Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-24
NO SIGNS OF DIRE. WAR
Sea and Sky Smile Near the
Wreck of the Maine.
SHADES OF PEACE IN CUBA
Cafes Crowded With Merry Throngs
Smoking and Drinking.
REBELS WHO SPEAK ENGLISH
More Like Comic Opera to One
Spectator Than Real Revolution
Taft Not Deceived.
REBELS WHO SPEAK ENGLISH
Special Correspondence of The Star.

HAVANA, September 20, 1905
Glistening in the morning sunlight the
Queen of the Antilles appeared to be lolling
In the lap of luxury, peace and prosperity
as the American man-of-war Des Moines.
flying the flag of the Secretary of War en-
tered Havana harbor early this morning
and came to anchor within twenty-five
yards of an ugly, gruesome wreck, the skel-
eton of the battleship Maine. F1apping
lazily In the sea breeze the single-starred
Cuban flag floated from the top OF Moro
ish regime which is now prison in where
embryo insurrectos are lodged frequently
without word or warning. Merchant ships
rode at anchor here and there within the
small harbor, whose muddy water was lit
up by hundreds of small craft painted sky
blue, the dusky boatmen smiling greeting to
the 'Americanos." On land and sea Havana
was as free from all signs of revolution as
New York. When the little steam launch of
the Des Moines steamed swiftly down the
harbof around her sister ship Denver. an
chored just off the captain of the ports
wharf, with Secretary Taft and the other
members of his mission, the casual onlooker
might well have imagined that the Secre-
tary of War was come friendly visit Of
pleasure. and as the crowds followed him to
the palace. where the mission repaired imme-
Giately to make its respects to the presi-
cent. the evident smiles of satisfaction
which lit up the faces of the populace APP
parently indicated a determination to make
gala occasion OF the visit. A neatly uni
formed guard of policemen presented arms
at the palace gate as the mission passed
within and the crowd gathered in the plaza
outside much as when a foreign visitor of
distinction is making his respects at the
White House in Washington and the peo-
pie stand about in Lafayette Square to get
glimpse of him as he comes out:
The crowd still follows the automobiles
bearing the mission as it returns to the
Caballeria, where the Secretary boards the
Denver and returns the call of Captain Col
well. From here the automobiles start for
Marianao. the country home of Mr.. Morgan,
the American minister. and passing through
the narrow streets, all of them well paved
and far cleaner than those of many Amer
lean cities. the picturesqueDess of the sur
roundings must have made the American
mission wonder at the serious reports that
have been reaching Washington for two
weeks or more that the island republic was
threatened with destruction by formidable
revolution. The automobiles are compelled
| to move slowly as they penetrate the heart
OF the city on their way to Maranao, and
what do the 'Amercanos" see?
A Pleasure-Loving People
The cafes are filed with happy-go-lucky
crowds. who sit and smoke and drink and
chat. pleasure-loving people to whom
'manana' is time enough and to spare for
the serious things of life Trolley cars
made and owned by Americans encircIe
and cross the city and have already cut
In on the hitherto absolute monopoly Of
transportation enjoyed by the hundreds of
'coches" which continue to ply d paying
business and will take you anywhere within
the limits of the city for twenty cents
Many Of the large business houses show
Spanish signs, many Americans and most
of them are anything but Cuban The Gu
ban likes politics, but not business Follow
the Taft mission through the city, or even
to Mariana, nine miles out. and you will
find no signs of revolution. strange COM
mingling of industry and idleness greets you
on all sides. 1t is all very picturesque, very
attractive. but wthal deceptive.
Within twenty miles Of the city a force
variously estimated at from four to eight
thousand, and further on in Pinar del Rio
many more only awaiting the word
| Of their leaders to march upon Havana and
take 1t probably without firing a Snot Last
night the rebel leader. the head of the lib
eral party Senior Zayas. in the heart of the
city, addressed audience which filled the
Liberal Club to overlooking with his sympa-
thizers, and for hours kept their enthusiasm
at high tide with his bitter words against
Palma and the government and emphatic
declarations that the revolution would pro-
coed with renewed force unless the sine qua
non of the liberals was forthwith granted,
namely. new elections for president and con-
gress. Two days before a reward reaching
into the thousands was offered by the gov
eminent for the capture of this man dead
or anve Since then he has been given safe
conduct by President Palma on condition
| that he will confer with Secretary Taft In
the effort to bring about peace. He was
received at the palace yesterday afternoon
| by one of the cabinet and the two embraced
each other and tears filled their eyes.
Rebel Speaks English Fluently.
At Marianao this afternoon for several
hours this leader Of the rebels, a senator,
who speaks English as well as an American
and is an effective orator, a well-euucated,
cultured man, conferred with Secretary
| Taft, to whom he presented the case OF the
! insurrectos. In substance it Is demand
| for new elections. They claim that in order
to continue itself in power the Palma gov
eminent used the rural guards and the po-
| Iicemen to keep the liberals away from the
| polls and that the whole election is. there
fore, illegal. If the negotiations were to fail
| this is the rock on which they would be
| shattered
To the onlooker the Whole affair, revolu-
| ton, negotiations and all, is more like
| comic opera than chapter from real life.
! But Secretary Taft is not the man to be
deceived by first appearances. He realizes
| that all of this is on the surface. After
! comforting throughout the afternoon with
I representatives Of both sides he made the
significant remark:
! TT looks as If shall be here much long
| er than l had expected. This conclusion
was reached after he had seen the weakness
| of the Palma government, the pathetic
| nervousness. anxiety and WEAKNESS of the
aged President Palma, and the vigor and
| empha tic attitude of the liberal leader Senior
| Zayas.
Havana itself is hotbed of liberal SYM
| pathizers. The Americans you meet are for
| annexation, Spanards are, of course
| against the Cubans and those of the latter
| who are out of power are against the gov
| eminent because they desire to hold public
| office On every side Secretary Taft is re-
! garded by each faction as the panacea in
| this crisis. Each faction is convinced that
| IT. it's leader can get a hearing he will have
no difficulty in convincing Mr.. TAFT of the
| Justice of his cause Representatives of
the government and revolutionary factions
| who conferred with the Secretary today re-
turned to their clubs to assure their SYM
| pathizers that "Senor Taft is on our side"
Bluejackets Saved Havana From
Rebels.
| Twenty-four hours in this ancient city is
scarcely time enough to get a bird's-eye
! view of the conditions within. On one thing
! factions appear to be agreed. namely. that
| Havana would surely have been taken by
| the last week but for the
Il