The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-29
SHOULD PAY CUBAN SOLDIERS.
MORA SAYS THE QUESTION is he
COMING A SERIOUS ONE.

Army VIII Not Disband without
Pay-Cubans Feel They Are Enti-
tied to Customs Recefpts-CubRn
Soldiers Pilfering aud Begging.
Second Case of yellow Fever in
Seventh Army Corps-Thc Tax Sit
uation.
Havana, Jan. 2S.-Senor Frederioo Mora,
the civil governor of Havana in an inter-
of the payment of the Cuban army was of
much greater Importance than the Wash
ington government seems to realize.
He said that il the Cubans were to coll
lect the customs Of the island, which are
their property, their first action would be
to meet Cuba's sacred obligation 10 the
army by the payment an fun of the sol
diers, But the customs administration be-
ing In the hands of the Americans the Gu
bans make simple business proposition
to the United States government, that It
shall advance money to pay the troops,
holding the customs as security
If the Americans were not present Sc
nor Mora further said, Cuba could easily
obtain the necessary loan. The distrlbu-
ton of this money to the army is essen
tai TO permit the country to proceed with
the work of agriculture which must form
the foundation of Its reconstruction. The
army contains many men who consider
that Cuba is In position TO demand the
fun payment of The army by the United
States, and assert that other action on the
part of the American government would
be worse tyranny than was exercised un-
der Spanish sOVereigutV
Senior Mora considers the underestima-
ton of The Importance of this matter un-
fortunate, and his views are held by a
majority of the Cubans. The heat of the
discussion is daily increasing and the
newspapers of the island are full of argu-
ments in favor of the payment of the
money.
Cubans Refuse to Work.
Gen. Snyder reports that 500 or 600 mem-
bers of the Cuban army are encamped
near Sancd Spiritus, loating about and pill.
fering and begging food. Gen. Snyder
sent word TO them that If they would
come to Sancu Spiritus and help the
Americans to clean the town they would
receive pay and rations, but the offer was
refused, the Cubans replying that they
were soldiers not scavengers.
A prominent Spaniard, long a resident OF
Cuba, and all Of whose interests are here
declares that If the Americans now de-
manded the disarmament Of the Cuban
army without pay a storm of passionate
protests would follow, but the army would
obey, possibly a few of them becomi'- 4,
bandits and taking 10 the hills. ffe also
says that the most salutary steps taken
by the Americans since their arrival in
the island have been those enforcing obe-
dience to and respect for their authority
Case of Yellow Fever.
A second case of yellow fever has de-
veioped in the Second Engineers. in Gen.
Lees camp. The men attacked had been
engaged in cleaning out cesspools at Ca
banas with Meyer Schmidt who recently
died from the fever.
Maj. Gen. Ludley, military governor cf
Havana, has issued an order suspendlng
the execution Of judgments against the
city SO that the treasury will not be kept
without money just to satisfy Spanish
claims.
The Banco EspanoI Is now collecting
and Will continue TO collect certain muai-
cipal dues, including license fees, markets
rents and meat taxes, out Of which the
bank will pay itself the interest on the
IS 100000 bonds Of the floating debt The
bank may be superseded later, when the
financial commission shall have prepared
a plan for administering the finances. The
contract WIN tilt BdHk IL a nara ana lbSL
legal device and has been operated since
1891. One Of the banks functions has been
TO collect the school taxes in Guanabacoa
and supervise the schools 1T has been
collecting the taxes as usual for several
months, but the schools have been closed
The Meat WAS Not Bad.
The commission appointed by Gov. Cen.
Brooke to investigate the condition of the
refrigerated beef brought here by the
United States transport Michigan viii, It
is asserted report that the beef Is IN good
condition and that the method Of refriger-
alton IS excellent. The rumors to the ef-
feet that this beef is bad were circulated,
1t is supposed, by men who desire that the
beef from the United States should be
condemned In the hope Of getting a local
contract to supply beef on the hoof
The first detachment OF troops which left
Cen. Lees camp on Sunday last for a
practice march to Guines returned to
camp to-day.