New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-22
PRACTICE MARCHES IN CUBA
A PLAN OF RELIEF FROM CAMP MONOT-
ONY AT HAVANA.
INSURGENTS GROWING RESTLESS OVER
THE UNCERTAINTY AS TO THEIR PAY
TOPICS FROM THE CUBAN CAPITAL
[BY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE

TOPICS FROM THE CUBAN CAPITAL
[BY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNEl
Havana Ian 21-Cieneral Lee has perfected
plans for spreading the Seventh Army corps
through Havana Province temporarily A week
will be taken UP in practice marches OF Ioui
battallons. They will leave Camp COLUMBIA
Sunday morning. and all Will be back the 1oi-
lowing Sunday Then other battalions VIII be
started out and will follow similar course. A
twofold object will be served by this action
The troops will be freed from the restlessness
Of the camp and have opportunity 10 see
something Of rural Cuba the people in the
country on their part. will have a chance to
Searn something Of the American soldiers. 1t
is not the policy to establish small garrisons
and the practice marches will answer the same
purpose General Lee has directed that stan
officers accompany each battalion 10 take notes
Of the political conditions in the different local.
ties and 10 gather information regarding the
wishes Of the people with respect to local OFF,
Gals and other matters. In several places
changes Of officials 20 be made as soon as II
is understood what the different committees
want Four highways lead out OF Havana 10
different parts Of the province. and these VIII
he followed by the four different battalons.
General Keifers division will furnish two bat
talfons who will travel through the northwest
ern mart OF the province and another division
will go through the southeastern part ending
at Guines. General Lee and his STAFF VIII Visit
the troops during the march Each battalion
will he accompanied by a regimental band
Some arrangements will also be made regard
ing the formation OF a rural police from the IN
sureent troops. General Brooke has not COM
Melted his plans for the whole island but the
need of some organization for Havana province
60 Incoming pressing. General Lee has been
receiving hundreds Of petitions favoring the ap-
noirtn,ent Of General Nodarse. of the insurgent
nrrnv as chief Of the rural police OF the prov
ince No appointment will be made Tor the
present The insurgent officers and troops are
growing restless over the uncertainty Of receiv-
ing their pay. Their Commission IN Nashihe
ron has been sending encouraging reports about
| an Arrangement for payment but nothing DELL
mite follows these reports and there is much
| dissatisfaction with Menocal and other insur-
gent commanders who have accepted office IN
der the American military authorities without
| first securing the payment Of their troops.
| Nenocal is also criticised for appointing his
| relatives 10 lucrative offices. The Executive
| Committee Of the Santa Cruz Assembly, which
represented the entire insurgcnt army. has de-
| cided TO reconvene the Assembly and TO insist
| on the presence OF Gomez. The talk about
there being forty-seven thousand men on the
jnsurgent rolls and $40 900 900 being needed to
nav them is ridiculous. At the outside they do
not number more than twenty thousand, and
| most OF them would be satisfied with the plan
originally proposed by Calixto Garcia This was
for a cash payment Of 500 a man as a condi-
ton Of disbandment. and a subsequent arrange
| ment Of the balance
| General Brooke has been asked 10 dissolve
the Provincial Deputations, as he did in Porto
Rico. Each province has a delegation or council
which has the supervision Of municipalities and
| of educational affairs. II Is a NTH wheel and
has no place in a system of local sef-govern-
ment The Havana Provincial Deputation cold
all its furniture before Spanish rule ended.
The protests against the Spanish Bank as tax
! collector are TO be presented 10 General Brooke
| tomorrow. request will also he made for an
| official abatement that the back tax will not be
| collected The various bodies which have pre-
| nared petitions want 10 offer them publicly.
| They may be persuaded against making dem
onstration. The City Council has accepted a
hint from the authorities and deferred of1cia
action in the matter. The excitement does not
abato The officials Of the Spanish Bank reiter-
ate their purpose Of beginning collections. but
they cannot do so without General Brooke
rromulgatine the contract entered into by tho
bank and he shows no intention Of doing this
until further instructions received from
Washington.