Arizona republican., 1899-03-09

Washington, March s. General Brooke has not yet communicated to the war department any complaint on the part of the people of Santiago re- specting the insuficiency of the allot- ment of funds for the conduct of public works in that city and province Any formal complaint would necessarily be transmitted by General Wood to Gen eral Brooke, his superior officer, and could only reach the department in that manner. It is said that this is simply the same old complaint on the part of the Santiago people, without a single new feature. They have from the first bitterly resisted any diversion of the money received at Santiago from taxation, either from customs or from internal taxation for the support of the island generally. It is said at the war department that this policy cannot be permitted to prevail, as the immediate result would be the division of Cuba into a number of independent prov inces, none of them willing to pay any thing for the support of the general government.
 The poorer agricultural provinces those without important seapOrts- though paying heavy import taxes upon all articles of consumption cCm- ing from abroad, would, under the Santiago plan, be practically starved to death.
 In effect, the plan would work in Cuba precisely as if New York and San Francisco should retain for the public works of those two cities the enormous amount of import taxes collected there, notwithstanding the fact that these taxes are mostly paid by the consum- CTS living in the interior of the coun- try General Brooke was charged by the department in the beginning to arrange a schedule which would pro- vide for an equitable distribution of the tax receipts in Cuba, and the de- partment is bound to believe that he has complied exactly with his instruc- tions as to Santiago. However 1t may be. the subject will, among others, be looked into especially by insular eX- aminers who were appointed for just such purposes, and if they find that any injustice is being worked to Santiago it is probable that upon their report of facts the war department will apply the necessary remedy.
 The proposition of the Cubans, through General Gomez, to have 10000 of the Cuban soldiers taken into the service of the American army on the island has not been communicated as yet to the war department While it is stated that the provisions of the new army law furnish ample authority for incorporating the CUbanS as part and parcel of our military govern ment, it is believed that the time is not yet ripe for consideration of this prop osition, and there is no expectation of the scheme being passed on fer several weeks. There are other more prssing matters of army reorganization at this time. and all these will have to be gone over thoroughly and eXhaustively before the project of Cubanizing the American army on the island is de cided.
 There is 10 disposition on the part of the war department authorities to discount in advance General Gomez's proposition; indeed, it has been nat uraIIy expected, and it is in line with the policy which may be instituted later on in the Philippines. Major General Brooke has the Cuban com r,ondor,c DrOnCsitiOn in his hands, and when he reports to the secretary of war the question will be taken under advisement, but, according to present indications, is likely to be acted upon after other details of the army reol- ganization are settled, or at least got ten under headway. It presents question of administrative pollcy which will require considerable con suItation and discussion.