The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-18
WILL WATCH CUBA
sAvANNAHs INTEREST IN THE
NEW CUBAN REGIME.
MANY SAVANNAHIANS THERE.
SOME WILL REMAIN UNDER PAL
MAS ADMINISTRATION.

So Good a Condition Now as Before
the War, Yet There Is Every Pros
pect for Her Advancement-He Ex-
poets Ultimate Annexation to the
United Stntes-Savannnhia Will
Always Feel an Interest in the
Island.
Savannah has more than an ordinary
interest in the Inauguration of the Gu
ban government this week. The United
States will relinquish the reins of gov
eminent in Cuba day after tomorrow,
and the island will then begin a new
era. The eyes of the world will be upon
the little insular republic, all eager
ness to see how its people may con-
duct themselves in their newly gained
freedom, a boon that came to them
partly through their own struggle
against Spain. but largely through the
Intervention of the United States,
which made so signal the success that
resulted in the loss to Spain of her an
cient possession, the Queen of the An
titles.
Savannah takes deep interest in
| Cuba, and the progress of events in the
island will be watched most carefully
and critically by the people of this city.
| 1t is but natural that this should be so,
for there has been a bond of unity be-
tween Savannah and the island that
| has been in evidence through more
ways than one.
Proximity is partly accountable for
| the interest that Savannahians mani
fact I1tf icrl,f p @f
or more cities of the United States.
| The chief reason, probably, is the rela-
| tionship that Savannah bore to the
War with Spain and the fact that it
was a base of operations in the occu-
patton of the island by the Americans
| after the hostilities with Spain had
| ceased.
Sent Many Soldiers to Cuba
Many soldiers from Savannah were
in the forces that were raised to serve
against the Spanish armies. This in
| duced Savannahians to watch the pro-
gress of the war with probably great
er anxiety than did those of many other
| cities that did not make so generous
a response to the Presidents call to
arms. All in all, there was nearly a
| regiment from Savannah. AS there
were but the three regiments of vol
unteers, two batteries of artil-
lery and a portion of the Third I'm
munes raised in Georgia, it may be
seen how great was Savannah's pro-
| portion of the men that were furnish
ed by the state.
In the occupation of Cuba Savannah
played an important part. The Army
of Occupation, the Seventh Army
IsCorps, under command of Gen. Fitz-
| hugh Lee. embarked from Savannah
after having camped here for some two
months, and during its stay in Savan-
nah and during the period when the
city was made a base of supplies and
a hive of blue-coated activity. citizens
learned much of military operations
and methods, besides gaining an ac-
| quaintance among the some twenty-five
regiments that at one time or another,
| were here, is to have given them
knowledge far beyond that of the or
| binary American unused to war
alarms and the ways of soldiers.
| Many Of those who went to Cuba
were from Savannah. In the Third
Immunes there were many Savannah
| ians. and this was true, also OF the
| Third Georgia. All who spent a time
| in the island feel a personal interest
| in the Cuban government, and they
will watch it closely, some in the hope
that it may prove a perfect success,
and others in the hope that the island
possession through annexation.
savannahians Now in Cuba.
At about this time, too, there were
many Savannahians going to Cuba in
order to take positions under the pro-
visional government set up by the
United States. The majority of these
are still there, having retained the po-
sitions to which they were originally
appointed or been advanced in the par
ticular branches of the government in
which they may have served These
viii all have to give up their positions
day after tomorrow, unless, as is I'M
likely, they may have arranged to re-
main under the new Cuban regime.
Were Landed at Savannah.
The return of the United States vol
unteers and regulars to their own
country was via Savannah, the trans
ports landing the regiments, which, as
rule, went into camp for DAYS or
weeks, the volunteers to be mustered
out, and the regulars to be given a
brief rest being hurried to other scenes
of activity, principally the Philippines.
Running back to the 40's and the
sos of the last century, Savannah has
had experiences with Cuba and the
Cubans. Citizens have had not a lit
tie to do, from time to time, with fill
illS PAL Ties. L lie SyIIlpdllleS OF
the people have been with the strug-
Cling patriots of the island, and it was
to the general regret that the revolu-
ton of the middle of the last century
failed to win the Cubans independence.
The movements of the tug Dauntless
and the mystery surrounding that
swift craft are still fresh in the public
mind.
The names of twenty-three Geor-
gians are included in the roster of
United States government employees in
Cuba. OF these ten are from Savan-
nah. The following are the Georgians
who will have to give up their posi-
tons, unless they have made arrange
ments with the Cubans to retain them:
George Allan of Savannah, is chief
clerk in the office of the disbursing
quartermaster at Matanzas; Stephen
N. Bernhard of Savannah, is auditor
of telegraph and cable accounts for the
S. G. Lowenthal of Savannah, is CHIEF
clerk of the Cubans customs service,
at Havana; H. r. c. Newconb of Sa-
vannah, is captain in the revenue cut
ter service of the island; Emil ]. Hall
of Savannah, is chief inspector of the
sanitary department, at Havana.
Among the other Georgians in the
government service are Thomas NJ.
Baker, Savannah, in the auditors Of
fee at Havana: Mrs. Sara L. Beck
with Savannah, stenographer at De-
partment headquarters, Havana: ]. l.
Bronson. Macon. clerk in the office of
the quartermaster at Matanzas; S. E.