The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-11
HOTBED OF DISCONTENT.


| More Troops Are Needed in Porto Rico to
| TO Preserve the Peace.
Chicago, March 1.-The Tribune will
tomorrow print tire following special
correspondence from Porto Rico from
a tribune correspondents
san Juan de Port" Rico, March l.
| The real situation IN Porto Rico is not
understood. PeopIr in the state gen
| orally regard Porto Rico as a sort of
| haven of peace The war department
| mas Just request.d If General Henry
that he immedialrjy report how many
| regular troops he could spare from the
island. The 147th New York started
| nome last SUNDAY. The regular regi-
| lnents that remain ar so scattered that
in many places where there is neces-
lty for strong fore" only corporars
guard can be secured, and there are
others where continual muttertngs and
the greatest evidence of discomfort at
American rule are unGuarded.
General Henry is in a dilemma. He
mas only three regiments of troops-the
18th infantry, the 1ech and the 5th cav
alry-and two batteries Of the 9th
heavy artillery
Il need twice thu troops I have" sad
the general at Ms residence in San
Juan. Because Of the easy victory of
our troops here in the war and of the
apparent friendlnpss Of the natives to
the American soldiers when they in
vaded the island, Il notion prevails in
the states that there is little necessity
for strong force 10 maintain order
in the island The idea is erroneous.
The conditions here are alarming
These people have been given every
opportunity, but they have their own
theme aside. They are clamoring now
for local self-govprnment. They are
no more fit for local self-government
than | am to run a locomotive. More
troops are needed in the island. The
seeds of discomfort planted by profess
sional agitators are rapidly growing,
and kept down only by strong mill
tary force.
The ill-feeling between the natives
and the American lluups seems to grow
stronger every day, The American Off
GERS have to maintain the greatest vigil
lance to prevent ,hen men from wreak-
ing vengeance on the natives, especial
~ on the native police. for acts Of vio-
lence that are continually committed
against the troops
AT Caguay, small town on the mil
ltary road, 20 miles from san Juan,
soldier of the Hath New York was muir
dered last Saturday night in Il manner
that illustrates the treachery of the
natives. Private Michael Burke of
company / had entered the Porto Ri
thh I1ileIdiy CluD tl NuSudS, anu was
sitting at small table reading when
a native slipped up behind him. and
at one stroke of machete, sharpened
to razor's edge, severed the soldiers
mead from his body and sent i GOll
ing across the floor Another soldier
happened into the club some time aft
erward and saw the dismembered
trunk of the dead man still in the
chair, with the head lying where it had
rolled, Several Porto Rir9nS
standing quietly around discussing the
matter No one would admit having
seen the murder committed. Suspicion
finally fixed on one man, but when a
provost guard went to arrest him he
had fled. and although the entire coun-
try around Caguay was thoroughly
searched for the murderer, he has not
yet been found
only four nights before the killing of
Burke the bad Blood between the ma
tiVes and soldiers asserted itself in a
brutal assault on Private Fitzpatrick
The native police arrested Fitzpatrick
without warrant, and he resisted.
They beat him insensible. Three cafes
We're ''policed" in a thorough manner.
tables being overturned and mirrors
broken, when the officers of the regi-
ment arrived and queled the lot, per-
suading the men to return to barracks.
The next chapter in the affair was the
killing of Burke. The withdrawal of
the regiment to Brooklyn for mastering
out prevented mere serious encounters
between the soldiers and the natives
The troubles at Caguay have been dup
Heated at almost every place on the is
land. AT Guayama, a soldier was
stabbed in the back by a native the
same night Private Burke was killed.
The conditions at Ponce since the
clash between the soldiers and the ma
tive police, in which several Porto Ric-
ans were killed, have been bordering on
open battle between the troops and the
natives. Things are strained to the
swapping point. General Henry's face
took on a grimness that his troops used
to see in the old days on, on the West
ern plains, and he concluded his re-
marks about conditions in the island,
Il have given them too much rein,
he said. Now I'm going to take in the
slack"