The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-03-14
Statement by Wa Department Showing Our
Losses During the Spanish War.
THE SITUATION IN PORTO RICO
0"""eu Heiaton between the Natives and Americ. ns. Frequent
~ohlsions" lreachery of the Porto Ricans-.Generai Henry to
tighten the Refns-Chairman Cannon's Statement of
Appropriations by the Last Congress.-The Muster
Out OF Troops-To Make Changes in the
Government of Cuba.

enter upon the present discussion of
future legislation, saying: Il prefer
rather to wait the logic of events and
the full information that will doubtless
come, as 1 hope. between now and the
organization in December next Of the
newly elected congress: but l venture
the assertion n prediction that the
United tSates could not if it would,
and would not if it could, part with
the territories acquired from Spain by
the treaty of a or shirk its duties
and responsibilities touching them"
THE SITUATION IN PORTO RICO.
Chicago, March 10.-The Tribune to-
morrow will print the following CORES
pondence from Porto Rico from a Tri-
bune staff correspondent:
San Juan de Porto Rico, March l.
The real situation in Porto Rico is not
understood. People in the states gen.
orally regard Porto Rico as a sort Of
haven Of peace. The war department
has just requested of General Henry
that he Immediately report how many
regular troops he could spare from the
island. The One Hundred and Forty
seventh New York started home last
Sunday. The regular regiments that
remain are so scattered hat in many
places where there IS necessity for a
strong force only a corporals guard can
be mustered, and territories where there
are continual mutterings and the great
est evidence of discomfort at the Amer
lean rule are u~nguarded.
Genera Henry is in a dilemma. He
has only three regiments Of troops
the Eleventh infantry, the Nineteenth
infantry, n the Fifth c~avalry-and
two batteries of the Fifth heavy artil-
iery. Il need twice the troops l have"
said the general, at his residence at
San Juan, because of the easy victory
of nIIr trnnnc homo in tho u-or on6 thh
apparent frlendliness of the natives to
the American soldiers when they in
Vaded the island. a notion prevails in
the states, that there is little necessity
fora strong force to maintain order in
the island. The idea is erroneous. The
conditions here are alarming. These
people have been given every OppOrtun-
fty, but they have thrown them saide.
They are clamoring now for local self
government. They are no more fit for
local self-gOvernment than l am to run
a locomotive. More troops are needed
in the islands. The seeds of discomfort
planted by professional agitators are
rapidly OWL and can be Kept down
only by a strong military force.
The ill-feeling between the natives
n the American troops seems to grow
stronger every day The American off,
GERS ave to maintain the greatest Wig
ilanoe to prevent their men from wreak-
ing vengeance on the natives, and espe-
cially on the native police, for acts Of
violence that are continually commit
ted against the troops"
At Caguay, a small town on the mil
itary road, twenty-five miles from San
Juan, a soldier of the One Hundred and
FOrty-Seventh New York was murdered
last Saturday night in a manner that
illustrates the treachery of the natives.
Private Michael Burke had entered the
DA-+~ D;aox, i:t1Da. a1,,I - o1,1n y
and vas sitting at a small table read
ing when a native slipped up behind
him and with n stroke of a machette
sharpened to a razor edge, severed the
soldiers head from his body and SEN
it rolling across the floor.
Several Porto Ricans were standing
quietly @ discussing the matter
No one would admit having seen the
murder committed. Suspicion finally
fixed upon one man but when a provost
guard went out to arrest him, he had
fled, and although the entire country
around Caguay was thoroughly search
ed for the murderer, he has not yet
been found
Only four nights before the killing
of Burke, the bad blood between the
natives n the soldiers asserted itself
in a brutal assault on Private Fitz-
patrick. The native police arrested
Fitzpatrick without a warrant anC
when he resisted, beat him into insen.
sibility.
The soldiers of the four companies Of
the One Hundred and Forty-seventi
New York stationed at Caguay, re.
manned quiet until night, and ther
started out ito police the town." a:
they called it. Three cafes were "po'
Iced" in the most thorough manner
tables being overturned and mirror:
hcnEop Uhpn tho affinarS of the @raOi
ment arrived and quelled the riot, per
suading the men to return to barracks
The next chapter in the Caguay affai
was the killing of Burke.
The troubles at Caguay nave beer
duplicated at almost every place Oh
the island. At Guayama, a soldier wa;
stabbed in the back by a native tn
same night Private Burke was killed.
The conditions at Ponce since tn
clash between the soldiers n nativ
police, in which several Porto Rican
were killed, has been bordering on opel
battle between the troops and the ma
tives. AT San Juan a few night age
three sailors from the United State
cruiser Panther were by bul
lets from the rifles of the native polio
of the town who, in attempting to ar
rest one of the soldiers became excite
and fired Unfortunately.
ISL6Idl I1SLIIy UcSdl Ills dulIliiIiSlId
ton in Porto Rico by giving all tn
towns and cities self-government, an
by turning over in a great measure tn
keeping of the peace to the nativ
police force. He has been forced sum
marily to depose the alcalde and tn
councilmen of many towns and tur
the local government over to army off
GERS. Things are strained to the snap
ping point. General Henry's face too
on a grimness that his troops used I
see in the old days out on the wester
plains as he concluded his remark
about conditions in the island. II hav
given them too much rein" he sait
now I'm going to take in the slack.
KipIfng sDoing Well"
New York, March lot was said to