The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-03-13
SBARReTTI REFUSES TO RESIGN.
Bishop Tells Cuban Committee He Was
sent to Havana 80 stay.

havana, March u.-COmparauVely Few
people attended to-day's meeting TO pro-
test against the appointment of Mgr
Sbarretti to the bishopric of Havana
committee of four. including Gen. Maxi
mo Gomez. was appointed to visit the
bishop and to inform him respectfully OF
the wishes of the Cuban people. It was
argued that il would he better to take
this course on the chance that Mgr. Sbar-
retti would express a willingness to re-
sign and thus save the work of organizing
some forty subcommittee OF protest
from the various parts of the diocese, as
was originally proposed.
A resolution was offered advocating that
a protest be sent direct to the Pope and
that nothing further be done until Fis
answer had been received. but this was
negatived by a large majority it being
argued that the. mOvemenet might grow
cold were the agitation to be dropped for
six weeks, the time it was estimated would
be required to get a reply from Rome
A representative of the popular COM
mittee of protest who was present said
that general manifestations in opposition
to the appointment were about to be made
in the provinces of Matanzas and Santa
Clara on the day after the landing of
Mgr Sbarretti, but that the letter which
Gen Gomez published in the Havana Ia
pers was teleg. aphed 10 many towns and
had the effect of deterring the intended
demonstrations.
sharp Eye for Piagne ships.
The Marine Hospital Service is keeping
a special lookout for cases of buboric
plague which might reach Havana on in
coming steamers. All vessels from Mexi-
con are rigidly inspected. As yet there
Is no confirmation of the report of a case
OF the plague on the steamer Yucatan,
from Vera Cruz
Herbert Allen and Horace Barnes. al
moners of the Cuban Industrial Relief
Fund, which for about a year has been
operating relief farms near Cieba and
Mocha, furnishing work for many of the
victims of recommendation. have lust re-
turned TO Matanzas, af er d s.r;bur ug
fifty-eight work oxen among small farm
ers. They were received by Gen. Wilson.
military governor Of the department. VINO
conferred with them regarding their m
dertakings and expressed cord al aprrovaI
OF this method of reconstructing Cuba.
Gen. Wilson, who urged them strongly
to continue, has always been an advocate
Of government aid in supplying cattle to
deserving farmers, failing which in
judgment either the bankers or charitable
institutions should take the matter in
hand.
Mortgage Problem.
Ell Diario de Ia Marine. y dscussipg agrf-
cultural Developments, says to-day: "A
possible solution OF the ques ion of mort
gagged property would be to allow the
holders Of mortgages to administer the
DrOnDrtipS nnfil fhaxy had
on, aIV then 10 have the properties Ie-
turned 10 the mOrtgagers. Failing IN 5.
the law should take its course, so that the
land may come into the hands of those
having sufficient money to work 1t.
AS Cuba is supported almost entirely
by customs dues, and as the potentiaiIey
OF Cuba TO pay these dues rests upon wnat |
the soil prOduceS-Cuba being entirely ag-
rcuituraI-it Is Of vital necessity to stIm- |
uiate agricultural recOnstruc ion"
HavaT q, March l2.-The special COM
mittee appointed yesterday to wait upon !
Mgr. Sbarretti and To present to him tne |
protest against his appointment as bishop !
OF Havana, made their visit to-day. Tho I
protest which they submitted set forth |
that a majority Of the Catholics In the !
island were Cubans, and desired a Gu |
ban bishop. 1t also asserted that tnose |
VINO thought otherwise We're enemies Il /
Cuban independence and progress" Mgr
Sbarretu informed the committee In re- /
ply that he could not abandon the posi-
ton, as he had been sent there by tn. |
Pope. Later in the day the bishop said:
Il do not think the people who are pro- /
testing quite realize what they are doing. /
| have come TO Cuba as a friend OF the |
Cubans, and also as a matter OF duty" |
Mass was celebrated to-day in the pres /
ence OF large congregation, including /
some of the most Influential people in 1
~ y-ff