Evening star., 1906-09-09
H. ]. BROWNIES Interview
Talk With a Washingtonian Just
Back From Havana.
INsURREcTos HAVE NO ARMS
Palma Government is Waiting for the
Arrival of Vessel With
Ordnance.

SNNSSSSiSh VI SNtutS III SuDa anu more OF
less accurate information vouchsafed in the
press dispatches from various sources it
is evident that there is abroad a maximum
OF conjecture rather than of really accurate
description of the situation as it exists at
the present time. Quite recently Mr.. Her
bert j. Browne Of this city, who has eXten-
sive interests in Cuba, returned from the
island republic and in the course of an in
terview yesterday he stated that, regardless
OF the ultimate result of the uprising In so
-ar as the insurgents might succeed. the
United States could not recognize a de
facto government. but would be bound to
uphold the Palma regime, because that is
| the constitutional government of the sla nd
AS result of personal observation and of
almost daily private advices since his return
| Mr. Browne declares that the insurgent
| forces now have not sufficient arms to ade-
quatefy equip one regiment. His eXplana-
| t1on of the apparently unchecked progress
OF the revolution is that the Cuban govern
nent has been caught off lis guard but he
predicts sudden and complete quashing of
the uprising or uprisings when the military
stores for the government on board the
steamer Herrera reach Havana, about one
week hence.
Serious; Not Dangerous.
1.-THE situation in Cuba said Mr..
Gus. Many prominent men are in the field
| in open rebellion, and undoubtedly they
have numerous sympathizers throughout
the island who are not ready for an appeal
to arms. But every important industry,
every leading corporation, every bank,
and every large commercial house is
strongly against the insurgent movement
and heartily in favor of the Palma admin
istration. One has only to know the
Latin-American temperament to under
stand that any man with good horse and
a machete can go into the woods and start
an insurrection' on and provocation, real
or fancied, which he chooses to "conjer
up. 1t is the effect of the tropical sum-
There are probably twenty small insur-
gent bands in one part of the island or an
other, ranging in numbers from ten to fifty
men, most Of them mounted Cuban
ponies and thereby possessing considerable
mobility, but very wretchediy armed and
possessing even poorer military equipment
than characterized the inSurgent bands of
the war against Spain. Through certain
expeditions from the United States during
that war, but principally through raids
! on small Spanish forces and block houses.
the Cuban revolutionistS were fairly well
supplied with arms and ammunition. Fol-
lowing Immediately upon the American
occupation and up to the present time
there was a thorough securing of the
island for stray arms and ammunition. 1t
was raked as with fine tooth comb from
Cape Maysi TO Cape San Antonio, and
thousands of weapons of every description
were rounded up and 'scrapped.'
lone cache of 20, 900 Mauser rifles was
picked up in Matanzas province, where the
late Gen. Maxine Gomez had interned
them for possible use against the United
States So that on the day Of the Amerf
can evacuation there were not enough loose
weapons on the island to equip respect
able pig hunt The Palma administration
continued an even more rigorous policy and
issued licenses for the keeping of arms
under only the most stringent conditions
and at charge ranging from seven to nine
dollars annually for each weapon The re-
suit is that the insurgents now in the field
have not one rifle to five men, and what
weapons they have will generally be found
to be more dangerous to the holder than to
any one else.
Most Formidable Force.
'The only really formidable force is that
under Gen. Faustino Guerra, who is said to
have between three and four thousand men
scattered through the remote sections of
Pinar del Rio province, south and west OF
Pinar del Rio city, 126 miles from Havana.
This number is probably very much exag-
gerated. 1t is a safe prediction that Guerra
has not 500 rifles in his command. To give
two examples of the obviously overstated
strength of this force take statement of
Guerra's having captured 10000 rounds of
ammunition in the small town of San Juan
de Martinez. There were not at the time
of the outbreak of this rebellion 6o,o0o
rounds of ammunition in private hands in
the whole Island of Cuba and in San Juan
de Martinez. which is nothing but small
country village it is doubtful if there were
even 1000 rounds of ammunition. Then 1t
was stated that forty-two cattle and forty
pigs per day are required to supply
Guerras army with meat. The Cuban OK,
though small. is well meated. and will
dress an average of 460 pounds to the beef,
or 1880 pounds for the forty-two. Forty
pigs would dress at least fifty pounds to
the head, or another 1900 pounds, total
of 1880 pounds of meat. The Cuban, by
nature, is a very small eater OF meat yet
here is enough of such provision laid out
for an army of 1880 men.
As to Intervention.
1.-THE Palma administration has been
caught off it's guard, but it is made up Of
astute, keen-witted and able men who not
only thoroughly understand the Cuban ma
ture but are past masters in all the tricks
of guerilla warfare. 1t win be noticed that
while there is a great deal of talk from
unofficial sources about compromises and
mediation President Palma and his cabi-
net are saying very little, but l happen TO
know that they are saving wood.
when the Herrera reaches Havana
about September Is with her cargo of up
to-date military supplies fresh from the
factories of Connecticut there will be
alton, and that other excellent Connecticut
weapon the machete, the principal arm of
the insurgents, will discover that 1t didn't
mean anything after all and will go quietly
back to cutting cane.
1.-The talk of intervention on the part of the
United States meets with no favor either
in Washington or Havana as the situation
outlines itself today. Should Intervention
come in the unexpected event of the Palma
administration being unable to preserve
property in the island from destruction at
the hands of the insurgents, it would not,
as the ill-informed believe, mean annexa-
tion. 1t would merely mean that the United
States would go down there and aid the
Palma administration in restoring order.
Under the guarantees of the Platt amend
ment the Cuban government was establish
ed under the Star of Hope that this
promising young republic would be able to
maintain a constitutional government by
peaceful methods. 1t has no army, no ar
senals, no artillery, save the. few relics
which serve to remind the peeple of the
dangers of a. military despotism like that
which Spain exercised. II
.It is to the interests of this country that
Cuba should not acquire a navy or create
-, aor Inc farrf