Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-20
TAFT HEARS ALL FACTIONS
Secretary of War Begins straightenint
Out Cuban Tangle,
PRELIMINARY STATEMENTS ARE MADE
President Palma says He VIII
Resign if II is Decided
to order New EIec-
ttOns.

HAVANA, Sept le.-The presidents If
the moderate and liberal parties this after
noon submitted to Secretary of War Taft
and Assistant Secretary of State Bacon,
I representing President Roosevelt their re-
spective statements of the facts leading up
| to the revolution and the conduct of the
! belligerents. Each of the presidents to-
morrow will present a written statement
of the terms he IL willing to agree to in
/ the interest of peace. General Menocal,
representing the veterans, also related to
| Secretaries Taft and Bacon the efforts he
| has made in the line of peace and the
! difficulties he has encountered. and gave
| his opinion as to what courses hold any
promise of amicable settlement A
committee of Isle of Pines Americans also
appeared. but got little satisfaction, their
attorney simply presenting a statement OF
their grievances, which was not taken up.
Today's hearing began at the home of
Minister Morgan In the village of Marianao
which 1t happens is only three miles
from the most advanced post of the insur-
gents forces. that of Colonel Baldomcro
Acosta, which is encamped in the vicinity
of Arroyo Arenas. The proceedings were
conducted very quietly No crowd sur
| rounded the beautiful and spacious Quinta
| Hidalgo, which has been the home of
American ministers to Cuba since the birth
of the republic. The hearings were held
! privately in room adjoining the library,
no one being present in the house except
those directly interested and newspaper
men.
All Conferences Preliminary.
Secretary Taft informed President Mendez
| Capote Senior Zayas and General Menocal
that todays conference would be pre-
liminary and all would be heard again.
Vice President Mendez Capote was given
an appointment for 10 o'clock tomorrow
| and Senior Zayas for o'clock.
| After the hearing Secretary Taft said to
the Associated Press that he had just
begun HIS work and that it was evident
! that the mission upon which he came
| would require more time than he had an
| ticipated before his arrival. He intimated
| that ten days would be required to com
plete his errand, but he could not say
whether or not II would be necessary to
visit insurgent camps other cities other
than Havana. He was pleased that repre-
sentatives of every faction had visited the
agents of President Roosevelt which he
considered augured we'll for the success
of the mission, which he desired 1t to be
understood was purely mediatory. Mr..
Taft said he had not talked as yet with
4
but that he expected to meet men of af-
| fairs and property.
! A private telegraph wire Is being strung
from Minister Morgan's house to the cable
office in order that Messrs. Taft and Bacon
may be able to report direct to President
Roosevelt.
A detachment OF SO rural guards has
been sent to. Mariana, which hitherto has
not been specially protected.
Government Opposes Elections.
After the conference Vice President Men
dez Capote said the government was alb
solutely opposed to any plan which in
wolves new elections. He added that he
was preparing written statement of the
terms which the moderates will accept in
a settlement of the difficulty.
! Senator Zeyas said he had been in
structed not to talk about the conference.
but asserted that he had been urged to
use his influence in all possible ways to
stop fighting. He said he feared ne would
be unable to reach distant insurgent camps
in time, and pointed out that the attack
| by a government force on the insurgents
under Tello Sanchez at Sanou Spiritus on
I Tuesday was a violation of the govern
ment's armistice. Senator Zayas repeated
/ to Secretary Taft the efforts he had made
| for the relief of liberals arrested as con-
| spirators and Mr.. Taft informed him that
! President Palma had stated that the pris-
oners under indictment would be released
under bail. Up to tonight. however, they
/ had not been released Senator Zayas
said 1t was imperative that Jose Miguel
and others of the prisoners should assist
in the peace negotiations. Mr.. Taft was
careful not to- commit himself to either
faction, but encouraged all to talk freely.
Palma Talks of ResiRning
During Secretary Taft's visit to President
Palma earlier in the day the latter spoke
freely of the situation and Of the future
possibilities and added that in the con-
tingency of general election being or
dered he would not feel 1t consistent for
him to continue in ONCE. No member of
the government President Palma said
would be willing to concede to the PROPOSE
tion for a general election under any cir
! cumstances.
! Following his visit to President Palma,
Secretary Taft boarded the cruiser Dem
Yer to return Commander ColwelTs call.
! He found there Senator Zayas awaiting
him under a prearrangement with Com
mander Colwell and thus cordial relations
were established both with the palace and
with the revolutionists. Senator Zayas
1 had on Tuesday sent letter to Secretary
Tart under care OF Charge d'Affairee
| Sleeper, rendering him his greetings Tn
fortunately the letter did not reach Mr.
Taft but senor zayas made it public to-
| day.
! The conditions in the field are quiet al
though the situation at Cienfuegos is
/ threatening General Rodriguez said this
evening that rural guards are patrolinE
the entire outskirts and suburbs of Ha-
vana- One thousand militia from Man
tanzas have been removed from the Ca
banas fortress TO Camp Columbia.
/ Younger Omcers to Front.
i WASHINGTON. Sept. 19.-Young officers
! for command in Cuba in case the army is
sent there is the plan practically decided
upon by the War department General
Frederick Funston probably will be in COM
mand and his chief lieutenants are likely
! 10 be Brigadier Generals Thomas H. Barry
and William p. Duvall. These two officers
! have recently completed an inspection OF
/ the German maneuvers In Europe and have
notified the War department that they
I intend to SAN for this country on September
o. but owing to the acute situation in
! Cuba they have been advised that their
/ presence In this country at earlier date
! will he desirable Rnfxrffheta ndlnx a..