The Springfield herald., 1900-01-05
cUBANs ARE FRIENDLY.
Roassured by the Attitude of General
Wood.

Reassured by the Attitude of General
Wood.
Chicago, Dec. Ga special dis
patch from Havana to the Record
says: Confidence In the sincerity OF
the American administrators inten
tion to give Cuba first government
and then independence Is beginning to
be established OH firm ground. Tho
declarations of President Mckinley
and General Wood, us well as the re
vealed policy Of the new governor gen
eral and his record In the administra
tton of Santiago's government, have
served to rcassure those among the
Cubans who had doubts of the ulti
joint resolution of Congress taken at
the beginning of the American Spanish
war.
1t Is now believed that the Cuban
national party and the other political
parties of the island will soon unite
and throw their unanimous efforts on
the side of General Woods administra-
tion. With their aid it is believed the
governor general will soon be able to
establish strong and stable govern
ment.
The development of General Woods
policy Of reform in the various
branches of government is eagerly
awaited here. General Bartolome
Maso, who was appointed president of
Cuba by the revolutionary government
during the war, will arrive in a few
days, having been summoned by Gen
eral Wood to assist in the work of re-
organization.
Governor General Wood will an
nOunce his new Cabinet January 1st
1t will be like the present one-an ad-
visory bOdy-but will consist of six
instead of four members, and separate
departments of agriculture and of edu-
cation will be created.
Next Wednesday congress of
Cuban notables will meet in Ha-
vana. 1t will consist of the civil gov
ernors of the various provinces and
of the leading Cubans whom General
Wood has invited to meet in confer
ence with him.
Collector Bliss is taking further
rigorous steps for the prosecution of
the custom frauds entirely unmoved
by the storm he has aroused. The i'm
porters and brokers are now receiving
his attention and all signs are that he
will reach the entire center of the con-
spiracy without waiting for the trial
of the accused custom house employees
in audcncia or in higher court.
The ring of brokers has been upset
since the first revelations. The anxiety
was increased to-day when 1t became
known that Collector Bliss had signed
information for judicial process to
Issue against two of the best known
custom house brokers in Havana. They
will be brought before judge Of prim-
ary instance just as the appraisers
were. The collector also signed infor-
M for IN nf nf
three appraisers originally arrested
and then released.
Importers are very uneasy over the
process against the brokers, and much
Indignation Is manifested. The testi-
mony given before judge of first In
stance, which has been allowed to be-
come public, contains names of several
firms which were alleged to be in
volved.
Greater fear, however, comes from
invoices and other original documents
that are known to be in the possession
of Collector Bliss.
Smart Spanish and Cuban lawyers
have been employed by the accused
employees and are taking advantage of
all possible techncalities in the pro-
ceedings. In spite of the effort to
work sympathy on social and political
grounds, the Cubans are generally in
clined to support the American Of
ficials.
Wood is not likely to make the same
mistake. He is consulting instead Of
defying public opinion, making per-
sonal Investigations, visiting prisons
and hearing complaints, and in dozen
other ways putting himself in direct
touch with the people. He has been
here only week, but has already laid
the foundation for some radical
changes to be made ut an early date.