Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-08-07
HAVANA MERCHANTS WARNING
AS MANY NEGROES AS WHITES ON
THE ISLAND NOW.
blacks VIII Increase Rapidly. While
Under n Republic, Whites Would
Decrease-Criticism of Ha-
vana Police Force I'm
warranted.

nav ANA, aug. "a IedQlnE Havana
merchant. Cuban having business con-
nections with most of the cities of the
island and who claims to be posted regard
ing Cuban affairs, said to-day that uni
versal suffrage in Cuba would mean a
black republic in the near future, and that
the only means of preventing it will be
the incorporation of the island as a pos
session of the United States as a state
territory or colony, leading to American
immigration, intermarriages, the enrich
ment of insular blood and the Improvement
of the population. In his judgment, Cuba
is otherwise doomed TO become another
Hayti.
His assertions are based upon the fact
that In population not exceeding 1,250, 600
with a voting capacity of 100000 the Span
iards number only $1,000, the white
Cubans, 1250O0, those claiming to be white,
5000; while the blacks number 100000 in
voting strength. The theory is that more
than half the Spaniards, under a system of
universal suffrage, would not vote, and
that the number who would vote must in
evitably diminish each year The Cubans,
who will no longer have the fresh blood of
Spanish immigrants to draw upon, will
gradually grow fewer, while, on the other
hand, the blacks, who thrive in this eli
mate and are big, strong and healthy,
will increase at a rapid rate. The result
will be, he believes, that in fifty years
there will be more than 100000 negroes in
the island and less than 10000 others.
Even in the first election" he declares,
the blacks could carry everything their
own way If they knew their strength"
Considerable indignant comment has
been caused here among United States
army officers, and particularly those occu-
pying high positions, by the current asser-
tfon in the Havana correspondence of a
New York newspaper that the administra-
ton of General Rafael de Cardenas, chief
of police of Havana, has been bad, and
that the police department here is thor
oughly disorganized. American officers,
who are especially interested in watching
results, concede generally that, considering
the length of time the department has been
organized, the police of Havana are in
splendid condition.
The force is continually improving, but
the Improvement has been particularly no.
| ticeable during the last few weeks, since
General Cardenas relieved General Marie
Menocal, who, though good officer, is
| rather too amiable for a chief of police,
| and who had too many personal friends to
| consult. General Cardenas, on the other
| hand, is a man of austere manners and
compels implicit obedience to orders
General Ludlow, the military governor,
points out that the Havana police force
| was organized mainly from officers and
| men of the Cuban army, who actually took
part In the revolution, and that no one
should expect a complete body of angels
Immediately. He says he is quite aware
| OF the necessity of a wedding out process.
| but he considers General Cardenas the
| right man in the right place.
The new chief, still according to Cen
eral Ludlow, has not hesitated to discharge
police functionaries who were hindering
the development of the force and in doing
| SO he has purified the organization ma
warranted to say that the force is disor-
ganiZed, for never in the history of Ha-
yana have police methods been more et-
| iicient than they are to-day.
These sentiments, which are almost In
| the exact language of General Ludlow, ex-
press the feelings of a majority of those
| officials primarily interested in the growth
and good character of the force.
! General Cardenas himself says the organ
| ization is working well and with very few
| bitches. and 'he cannot understand why
| such charges should be made against it
In accordance with President McKinley's
instructions that Cuban soldiers should be
such have been appointed. 1t has frequent,
| ly turned out that they are unfit for police
| duty. owing to their quarrelsome and bully
ing disposition, although, they had proved
excellent soldiers. BY degrees these ele.
ments are being eliminated. although few
still remain which must be wiped out. II
| the selection or new men the greatest care
| is being exercised.
A mass meeting in honor of General
Maxine Gomez and his wife was held this
afternoon, some 5000 people attending, In
! three parts, a procession started from Cen
! trail park, and arrived at the house OF
Gomez before sundown. The general and
| Sonora Gomez stood in the doorway to re-
view the parade Francisco Gonzales, who
made the address, characterized the pres
ence of Sonora Gomez as Symbol OF
peace" He touched on the death of their
son, who died a martyr with General
| Maceo.
General Gomez, in his reply, said he loved
| all the people of Cuba, black and white
alike, and the Spaniards among them.
He referred to his wife's coming as {
"sign of peace" and said he was ready t.
serve Cuba whenever the Cubans wanted
| him.
FL Diaro de Marina says that the ap
pointnents to the audiencias Courts Of
oyer and terminer) in Santa Clara and Ma
! tanzas. are objected to by prominent Gu
bans in those provinces, who have peti
toned General Wilson, military governor
| of MatanZas and Santa Clara departments
to ask Governor General Brooke to annu
| them.
At 3 o'clock this afternoon the tempera
ture in Havana was Sc degrees.
FAEHNIIc nDIRaF DEHEIIEn