The Washington weekly post., 1900-03-20
TheirPresence Creates Scarce.
Iva Ripple of Interest.
WOOD MAKES PERJURY A CRIME
ohcials Who Advised Against Investment
OF Money In sugar Plantations Call Down
the Criticism of the Prcss-Senor CaIlazo,
Commenting ON Secretary Root. Utter
auees, says The tabnu- Tru.ftosrnrriean
People X Raiher Than to Administration.

Havana. March l9.-The arrival OF the
senatorial commission. who win .naiire
INTO the needs OF cuba, has caused bot
little local comment. the afternoon pa
pers to-day barely alluGiug to their pres
ence. Senators Plat, AlGGich, and Teller
landed THIS morning from tile United
states dispatcn-bOat Dolphin, and hal a
long interview with Gov. Gen. Wood.
Subsequently they mvt the members OF
the cabinet. After lunching with Gen.
Wood they drove around the CITY. and
then dined on board the Dolphin. Tc-
morrow they Will visit the province Of
Pinar del Rio to view the tobacco region.
As yet they have formed no other definite
plans. They have declined numerous in
vitations of socia! character. on the
groCrd that their journey Is not one for
pleasure
Gen Wood has ordered the officer cem-
manding at Puerto Principe TO hav, I
full investigation made into the manage
ment of La Gloria colony, regarding which
for many months complaints have been
made. Even before Gen. Brooke left
Cuba criticism of the methods Of the
anagers was rife. and he was on the
point of instituting an iTVEStigation. The
matter. however, went over Col Rath-
ing postal investigation. the result OF
hich will be laid before Gen. Wood to-
morrow The inspector, who has had tho
work in hand, advises the abolition of la
Gloria pOst-Office. and he has little that
is favorable To say concerning the pros
/ Iects of the colonists who are now there.
la &ioria 20 BE Ventilated.
The recently published statements Of
Senior Rivera, secretary OF agriculture. and
Senor VarOna. secretary of finance, adyis-
ing against the further investment OF
money in sugar estates. owing 10 the ease
with which bandits and others can destroy
the property. have caused considerable To-
cal comment. The Discussion is the only
newspaper agreeing with the secretaries.
The other journals characterize their re-
marks-to quote one of them-as most i'll
advised at the present time, when the de-
sire OF Cub1ns Is 10 assure the world that
Cuba is peaceful and Harmonious"
Gen Wood has signed a perjury decree
drafted by SenOr EsteveZ, secretary Of
justice, under which perjury will hereafter
be classified as a crime. Perjury In what
are called "ordinary cases" Will be piIp-
ished by Imprisonment from one 10 twelve
years. In cases where capital punishment
is inflicted as the result of perjured testi-
mony, the perjurer, on conviction. NAV be
sentenced to thirty years Imprisonment at
hard labor
The Spanish law imposed penalties for
perjury IN certain cases, but II was in
complete. Under the new decree all cases
VIII be covered. The decree will. IL Is he
| heved. be OF special service at the coming
elections.
Look Ia the American People.
Enrique Collazo says that Secretary
Roots visit and utterances Will undoubt-
edly create a good impression Throughout
the country
although Mr.. Root said nothing new"
Senor COllaZO remarked to-day. this Is
almost certain to be the case The change
OF policy from Gen. Brooke's regime.
which WIS obviously annexationist. 20
Gen. Woods, which Is more frank and
on the whole favorable 20 independence.
is due 10 political reasons affecting the
Republican party in the United States.
On this account Cubans do not place any
special confidence in the actual admins
tration, although they have all along
trusted TO the American people. There al
ways will be a lack Of confidence on the
part Of the Cubans, despite anything thar
may be said, until something definite Is
being done 10 encourage the agricultural
resources Of the country While I admit
that this cannot be accomplished In a day
or two, L contend that me want of conf
dence Is due to the conviction that il the
United States really wished TO See Cuba
free and Independent they would do all
they could 10 foster the resources of the
country, thus making der financially free
As a matter Of fact freedom for Cuba
now would mean that she would almost
have 10 sell herself TO foreign capitalists
In order to be able to build herself up"