture. when certain IRE
sponsible aud seditious individuals are
ecking to destroy the peaceful indus
tries of the city and TO mislead the
woriingmen into general conspiracy
to paralNze the life and movement of
II he community. ii behooves me in the
Interest of all concerned and as the
immediate representative of the United
States government to publish word
of warning.
The United States of America is
pledged to the establishment in Cuba
of stable and orderly government.
p1afltyn= r,nJa n1il.o Ia r ,t1,o ,,J 10
the world will surely be fulfilled. Ev-
! the principles of self-government, the
guarding liberty Modern civilization
critics of others. The worllingmen of
Havana are being tempted toward
fatal step which. if taken, will set back
their exercise of liberty and the en-
joNment of their rights of man for an
indefinite period They are being
urged TO general strike, to Il total
suspension of the accustomed occupa-
tons and labors which are essential
TO the common welfare, and upon
which depend the very lives of the
people. The reason assigned is de-
mand for a working day of eight
hours. AS a matter of fact such Il de-
mand has not been made. No body OF
employers has been asked to shorten
the day to eight hours. No petition
has been submitted to the ayunamien-
to or to the American authorities.
AT the instigation of a few self
seeking demagogues, backed by a
more numerous element that prefers
idleness to labor, and excitement of
amy kind to the cnlmer life of thrift
and protection of the family. the
workingmen of Havana arc urged TO
forego all labor. to close the bake
shops that furnish food. and, if that
could he accomplished. to cut off the
water supply. Meanwhile the trades
md occupations are TO be abandoned,
industry is TO perish and food is to fall.
"Should there be Il strike. within
forty-eigh. hours the cries of hunger
and walls of distress will arise from
mniltitudes whose sole fault is that
they are the wives and children of
men who have been deceived into sac
-iticing them without thought or rea-
son.
at is known TO the authorities that
but small proportion of the working
men are i'm sympathy with the move.
ment, and that the majority have been
coerced into assent. Let there he no
misunderstanding as TO the outcome.
Order will be maintained. Violence
and tumult will be crushed
General Ludlow then points out that
the proper course for the worliingmen
to pursue is 10 let the labor and trade
associations meet and carefully CON
slider what should be their reasonable
and proper petitions. and then lay he
matter. i'm each case fully before the
authorities and TO procure by lawful
and proper methods the enactment of
proper regulations.
There is Il general paralysis of bust
ness owing to the strike of the steve
ores and wharfmen. \ majority of
the cartmen cannot work, owing Ia
the inability to load their carts at the
wharves, the strikers threatening to
stab anyone attempting to work.
Mayor Lacostc has promised to get
new men to work at the wlarves, guar
lntceing them protection.