Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-05-25
HAVANA IS EXCITED.
Cubans Dislike the Idea Of Having
Their Arms Taken from Them.
The PROMISE OF ROBERT P. PORTER.
The Manifesto Of Gen. Gomez Unsatlsfac-
tOry-Spanish Papers In Old Mexico
Predict Long and Costly
War In Cuba.

Havana, May 20.-liavana is in fer
ment again over the idea that the
Washington administration has deter
mined to take the arms of the Cuban
troops and to retain them in military
possession. This view of the latest
news from Washington has been tele-
graphed to the various cities Gov.
Gen. Brooke is thus far unaware, save
through the press kilograms, of any dis
satisfaction on the part of Gen. Alger,
secretary Of war, with his Gen.
Brooke 's) plan to have the arms deposit
ed in the care of the mayors of the
municipalities, nor has he received any
mixing of the secretary's purpose to
lay the matter before President Nc
hnley. Consequently, unless instruc-
tons to the contrary are received from
the Washington administration, the
governor generals order respecting
the distribution Of the 100000 900, as
modified will be issued to-day. The
secretary of war has been informed as
to the substance of this order in the
usual course Of business.
lIavana's midday papers publish the
Washington news, some of them COM
menting editorially upon it. AS the
point about where the arms are to be
kept appears to be thought of vital i'm
portance in Washington, the convic-
ton announced that the mayors can
not be trusted with them is a cause of
fresh discomfort, Just at the moment
when the various complications APP
peared to be unraveled. The mayors are
the appointees of the governor general,
and when the military assembly dis
solved they were made its representa-
lives to receive the arms. Article of
the agreement between Gen, Gomez
and Robert =. Porter, President Me-
kinley's special representative, runs as
follows "The Cubans shall surrender
their arms to the Cuban assembly or its
representatives. "
Gen. Gomez, who at the time of ccm-
ing to the agreement with Mr.. Porter
had not quarrcled with the assembly,
insisted upon this point. Since the
quarrel he has again raised the point
repeatedly, saying also that Mr.. Porter
brought full written authority from
President Mckinley and, in the presi-
dents name, agreed that the arms
should go into the custody of the as
sembly or its representatives.
Cubans of prominence object to talk
ing for publication on the subject, but
wherever they have been interviewed
they say, without exception, that such
an order as is referred to in the press
dispatches from Washington would
cause much trouble and would still
further separate Cuba from the United
States.
The manifesto of Gen. Gomez issued
Thursday evening is unsatisfactory to
the military administration because its
author failed to dsband the army. He
has been asked to include paragraph
directing the various commands to dis
solve, and had said he was in doubt as
to whether he was authorized to dis
band the army. promising to reflect
upon the matter, His attitude at head
quarters was quite different from his
previous bearing and it soon became
obvious that he wished to discontinue
giving any advice even on the subject
of the payment to the troops.
A COSTLY WAR PREDICTED.
Mexico City, May 9O.-The organs of
the Spanish colony predict that the
United States is on the eve of a long
and costly war in Cuba as well as in
the Philippines basing their predic-
tons on supposed information from
Cuba, The Correo de Espana says:
"The United States will be obliged to
sustain in Cuba long and costly and
barren war, such as they are waging
in the Philippines, We may be told
that the Cubans will have no
one to furnish them with
arms and ammunition, but they will
find some one. The Yankees, without
being good soldiers, may be able to
beat them easily. Who doubts it? But
will the insurgents allow themselves
to be beaten? viii they not follow the
system of firing their pursuers and
shoot them from places of safety and
will not the Yankees feel the effects of
the climate and suffer more even than
did the Spanish soldierg"