The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-02
CIVIL LAW SUPREME
GEN. LUDLOW EXPLAINS HIS STAND
AS TO THE STRIKE AT
HAVANA
NO TROOPS CALLED UPON

Martial Law Was Not Considered.
and the Only Desire of the Mill
tary Governor of the MunicipaIity
Was to Cooperate with the Au-
thOrities in Preserving Order
Press of the City Approves.
HAVANA, Oct 1.-The street car con-
ductors and drivers went on a strike to-
day. but Mayor Lacoste found substi-
tutes Immediately. The companies are
reducing the number of working hours
and the strikers can return if they de-
| sire. The companies need additional
hands and the substitutes will be kept on.
The boatmen and fishermen have called
meeting for tomorrow after which
they will confer with the boat owners.
1t is thought that a settlement can b,
arranged. A strike would mean no fsh
for Havana.
The son Of Gen. SaHguilly and the three
other young Cubans who were r Gently
arrested and locked UP for removing the
Spanish flag from the premises Of the
Commercial Fire Brigade and from he
Spanish Clerks club, will be released on
bail. The fire brigade people were indis-
posed to press the charges, and their wit
nesses said they We're unable to id9ni-y
the accused In the case of the club. if
is said the matter will be pressed. but II
is probable nothing will be done. as the
authorities seem inclined 10 treat the
case as a mere expression of boyish ex-
uberance.
HAVANA PRESS APPROVES.
All the weekly papers congratulate the
military governor, Gen. Ludlow, upon the
/ effect of his proclamation regarding the
threatened strike. The Independentists
and Annexationists claim that in no other
way could the city be spared terrible
disaster.
Gen. Ludlow says he never contem-
plated such thing as martial law In
connection with the strike, never asked
for any additional troops from Gen.
Lees command and never did anything
toward bringing to the city his own
troops. In fact, he says he felt from the
hrst that the Havana police were able to
cope with the situation, which, although
serious, only required firm dealing. He can
not understand why Civil Governor Rivera
could imagine any intention on his part
TO supersede the civil authorities as his
only desire was cooperation although
the civil governor had been requested not
to issue permits for meetings either In
public or private intended to plunge a
large number Of people into difficulties.
In rendering his thanks to all con-
cerned, Gen. Ludlow sent the following
communication today to the mayor of
Havana, Perfecto Lacoste:
PRAISE FROM LUDLOW.
Il desire to convey to you my sincere
congratulations. upon the success of YOUR
efforts and those of the municipal police
in controlling and thwarting a suicidal
attempt to foment a great strike among
laborers and artisans of the city-a strike
which, had it been allowed to gain head
way, would have brought serious disas-
ter upon the community The disappear
ance of the threatened peril is due pri-
marily to tact and ficmness with which
you conducted the matter, and TO the dis
cipline and vigilance with which the po-
lice under Chief Cardenas discharged
their duties.
MY own participation was the formu-
lation of certain basic principles of adj
ministration which it seemed eXpedient
to maintain, both as indicating that the
responsible American authorities would
sustain the action OF the local authorities
and as conveying to class of wOrkmen
unskilled in public affairs and in danger
of being misled by reckless and anarChis-
tic influences the true principles of liberty
and modern liberal government, the foun-
dation of which is respect for law and or
der There was no thought, as there was
no necessity, to use other forces than
those of the civil administration, which
proved fully equal to the demands of the
occasion.
MY congratulations would not BE- COM
plete unless they were extended 10 the
working men, whose forbearance and ac-
ceptance of the requirements of public
security and welfare were worthy Of all
praise and furnish good reason to hope
and expect that nothing will be done to
imperii public safety or impair the well
fare of the city,