Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-17
'MlGOOA's NICE task
Outline of Present Conditions in
Cuba.
SCRAMBLE FOR THE SPOiLS
Fine Brand of Patriotism on Both
Sides.
LID WILL BE KEPT WELL DOWN
American Soldiers at Critical Points
Will Keep Both Moderates and
Liberals Orderly.
LID WILL BE KEPT WELL DOWN
,ecial From a STAFF Correspondent.

day until shortly before o'clock, when
close beside 1t bunch OF signal flags shot
up and waved excitedly In the ',reeze Ha-
vana took look to sea and far out on the
horizon a big ship was sighted. This was
sufficient to bring the populace to the water
front. where they found that it was the bat
tleship Texas, whose obituary the American
papers published several months ago. Just
before the Texas entered the harbor. a small
steamship poked her nose around the Moro
and came in few hundred yards ahead OF
the battleship. The first ship was the Mas
cote from Tampa, with Gov. Magoon on
board. AS the Mascoete was coming to her
anchorage well up in the harbor within the
circle of the half-dozen warships which
have kept watch over the city for the last
few weeks. the guns of the Texas began the
national salute Of twenty-one guns, and the
Old Morre was laundering back her response
as the governor with Secretary taft
and Secretary Bacon. who had gone out to
the ship to welcome him, came alongside
the landing of the captain of the port. There
was no cheering, but the crowd doffed their
hats in respectful greeting and Judge Ma
goon who led the way to the palace car
rage, bowed to right and left In true guber-
material fashion. The Cubans are great adj
mirers of big men. and it was evident that
the Commanding figure Of their new govern
or pleased them.
Conditions Bad Enough.
If Judge Magoon left Washington In ig-
nerance of the difficult character of his mis-
sion, the last two or three days which he
has spent In conference with Secretary Taft
and Secretary Bacon have doubtless been
sufficient to open his eyes to the fact that he
Is confronted with complicated situation.
Conditions here today are far better than
they were when Secretary Taft and Secre-
tary Bacon arrived month ago. At that
time a rebel force of 5000 men was assem-
bled on the outskirts of Havana and pre-
pared to take the city at a word from their
leader. Nearly every town In the island
was in the hands of the revolutfonists.
whose strength was estimated at from 1900
to 10000, most of whom were armed and
mounted. Prevent hostilities at any cost
were the instructions under which the Pres
ident sent his ENJOYS. Avoid Intervention
except as a last resort to avert bloodshed,
was another order from the President
These instructions made the duty Of the
conn niSSionerS clear but rendered their task
doubly difficult.
American Garrisons.
Judge Magoon arrives to take over the
newly created office Of provisional governor,
but the rebel forces have been disbanded
and have returned to their homes. The
country is gradually returning to a peace
footing business Is slowly resuming and.
although the capital continues brilliant with
the variegated uniforms OF rebel generals.
these warriors are far less to be feared in
their present occupation Of parading the
streets and attending banQuets than they
were a month ago at the head Of an armed
rabble in the field determined upon the
overthrow Of the government.
Surface Indications will not deceive Judge
Magoon, who enters upon his administration
In full possession Of all the Information that
Secretary Taft has obtained in his months
experience. The new governor will proba-
bly, refrain from making any important
decisions until Gen. Bell has completed the
distribution Of the $500 soldiers who have
arrived or are on their way from the Unit
ed States. Supplemented by several thou
sand marines, Gen. Bell Will be able to gar
rison with American troops all of the larger
towns in the island and those interior vii
lagos and outposts, where the feeling
against the rural guard continues so strong
that police duty In such places must be per-
formed by Americans.
Only a Patchwork Peace.
The necessity for these military precau-
lions arises from the patchwork character
of the peace which has been arranged.
Suggestions from Washington that It
might not be necessary to send more than
two thousand soldiers to Cuba have appear
ed In the papers. but have not reached Sec
rotary Taft officially. They indicate either
palpable ignorance of conditions In the
subordinate officials to minimize to the
American people the seriousness of the sit
uation. Doubtless the mask will be tern
away as soon as Secretary Taft reaches
Washington and makes his report to the
President The formal report OF his mission
will be made in writing but the greater part
will be verbal and neither will be pub
lished. The formal report will be q per-
sonal record Of events here for the con-
fdential Information of the President, and
Congress cannot expect the report to be
transmitted to that body unless the Pres
ident thinks 1t wise.
Both Sides Corrupt.
Highhanded and corrupt as was the pol
Icy Of the Palma government in its conduct
of the general elections OF last year, Gov.
Magoon has come to Cuba to find what
Secretary Taft realized before he had been
in the island a week. that the liberals are
no better than the moderates; that the
rebel leaders did not steal their elections
because they did not have the opportunity;
that liberals and moderates alike have been
guilty Of the 8rossest kind of political
frauds: that they have been involved in
schemes Of graft and that the fundamental
cause Of the recent revolution was the enor-
nous opportunity for graft and autocratic
power available to the man In office. The
reports OF the tremendous increase In the
government revenues only served to whet
the desire of the liberals to get into power.
The leaders OF the liberal party Zayas for
example, were shrewd enough to see that
In the evidence OF the filegality Of the De-
cember elections they had q club with
government and probably would win Amer
lean public sympathy in the striking. But
It did not take long for the Presidents
commissioners to And out that the liberals
claims to righteousness and political purity:
that their exhibitions Of 'indignation''
against the unconstitutional acts OF the
Palma government were mere words and
that the whole quarrel was battle OF the
outs against the ms.
Bound by No Promises
Throughout the negotiations and his adj
ministration as provisional governor Sec
rotary Taft has refused to make any prom
ises to any faction, party or Individual re-
garding our policy Of intervention, except
the promises contained In his proclamation
announcing the death Of the republic and
the establishment of provisional govern
ment. In that proclamation he outlined the
American policy clearly: the Intervention
would last only long enough for the coun-
try to return to her condition Of peace and
order and for honest elections to be held
for the purpose of determining the persons
upon whom the government should devolve
Judge Magoon was present at the confer
ence today between Secretary Taft and the
revolutionary committee at which the Sec
rotary again made plain his determination
to give to Cuba an impartial government
10 ho Int 1acf tod