Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-06-15
REMARKABLE

One morning not long ago the good
people of Havana woke up and found
themselves in possession of brand
new, made-to-order police force, fully
equipped and clad in handsome uni
forms. During the past few months
band of nearly one thousand men
have been drilling under the direction
of United States army officers, and at
the same time becoming fully
acquainted with all the duties which
some of the finest" is supposed to
know. The larger number of the new
force had served in the Cuban army,
but in their selection no distinction
has been made because of previous
affiliations, the preference being given
to those who were physically superior
and who understood the peculiar con-
ditions of government and people
which obtains IL Havana.
When John McCullagh, the famous
ex-Chief of Police, went from New
York City to Havana to help reorganize
the force, and the police system gener-
ally, he undertook a more difficult
task than he, had at first anticipated.
Under the recent Spanish regime
there were three different kinds of
police, each responsible to different
head, and whose duties, often conflict
ing with each other, created friction
and jealousies. Under the new rules
governing Havana's constabulary this
conflict of authority has been avoided.
There is but ono executive, General
Menocal, Chief of Police, whose
powers are supreme, and responsible
to no one except General Ludlow, the
Military Governor Of Havana. There
is no Board of Commissioners, but in
other respects it is patterned closely
upon New York's police organization.
There are six inspectors, twelve cap
tains, twenty-four lieutenants and
sergeants, and nearly one thousand
patrolmen, all of whose duties are clear
and we'll defined.
Frederic Remington gives in Col
lier's Weekly an entertaining account
of police conditions in Havana before
aud after the Americans reorganized
the force. He says
The last time 1 was in Havana Wey-
ler sat in the palace and dirty Spanish
soldiers prowled the streets by day
and by night These much starved
and abused men held up the honest
wayfarer on the principal streets and
got from him wherewith to buy bread.
The stretches down by the wharves
were little battlefelds for decently
dressed men after dark. The old
Havana gendarme walked about or
leaned against buildings, firing their
cigarettes, but no one ever took them
seriously-they interfered with no.
body, no matter what his purpose
MIGHT be.
The Prado at evening was gay
scene, with it's swarms of Spanish
officers and pretty women strolling
slowly about to the music of the mill
tary bands. Much more cheerful than
in these days, must confess; but the
back streets were made dangerous by
starved soldiers; the insurgent bands
raided the country about to the out
posts on the neighboring hills, and
the people in the theatres insulted
Americans, thirsted for their blood,
and told them so by word of mouth.
Consul General Lee employed his
time in saving American newspaper
correspondents from the Cabanas, and
the United States Government signi-
fed no more to these poor ignorant
souls than yesterdays edition-the
man Lee in person was the United
States of America. He was not sup
ported by Washington. but he pound
ed the table in Captain General Wey-
ler's presence, talking loud and vigor-
ously, to good effect.
This has all changed. The city is
divided into four districts, and our in