The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-17
CRAFTY EAGLE MAY SWO0P.
CIVIL GOVERNOR is BELIEVED TO
BE AN AGITATOR.

BetaniOurt of Mntanzas-Lan-
guage Identical with some He
Has Used Before-MiIitary Govern
or May Take 1t Up-Dividend De-
clared in American GOId-Says
Americans Lack Culture.
Havana July 16.-The pronunciamento
recently issued in the city of Matanzas,
signed "Betancourt," and calling on Gu
bans to prepare to hurl from the coun-
try the crafty eagle" as they had re-
moved the "haughty and hungry Spanish
lion" is now believed by many to have
been the production of the civil governor
of Matanzas.
The reasons for the view are not very
convincing, but Senor Betaniourt has not
positively denied the authorship, and il is
said that he expressed almost Identical
sentiments in the Havana cafes on diff
ferent occasions.
He once used language closely resem-
bling that of the proclamation in the
presence of an American brigader general
and American colonel
Both officers believe it quite probable
| that he wrote the appeal. If not its au-
thor, then, in their judgment, he was
cOgnizant of it, and agreed to the use
of his name. Many Cuban officers of high
rank also are satisfied that Senor Betan-
| iourt was in some way intimately related
| to the publication of the address to the
| people of Matanzas. Gen. Wilson, mill
tary governor of the Matanzas-Santa Clara
department., will doubtless ask the civil
governor for an explanation in case there
is no denial from him.
Gold Dividend Declared.
The Banco-E -Espano, the largest financial
institution in Cuba, recently announced "a
semi-annual dividend of 3l2 per cent. in
American gold The Advisador- CONNER
| cial, the leading financial journal, which
processes to be shocked at this sudden
change of policy of the bank, says:
Its capital is Spanish Why is not the
dividend made payable in Spanish gold:
! Certainly the idea must be to please the
Americans, in order to gain future bank
| ing orders For no other reason can we
see why the bank did not declare 3S51k in
| Spanish gold"
A prominent banker says the real reason
| for the banks action is to place its cap
| ital upon an American basis particularly
at present. when Spanish silver is inflated
! far beyond justification. This authority
| says he considers it will be only a matter
of months before silver IS reduced to Its
former level, and il is better to get upon
| the American. basis. before that reduction
! is accomplished. 1t is understood that
| for several weeks the bank has been get
| ting rid of a large deposit of silver and
! has consequently made immense profits
| The Santiago branch last autumn brought
more than $l,000000, at 80 cents. This
! now stands at ST.
MOney-LOVing People.
FL Diario De La Marina says: IF the
! human ideal is material interest, then the
| United States possesses the highest form
| of civilization, but, thank God, the Span
! lard and Cuban have been taught In
| nobler school. The predominatng infu-
ence in the United States is capital Mo-
nopoly, coupled with the use of machinery
has only served in the United States to
| curb personal and intellectual endeavor
! to disappOint ambitions and to make cul-
| ture and knowledge hardly worth the can
die
! 1t is only necessary to get American
| newspapers in order to find letters and
| interviews with returned officers which
| have gradually changed the entire Ameri-
| can sentiment toward Cuba. While the
| Americans may be richer, stronger, more
| active and more business-like than our
! selves, they cannot claim to be cultured
| not even 10 the dSStSS Ol tilS OpdHiSl-Cu-
| ban offspring"
| Applicants Are InSistent.
A major called a the palace yesterday
to ask for an interview with the governor
! general whom he said he would ask to
/ give him an appointment in the custom
| house. Lieut.. Castle of Gen. Brooke's
| staff informed him that he must make his
| application i'm the usual way, setting forth
| his qualifications and submitting a GER
tificate of good moral character To this
! the Cuban officer replied that he had
earned the position by fighting for the
| revolution and that If he did not get IT,
he would take 10 the woods as several
! others had done
During the afternoon another applicant
| a negro lieutenant, insisted upon seeing
! Gen. Brooke in order to make demand
for S75. He said he needed the money,
| and insisted upon waiting. After an hour
or so the man, who looked fat and happy
asked Lieut. Castle for the loan of 10
| cents.
The Commercial says "The worst meth
Cd of ating the banditu is the legal
method, as it puts honest men at the
mercy Of robbers and frontier law The
| best method is to capture them. let them
| try to escape and then kill them The
reason why Mexico has had immunity
from bandits is that she has followed this
| course"
The temperature in Havana at O'Clock
to-day was So degrees
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