The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1899-07-20
CUBANS MUST DECIDE
Whether They Want Free.
dom or Annexation.
DETERMINE QUESTION BY BALLOT
Thinks the Cubsns Arc ALI willing
General Brooke Thinks Not.

New York, July l3.-According to q
correspondent Of the World at Wash
ington, President Mckinley is work
ling energetioally upon plan to SUBJ
NIT the question OF the independence
or annexation Of the island to the peo-
pie of Cuba. He believes that tLey
would vote for. annexation. Reports
from Governor General Brooke indicate
a contrary view. but the president has
received confidential letters from influ-
entail representatives OF commercial
interests and from other sources in and
about Havana which have convinced him
that General Brooke is mistaken, and
that the people in the western portion
of the island, as we'll as those in the
eastern portion, would gladly vote for
q territorial government under the
great republic.
These confidential reports reveal q
good deal more discord among the
American provincial rulers than 10
usually believed to exist. The policy
applied to the government Of the prov
inces in the western end Of the island
-Pinar del Rio. Havana and Matanzas
which are directly under the super
vision Of General Brooke. is for in
stance radically different from that in
auguTated by General Leonard Wood.
military commander of Santiago.
The government Of Santiago is looked
upon by the president as more desira-
BILE than that in the western provinces.
General Wood, while here recently.
made repor. to the president, who in
dorsed his policy and urged its contin-
uanve. General Wood. it is learned,
made many suggestions, which will be
published for the guidance of the com.
handlers of other Cuban provinces.
The president inquired particularly
as to the extent of the sentiment fol
and against annexation.
II am firmly convinced" said Gem
eral Wood, "that annexation would be
carried by four to one in Santiago.
The people Of that province, and be-
leve the majority Of the other prov
inces. do not want independence.
They have realized many benefits from
the temporary government We have
given them. and are anxious to secure
these benefits permanently.
Americans who have established
themselves in Santiago and endeavoied
to extend their operations to other
provinces tell me that they have been
repulsed by the American commanders,
and that English enterprises have been
given the preference"
Complaints of the unwarranted con.
sideration shown European enterprises
in Havana and other western provinces.
to the detriment of American interests.
have reached the president from many
soul ces. and 1t is not improbable that
a change in the administration of the
Cuban government will soon be made.
It ia stated upon very high authority
that the president desires General
Brooke's attendance in Washington in
the capacity of confidential adviser and
is contemplating the substitution in
his place of General Wood as governor
general.
So strong is the presidents tendency
toward annexation that it is expected
an effort will be made in congress at
the coming session to rescind the reso-
luton providing for Cuban indepen-
denoe and to substitute plan by which
the matter may be sumbitted to vote
Of the people of the island.