Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-07-17
"CRAFTY EAGLE" STILL IRRITATEs
UNGRATEFUL LIBERATORs.
SPANISH BANKS BOLD MOVE
WILL PAY A DIVIDEND IN AMERICAN
GOLD.
Press Is Active in Criticising Ameri-
cans and in Giving Advice to
Uncle Sans Representa-
tiyes-Cheeky Demands
of Office Seekers.

HAVANA, July 16.-The pronunciamento
issued in the city of Matanzas. signed
"Betancourt," and calling upon Cubaus to
prepare to hurl from the country the
crafty eagle" as they had removed the
naughty and hungry Spanish lion." is now
believed by many to have been the pro-
duction of the civil governor of MatanZas
The reasons for this view are not very
convincing. but Senior Betancourt has not
positively denied the authorship, and It is
notorious that he has expressed almost
identical sentiments in the Havana cafes
on different occasions before American ofIi-
GERS. He once used language closely re-
sembltng that of the proclamation" in the
presence of an American brigadier gen.
eral and an American colonel Both Off
GERS believe 1t quite probable that he wrote
the appeal. If not its author, then in their
judgment he was cognizant of 1t and
agreed to the use of his name. Many Gu
ban officers of high rank are also sat
isfied that Senior Betancourt was in some
way intimately related to the publication
and circulation of the address to the peo-
pie of Matanzas. General Wilson, military
governor of the Matanzas-Santa Clara de-
partment, will doubtless ask the civil gov
ernor for an explanation in case there is
no denial from him.
The Banco Espanol, the largest financial
institution in Cuba, announced recently
semi-annual dividend of 212 per cent. pay
able in American gold. The Advisador
Commercials, the leading finance journal,
which processes to be shocked at this sud-
den change of policy on the part 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
Anne ri0 In tn fIlt,I han rircp
favors. For no other reason can we see
why the bank did not declare 3.S514 in
Spanish gold.''
A prominent banker says the real reason
of the banks action is a desire to place
its capital upon an American basis, partic-
ularly at present, when Spanish silver is
inflated far beyond justifable reasons.
This authority says he considers that it
will be only matter of months before
silver is reduced to its former level and
that it is better to get upon the American
basis before that reduction is accomplished.
1t is understood that for several weeks
the bank has been getting rid of a large
deposit of silver and has consequently made
immense profits. The Santiago branch
bought last autumn more than 81, 100000 at
so cents. This now stands at 81.
An Editorial Criticism.
human ideal is material interest then the
United States possesses the highest form
of civilization: but, thank God, the Span
iards and Cubans have been taught in a
robler school. The predominating influence
in the United States is capital. Monopoly,
coupled with the use of machinery, has
only served in the United States to curb
personal intellectual endeayors, to disap-
point such ambitions and to make culture
and knowledge hardly worth the candle. 1t
columns of the American newspapers in
order to find letters and interviews from
returned officers which have gradually
changed the entire American sentiment to-
ward Cuba While the Americans may be
richer, stronger, more active and more
business-like than ourselves, they cannot
claim to be cultured, not even to the de-
gree of Spain's Cuban Offspring
a Cuban major called at the palace yes
terday to ask an interview with the gov
ernc- general, whom he said he would ask
to give him an appointment in the customs
house. Lieutenant Castle, of General
Brooke's staff, informed him that he must
make his application in the usual way,
mitting certificate of good moral charlc-
ter. To this the Cuban officer replied that
ne he had earned the position by by lighting t for
it he would take to the woods, as several
others had done.
During the afternoon another applicant,
a negro lieutenant. insisted on seeing Cen
eral Brooke, in order to make a personal
demand for SIS. He said he needed the
| money, and insisted upon waiting. After
| an hour or so the man, who looked fat and
happy, asked Lieutenant Castle for the
loan of 10 cents.
The Commercial says:
1.-THE worst method of treating the BAN
ditti 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 now has immunity
from bandits is that she has followed this
course"
Citizens and property holders at Bata-
bano have protested to Governor General
Brooke against the appointment of Martin
Casuso, as mayor, owing to the fact that
he is a nonresident They have asked for
the appointment Of Major Daubochet,. but
Senior Rivera, the civil governor. insisted
upon the arbitrary appointment of his own
friend.
The temperature in Havana at 3 o'clock
| this afternoon was So degrees Fahrenheit.
I0DI jM 7IMn MARKET