The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-09-04
PALMA'S PLAN TO
FIGHT TILL LAST
Cuba Is Well Financed and
Insurgents Must Meet a
Long, Hard War.
PEACE PROPOSAL HEARD
1T WILL NOT LIKELY ACCOM-
PLiSH ANYTHING HOWEVER,
AS PRESIDENT PALMA HAS DE-
CLARED AGAINST CONCESSIONS
Publishers Press1

Havana, Sept. 3.-War preparations
in Havana continue. II is expected
that the government will have S,o30
men in the field. A machine gun
corps left Castallo De La Puuta, and
four companies are stationed, one al
La Fuerza castle, in front Of the
palace, two at the arsenal and one
at Vedado fort The much discussed
guns are strapped on the backs of
mules and are the objects of great
interest to the throngs. There was
no cheering whatever as a corps com
manded by Americans marched
through the streets. The men are not
drilled or disciplined. No new fights
between government forces and in
surgents had been reported The
gayety of Havana is not abated.
Ell Economista, the leading financial
weekly, says the revolution besides
costing millions of dollars TO indus
tries operating on foreign capital,
should it last several weeks, will
cause ruin to the Vuelta Abajo to.
bacco crop amounting to from $12.-
100000 to Sic, 100000, besides a years
loss to the farmers. The paper says
the loss to the cattle interests will be
from $20.00o,o00 to $3o,o00.o0o. Con
corning the sugar crop, it says that a
continuation of the trouble for two
months will mean loss of from 100,-
600 to 100000 tons on account of the
lack of labor. The paper reckons the
losses to the fruit crop at about $4,-
100000 and says all these losses can
at most only be partially remedied
unless there is a prompt effort for
peace or the immediate assistance of
the United States is requested.
An American citizen who has
large interests in the province of San
tiago, said that while everything was
quiet in that vicinity, he regretted to
say that appearances indicate that 1t
only lacks a strong leader to start an
insurrection there.
The hopes of those who suggested a
proposition of mutual concession as
means of ending the rebellion were
shattered when President Palma call
ed General Cebreco, one of the pro-
posed peace commissioners, to the
palace to inform him that the govern
ment had no concessions to Offer or
accept and no intention other than
fighting the matter through and sup
pressing the instruction. General
Menocal, who headed the list of the
proposed commissioners, sent word
to the promoters Of the project that
he. would have nothing to do with it
unless he could approach the insur-
gents with a definite offer of some
kind from President Palma. The pro-
motors, however, are not entirely dis
couraged, and another meeting may
be held later.
While the publication of the peace
project caused much discussion there
was little hope evidenced that it
would succeed as it was conceded on
all sides that the government in the
present temper of the masses would
lose any elections which might result
from it. Besides, since the govern
ment is unwilling to relinquish the
idea of central government control Of
municipalities, this also would be a
serious stumbling block to such an at
tempt.
One of the main reasons why the
government feels encouraged to pur
sue the fight to the end by force, as
outlined by Font Sterling, secretary of
the treasury, is it's abundance of
money I'VE have s19,0G0,000 on
hand" said Sterling. Don't overlook
that And we have a monthly income
of 100000. The, August receipts
and customs duties were greater than
ever before. We will not need TO
negotiate loans for some time to come
at least. Yes, most of what we have
was appropriated by congress, but
these appropriations must wait. We
shall use the money in putting down
the rebellion"