The Jersey City news., 1906-09-07
WANT PALMA TO QUIT
insurgents Insist on Cuban Presi-
dents Resignation as Con-
dition of Peace.
cAPoTE NAMED FOR OFFICE

Liberal Leaders Think They Could
Reach Agreement With Present Vice
President-Suspension of HostiIities
Averts Serious Engagement In Santa
Clara Province.
Havana, Sept 7.-UnIess the govern
ment will agree to new election there
is small chance of peace in Cuba.
The ablest men among the insurgents
insist that President Palma must step
down and that his chief officeholders
must go with him pending new vote
in the several provinces of the repub-
lie. 1t does not seem that any other
compromise can be effected.
General Menocal, who is conducting
peace negotiations, commenting on the
situation, remarked that ''peace will be
arranged or it will be imposed" He
explained he did not mean that peace
would be imposed by force of arms.
but that public opinion would compel
the insurgents to submit to the rea-
sonable terms which the veterans will
offer in order to avoid further fighting.
The Liberal leaders, however, continue
to demand far more than the Moder-
ates are willing to concede.
Bands Ready to Fight.
Although hostilities have been sus-
pended, the main armed bands will re-
main in the field. They will be ready
to fight at notice from their leaders and
seem to have the increasing sympathy
of the rural people.
Many business men of Havana ridi-
cule the whole effort at what they call
a patched up peace, which, they say,
can be no more than temporary. Many
assert that the country never can be
governed rightly or investments be alb
solutely safeguarded unless the United
States intervenes. This is frankly said
in some cases also by high government
officials and brings the retort that those
who make such statements are not
good Cubans.
Despite all these drawbacks, how
ever, the fact that peace proposals are
pending and that hostflities have been
suspended has brought hopefulness to
the people of Havana.
Liberals Say They Want Peace.
The Liberal leaders insist that it is
unjust to regard them as insurgents
and assert that they are merely seek
ing for peace, at the same time assert
ing that not only must the terms of
peace be better than hitherto talked of,
but that there must be an unquestion-
able guarantee that the conditions will
be carried out to the letter. The Lib
erals have not relinquished the hope
that they may be able to force the res
ignation of President Palma and all
the high government officials. The sue
cession of Vice President Mendez Ca
pote to the vice presidency is dis
cussed Liberals seem to think they
could reach an understanding with him
that would be satisfactory to all. There
is nothing to indicate in any of the re-
cent developments that Mendez Capote
is party to this project.
The suspension of hostilities by Gen
eral Guzman, the insurgent leader, in
the province of Santa Clara probably
averted severe engagement, as the
insurgent forces under General Guz-
man and the government troops under
Colonel Vale had approached close to
each other.
A detachment of fifty government
troops from Cienfuegos encountered a
band of General Guzman's insurgents
near Camarones. In the fight which
ensued the government force was rout-
ed, many being killed. The insurgents
did not know of the armistice.