The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16
NO TRUCE With CUBAN REBELS
Palma VILLA TAKE No STEPS
UNTIL TAFT ARRIVES. .
LEADER " Inc Insusses;s FaVOrS Making
Another Attempt 10 reach M Agree
n,emt with the Government --latest
Plight Claimed ny the ReDels as . Victory
special Cable Despatch 10 THE SUN.

y
Special Gable Despatch 10 TVS SUN.
HAVANA, Sept. I5.-Prssident Palma and
several Cabinet officers met this afternoon
for the purpose OF considering President
RoOsevslt's letter to Senor Quesada, the
Cuban Minister at Washington. It was
decided 10 take no action towar peace
pending the arrival Of Secretary TAFT and
Acting Secretary Bacon, President ROose-
velt's commissioners. The Government has
not yet made any truce with the rebels.
President Rooeevelt's letter has pleased
many sympsthizers with the revolution. who
see in il hope Of an investigation which
would result In u new election. u Is saId
that the Government officials are disap-
pointed with the letter, and some Liberals
see a direct reference to President Palma
In the part where President Roosevelt says:
that the individual who is responsible for
armed revolution is an enemy OF Cuba.
The u%npopularity OF the Government ID
most manifest. II seems almost TO be m
the atmosphere. though there are oonssr-
vativs outsiders who trust and have al
ways trusted In the good intentions OF
President Palma, exOrsing his weakness by
pointing out that many unworthy persons
have surrounded him on both sides who
are now Accusing each other Of being gangs
Of Rrafters.
Many property owners dread the institu-
ton Of a new government and the i~nstslla-
ton OF men among the Liberals who have
a most unsavory reputation. Much Of the
,uN.n - tha raxrnltffnp IL dina IN tina hnDR
If permanent occupation, az many believe
that the n Institution VI a Liberal government
would result in another row later on aud
that meanwhile confidence and credit in
the republic would suffer.
The declaration by President Roosevelt
that the war must cease has chesred a large
number Of indirectly interested ~OnIookers,
who, while they have no desire for political
jobs, want peace.
The principal obstacle at Present in the
way Of peace negotiations, unless they
shall be forced by the United States, Ia
President Palma's decree OF September TO-,
in which he withdrew his previous decree
Offering amnesty 20 the rebels. II il be-
lieved by Palma and his friends that the
decree OF September 10 must be enforced
and immunity denied to the rebels.
Senator Zayas, president OF the Liberal
party, has written q letter TO La LUcha from
the rebel camp at Govea, Havana province,
in which he says that the Liberals are in
favor Of making another attempt to come
to an agreement with the Government. He
makes a sighting allusiOn 10 the endeaVOrs
Of the Cuban veterans 70 arrange peuce
and implies that the latter acted in bad
faith and beauilcd the revOlutionists while
the Government made preparations and
awaited the arrival of the Americans.
Senator Zayas says the negotiations should
be reopened aud adds that II the United
States Government intervenes it should
only be as a friendly arbitrator. Ia this
way, he says, the United States will assist
Cuba in m%aintairing her liberty
The cruiser 0ss Nome arrived in the
hsrbor here this morning. The auxiliary
cruiser Dixie arrived this afternoon.
IL was reported to-day that the Govern
ment troops under Gen. Rodriguez had de-
featsd the rebels last night in a fight near
Mazorrs, eight miles from Havana. This
ale ked victory IL now claimed by the rebel
leader Arrenoibis as a defeat for the Gov
ernment troops. 1t - said the rebels charged
the Rural Guards, who retrested and some
say fed. leaving three dead on the field.
The Official account Of the fight says Gen.
Rodriguez had 400 men. who defeated 200
rebels and drove them out Of the line Of de-
fences. The loyalists loet one killed and
thirteen wounded and the rebels eight killed
and twenty wounded. The affair is be-
lisved TO have been q victory for the rebels.
A man who Witnessed the effect Of the
fire from a machine gun on the rebels dur
ing the recent attack on an armored train
in Pinar del Rio Gays the insurgents were
terrified by the racket and the effect Of
the fire.. The artillery was handled with
considerable proficiency and had great
effect. This man said that IL machine guns
we're properly handled Havana need have
no fear OF an attack.
Traffic on the Western Railway Is still
held Nd over the entire line, but the rebel
leader teIegraphed the manager of the
road to-day that he would permit him to
have the line repaired provided no troops
were carried over 10
The United Railway is running trains to
santa Clara and Santiago de Cuba. A train
arrived here safe to-day and the usual train
left. tonight for Oriente. Two small sta
tons on the United Railway have been
burned by the rebels, but the damage was
hONuhhAs ~ Oh@tAoJay Ol"ASht HO"ONCi
Is still closed to business.
Col. Clews, an Englisbman who fought
iuithe revolution o! 1895 and is now in COM
maud Of some Government troops who
have been operating in Pinar del Rio, re-
turned here with $50 men tonight. They
came in by a train which left Pinar del Rio
city last night.
Gen. Pine Guerra was at San Diego, about
seventy miles from Havana, last night, and
IL supposed TO he making his way coward
Rincon. He has perhaps 900 men left out of
a force Of 8, 100.
Col. Clews believes the revolt in Pinar
del Rio is over and that there is no danger
to this province. Mr.. Abbott, another
foreigner, who was on the train with Col.
Clews a. il came up from Pinar del Rio,
says all the railroad bridges which had
been destroyed by the rebels had been re-
paired. No rebels were seen. The balance
N Pine Guerra's forces are supposed 10
nave returned to their homes, being afraid
to face the machine guns again. Col.
Avalos il said to have left Pinar del Rio to
search for Guerra.
Col. Clews says that the American land
owners In Pinar del Rio ~sympathizs with
the revolutionists and have magnihed the
.u.so.,anaaa nf fha aff1aNHnn in the hnna