The evening times., 1899-07-04
TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1899.
Hampering Fitzhugh Lee

From General Broeke's headquarters IN
Havana comes the startling news that the
Governor General has refused TO furnish
troops for the purpose of hunting down the
bandits who looted Guanajay, committed
dastardly murders at El Caimito, and are
terrorizing the thinly populated districts
in western Cuba. He is reported TO have
told the distressed authorities that he look
ed TO them to capture the thieves His al
legged excuse for this is that he is opposed
TO town expenses being shoC!dered upon
the government, believing that each town
should learn to stand on its own legs.
Against this specious reasoning the Cubans
present the sensible and substantial ar
gument that it is impossible for the town
10 bear the burdensome expense which
Brooke has imposed upon it. But this has
had no effect upon Brooke.
The question naturally arises as to why
this Government has placed a strong mill
-tary force at the disposal of the Governor
General OF Cuba, if not for just such an
emergency as now exists in the rural dis
tricts Of the provinces of Havana and Pinar
del Rio. We cannot ima gine what an army
OF occupation is for if il is not TO preserve
order. And the only way order can be
preserved is TO make short shrift of ban
dts and other laWlsss persons, like those
comprising the organized bands under
Acosta. who have committed outrages al
Guanajay and FL Caimijo.
And why should General Brooke be so
particularly solicitous about the towns in
the provinces OF Havana and Pinar del Rio
learning TO stand on their !egs2" Does he
show such delicate interest in The towns of
other military districts Of the island? If
he does We have not heard of it. With the
other districts he appears TO be pursuing
the sensible policy of leaving TO the IN -lita-
ry governors the responsibility Of deal
ing in their own way with the details Of
management such as the maintenance OF
order and the apprehension OF criminals.
Brigadier General Fitzhugh Lee is nomi-
nally the military governor OF the dis
trict comprising the provinces Of Havana
and Pinar del Rio. We intimated few
days ago that possibly the cause OF laWless-
ness in that district was that General
Lees administration was being hampered
by Brooke for obvious reasons. Brooke's
announced attitude advances what Te in
timated as possibility to an actuality.
The Governor General boldly declares that
be has refused TO furnish troops to hunt
down Acosta's band of outlaws. The infer
ence is plain that he is not permitting
Fitzhugh Lee TO exercise his legitimate
functions as military governor of the dis
trict. Petty jealousy is at the base of his
Feprehensble conduct. Or is il possible
that Brooke is pursuing toward Lee a poll
cy which had its origin in the War De-
partment? Lees popularity is with the
people and not the Administration. 1t is
not impossible that this circumstance is
a determining cause In Brookes attitude
toward him. If it cannot be accounted for
upon that theory then the responsibility
for this shabby treatment of the Virginian
rests directly here at Washington
The issues involved rise much higher
than the Official or personal relations be-
tween men. Upon them depend the res
toration of law and the maintenance of
order in Western Cuba. This is the inter
est that appeals directly and strongly to
the United States as well as TO Cuba. II
Brooke or the Administration do not de-
sire 10 see social order established in
western Cuba as speedily as in other Sec
tions of the island because that might re-
dound in small measure to the credit of
Fitzhugh Lee, then let them say so by re-
moving Lee and putting in his place some
one more acceptable TO them and the Re-
publican party. The American people
would prefer to see this done rather than
TO endure continuance of the present ag-
grayating conditions in the provinces of
Havana and Pinar del Rio.