Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-17
CUbANS IN UGLY PLOT
Threat to Blow Up English
Railway is Reported.
BUSINESS MEN RADICAL
May Fight the United States to Force
American Occupation.
NEGRO TALK Is FOR WAR
Millions Behind Statement That For
eign Interference Will Be Forced
to Make Americans Stay.

! The situation in Cuba is growing serious
/ according to recent advices from Havana,
There is much strife among the factions
| and the outlook is far from promising A
correspondent on the New York Herald had
| this to say Of the situation yesterday:
| From now on. it is declared here it be-
| hooves the United States to be extremely
careful in dealing with the Cuban question
| Developments reveal ugly situation.
| fraught with danger to both countries.
| Whatever solution may be had whether
| the United States establishes a protectorate
! or makes way for another Cuban republic,
| a revolution is not the worst result that
now threatens.
| There is conspiracy foot to blow up
| English railway property with dynamite If
| after the contemplated election the United
| States hands the government over to the
! liberals and ends its control of affairs This
| is the sworn plan of a large body of in
| f1uential and wealthy Cubans TO force En-
gland to compel the United States to con-
! tinue supervisory government. One Gu
ban tells me he has 500 pounds or dynamite
which he will use for this purpose. and
that bands of radical Cubans here and in
Cienfuegos have been formed to do the
| same with American sugar estates.
Gomez Threatens Revolution.
On the other side Juan Gualberto Gomez.
a negro leader OF a vast majority OF the
liberals, Is out with an open threat of revo-
luton if the Americans do not go away on
time and leave the government to the
Cuban people. His fire was drawn by the
discovery of the movement to demand some
form of protectorate after the election had
been held. the birth and growth Of which
has been noted recently in these dispatches.
1t has reached considerable proportions and
now embraces several hundred native
Cubans of high intelligence, representing
| many millions of capital. Its platform.
which will be urged on the Roosevelt ad-
ministration and upon Congress, is most
carefully guarded. as its certain denuncia-
power, would brighten sympathetic Cubans
of property from openly embracing 1t. lest
they later lose their all.
veritable reign Of terror exists in this
respect The platform expresses the desire
that the Platt amendment shall be made
a more complete protection hereafter to
the wealth, good government and liberties
! of the Cuban people An end to political
disturbances is demanded. protectorate
is asked that shall leave Cubans in Office
from the president down, with the preser-
walton Of the republican form of govern
ment, the United States exercising general
by representatives Of both nations before
the termination of the present provisional
government. In this way it is declared.
peace can be assured, the United States
sharing with the republic the RESPONSE
bility OF avoiding further insurrectiOn.
Struggle Has Begun.
Mere suspicion of the political movement
afoot has brought on at once a struggle
between those who have much to lose If the
Americans go away and a few white and
negro politicians, backed by the bulk of the
population, which is negro. The color line
for the first time in Cuba seems certain to
be sharply drawn in the efforts of the more
intelligent minority, representing industrial,
mercantile and agricultural wealth, to OBJ
tain favorable action by the United States.
Radical Cubans l have met are deter
| mined that the country shall not be handed
over to the liberals. They tell me they
shall exhaust every fair way to induce the
administration at Washington to change the
announced plan of ending American con-
troll. If unsuccessful they will then try to
interest the United States Senate, through
Senator Foraker. in Their demand for what
they say they can prove is the best for
| Cuba. If that fails they say they will
force the United States to take charge of
which the negroes, being fighters, would
render futile, .ut by the destruction of
property owned by foreigners. which would
bring in other powers or necessitate Amert-
can occupation.
Much Secret Plotting.
The revelations following much secret
plotting for those who desire pro-
tectorate are most timid, are directly due
to published dispatch, dated Washington,
November IA. which says the United States
realizes that the army, of pacification is
needed in Cuba for many years, and is
thinking of holding the elections in Decem-
Der instead of in June, to stop the quarrels
of rival leaders.
The liberals know this was an expression
frovp Mos ,crfn t
calls to encourage thousands Of sympa-
thetic but less courageous Cubans to de-
clare for protectorate. The simultaneous
arrival of Mr.. w. j. Buchanan straight
from Secretary Root, with questions as to
the best time to hold elections, has con-
WINGED the liberal leaders that strong in
fuences are at wcrk to INDUCE the United
States to change it's plans. Hence this ut
terance in La Lucia, written by Juan
GuaibertO Gomez:
."Slnce there are those who are frankly
opposed to the restoration soon OF the in
dependent government. and those who de-
clare that if American troops evacuate a
supervisor or an American president
among US ought to remain we in our turn
must state with equal frankness that II
any such tendency comes to predominant
in the minds of those governing in the
United States, peace will again be endan-
gered here disorder will be perpetuated.
and very lamentable events must occur, for
all liberals are resolved not to consent that
the character of this Intervention shall be
In the slightest changed that the ends it
announced it had in view shall be altered"
Liberals Are Trustworthy.
The radicals. as those in favor of a pro-
| tectorate are beginning to be called. won
der what sort of impression this defiance
| will make in Washington. They aver it
should show the American nation very
c,early that the liberals are not the kind
of people to whom the government of
| Cuba should be solely intrusted. The Tele-
graph says: THE intimation Is that the
! Cubans will take up arms against the
United States If. with a view of assuring
| the countrys tranquility, it shall postpone
| elections beyond the promised time, or at
| tempt to retain any kind of control after
the reconstruction Of the Cuban govern
! ment.'
! Interviews with Senator Alfredo Zayas,
| Gen. Julian Betancourt. Gen. Pine Guerra,
! Senator Monteaguado, Gen. Ernesto Asbert,
| DIR. Fidel Pierra and Representative Flor
encio Villuendas. as liberal leaders. declare
+, the plan for elections in December and con-
tinued occupation a conspiracy of the
American sugar and tobacco trusts, work.