Evening star., 1899-01-02

men. The American soldiers. in blue shirts,
trousers and leather leggings and with
army slouch hats, seemed like giants.
Half an hour before noon General James
Wade, president of the American commits
sion. and General NJ c. Butler arrived
with their respective staffs. They dis
mounted and stood in groups chatting with
one another. All were in full dress uni
form. A few minutes later General John
r. Brooke General William Ludlow and
General George W. Davis. commander OF
the troops in Pinar del Rio province, ar
rived in carriages. The American regl-
mental band first played the spanish
national air The March of Cadiz. in
which the Spanish buglers of the Leon
battalion Joined. The band then played
1.-The Stars and Stripes Forever General
Brooke was greeted by General Wade. and
a few minutes later General F1tzhugh Lee
came riding up with his staff and escort,
as commander of the Ith Army Corps.
After dismounting ne was saluted by the
men of the Leon Battalion and returned
the salute.
Insurgent Chiefs Present.
About this time the commanders of the
Cuban insurgent forces, who had been in
vited by the American military authorities
to participate in the ceremonies, arrived in
carriages They included Generals Mario
MenocaI, who commands the forces in Ha-
vana and Matanzas provinces; Jose Gomez,
who is a member of the commission whlch
Washington: Mayia Rodriguez, Lacret and
Rafael Cardenas and Surgeon General
Agramonte and Colonel Naliente. Alter a
short talk with the American officers Whom
they knew General Brooke and his aids
entered the palace and proceeded up the
stairs to the Salon de Sessions, or session
room, where the final ceremony was TO
take place The other officials followed
General JimeneZ CastellanoS and his Staf
were awaiting them in the salon. This Is
a rectangular room. and is something IKE
the marble room of the Senate at WASH
ington. The Spanish authorities had strip
ped the walls of their historic paintings, SO
that today the room seemed bare to desola-
tiOn.
Introductions followed among the Ameri-
can and Spanish officials who were not
previously acquainted. General Castelianos
chatted pleasantly while awaiting the time
of the ceremonial. The doors were thrown
upen to the balconies, ara many OF the ON
Gals stepped out of the salon into the fresh
air. From the balcony they could look
across the plaza of arms and over the tenn
Pile erected the spot where mass was
said to the Spanish troops TO the American
warShipS in the harbor. Ihey could also
look down on squads and companies of
American soldiers. In the salon General
CIcus and Colonel Girauta. respective secre-
taries of the American and Spanish COM
missions. walked up and down talking of
trivial affairs. General CaStellanoS stepped
over to the group of i1surgent soldiers and
greeted Mayia Rodriguez. whom he knew.
gent officers and talked pleasantly with
them.
The Marquis MOntOro Absent.
Inquiry was made by some of the Ameri-
con officers for the Marquis Montoro, one of
the original members OF the Spanish COM
mission. The explanation was made that
Montoro was too ill to be present. Just
year ago, New Year. 1SgS, he took the oath
of office as secretary of the treasury in the
aUtunOmist cabinet, which was tnat day in
stalled a month was enough TO snow that
the time when an autOnOmlSL cabinet could
save Spain dUmln-Ua III Cuba had passed
A year has been required 10 prove tins fact
After several minutes OF Informal talk
had been gong on General CasteIianos in
dicated that the hour had come to yield his
trust. Ha4f GGCOnSCIOUSIy. members of the
TWO commissions took their places and the
group Of American generals and Spanish
officers formed crescent. General CaStel-
lanos and his sLan were in ordinary fatigue
uniform. They dld not dignity the function
by appearing i'll their uniforms of cere-
mOnial occasions. No orders and decOra-
tions We're worn by them. though they have
gorgeous ones. Back Ut the staff We're
twenty-five or thirty Spanish officials. some
OF whom wore their decorations, but they
Were present as spectators and not as Off
Gals. General CaSte4lduUS is not d large
man. He has the military goatee and a
hGlet-shaped head. Nothing about him to-
day showed his rank except his sash, only
d strip of which was visible His jacket
was buttoned under his throat and his
sword hGnS hy his side. almost carelessIy.
General Brooke is a large man the typical
American soldier. SO are Generals Ludlow
and Davis. General Butler Is of splendid
physique. General Chaffee of General
Brooke : staff is slight. but tall General
Wade in regimtntals is not a giant hur his
stature is robust. All these generals and
their a!ds in full uniform presented a most
imposing appearance. General Lee was in
field uniform.
Less imposing than the American gener-
ais, but not without impressiveuess was the
group Of insursent commanders who formed
the outer rim of this crescent They were
IN Uniform of dark blue. with nothing but
tiny silver stars to indicate their rank.
Their bearing was manly and dfgniGed
They commanded the respect Of everybody
Vice Consul Jerome of Great Britain was
present in official dress. not as the consular
English representative. but as the American
representative, whose consular functions
We're about to cease. Senator J. W. Daniel
of Virginia formed one of the score of
American civilians in the background
A Memorable Scene
The scene was memorable. The e,,ns
from Cabanas and from the ships in the
harhor Were roaring salu,es when General
Casteiianos stepped forward and handed q
paper 10 Captain Hart, the official inter
prefer Of the American commission. II was
Ihe text of the speech he was about ia
MAKE. lie addressed himself in Spanish Ii
itctIE 10 General Wade as president of the
American commission. General Butler stood
on the left Of General Wade. General cas-
trlldh"s spoke with restraint but mastered
ms emotion. II was apparent that his staff
2incrFS were restraining themselves only
hy me strongest exercise of will pewer
me reSiiHeHtal bands in the Plaza of Arms
Wri- playing American national airs An
'id was sent 10 stop them. CasteIIanos CON
tihl' q ms sentences in intervals which were
lun"jua'ed by discharges Of cannon MAX
lhs SaiuteS. Four hundred years of history
Were passing away ike The ticking of =
Nat'h General Castel!anos was understood
WEeh he dwelt upon the command of his
KING and The treaty Of Paris as reason for
the words ne was saying, though most of
ms hearers were not familiar will SDanisb
men he concluded Captain f. Hart trans
laled MS written speech.
NItH General Wade turned 70 General
BROOKE and asked him to ACCEPT the sa[--
erelSnty which was there yielded by Snai,
10 the nlted States. General Brooke haJ
no prepared speech. He made his brief rn-
ply acceptng the sovereignty, and il was
translated. sentence by sentence. INTO Snan-
Ism 10y Captain Hart.
N Two minutes this function was ovar
anu CaStelIanos was no longer a governor
general of Spain in Cuba but simnIv n
general OF the Spanish army He nassad
with his staff into the room adjoining The
sdioh intending 10 take leave of his friends
N N