The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-29
Than the Authorities at Washington Have
Yet Seemed to Realize.
The Heat Of the Discussion Daily
Increasing, the Newspapers of
the Island Teeming With Argu-
ments In Favor Of the United
States Advancing the Money to
Pay the Troops.


Nora the civil Governor of Havana, in
an interview to-day declared that the
question of the payment of the Cuban
army was of much greater Importance
than the Washington Government
seems to realize. He said that il the
Cubans were to collect the customs OF
the island, which are their property,
their first action would be to meet Gu
ba's sacred obligation to the army by
payment in full of the soldiers The
customs administration being in the
hands of the Americans, the Cubans
make a simple business proposition to
the United States Government, that it
shall advance money to pay the troops,
holding thel customs as security. If the
Americans We're not present, Senior
Mora further said, Cuba could easily
obtain the necessary loan.
The distribution of this money to the
army is essential to permit the country
to proceed with the work of agriculture,
which must form the foundation of It's
reconstruction The army contains
many men who consider that Cuba is
in a position to demand the full pay
ment of the army by the United States,
and assert that other action on the part
OF the American Government would be
worse tyranny than was exercised I'M
der a. Spanish sovereignty.
Senior Mora considers the underesti-
nation of the Importance of this matter
unfortunate, and his views are held by
majority of the Cubans. The heat Of
the discussion is daily increasing, and
the newspapers of the island are full of
arguments in favor of the payment of
the army.
General Snyder reports that 500 or
600 members of the Cuban army are
camped near Sancti Spiritus, loafing
about and pilfering and begging food.
General Snyder sent word to them that
if they would come to Sancti Spiritus
to help the Americans clean the town
they would receive pay and rations.
but the offer was refused the Cubans
replying that they We're soldiers, not
scavengers.
A prominent Spaniard, long a resident
of Cuba, and all of whose interests are
here, declares that if the Americans to-
morrow demanded the disarmament of
the Cuban army without pay a storm
of passionate protests would follow, but
the army would obey, possibly a few
becoming bandits and taking to the
hills. He also says that the most salu-
tary steps taken by the Americans since
their arrival in the island have been
those enforcing obedience to and re-
spect for their authority. A policy of
too great consideration in the American
relations with the Cubans produced the
impression that the Americans fear
them. The recent strike in the coun-
try on plantations and railways are
said to be due to the fact that the Ha-
vana police and other Cuban servants
OF the Government are paid too much
This breeds discomfort among the la
borers, who consequently demand more
than the farmers can afford to pay.
A second case of yellow fever has
developed in the Second Engineers. in
General Lees camp. The man attack
ed had been engaged in cleaning out
cesspools at Cabanas with Meyers
Schmidt, who recently died from the
fever.
Major General Ludlow, military Gov
ernor Of the Department of Havana,
has issued an order suspending the ex-
ecution Of judgments against the city,
SO that to satisfy Spanish claims the
treasury will not be kept without
money. The Banco EspanoE is now col
Letting and will continue to collect GER
tain municipal dues, including license
fees, market rents and meat taxes, out
of which the bank will pay, itself the in
terest on the $S,O0O,0O0 bonds of float
ing debt. The bank may be superseded
later, when the Financial Commission
shall have prepared plan for admin
istering the finances. The contracts
device, and has been operated since
1891. One of the banks functions has
been to collect the school tax in Guam
abacoa and supervise the schools. It
has been collecting the taxes as usual
for several months, but the schools
have been closed.
The commission appointed by Gov
ernor Brooke to investigate the condi-
ition of the refrigerated beef brought
here by the United States transport
Michigan will, it is asserted, report that
the beef is in good condition, and that
the method of refrigeration is excellent.
The rumors to the effect that this beef
is bad were circulated, it is supposed,
by the men who desire that the beef
from the United States should be con-
demned, in the hope Of getting a local
contract to supply beef on the hoof.
The first detachment of troops which
left General Lees camp on Sunday last
for practice march to Guines returned
to camp to-day.