The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-09-11
MARTIAL LAW IN CUBA
President Palma Suspends Con-
stitutional Guarantees In
Three Provinces.
REBELS PARDoNs REVOKED
Jail Sentences Ordered For All lnsur- :
gents-Leaders of Liberal Party Ar
rested-veterans' Peace Commission
Denounces Action of Government.
Fighting In Suburbs of Havana.

Havana, Sept. 11.-President Palma
has issued decree suspending all con-
stitutional guarantees in the provinces
of Pinar del Rio, Havana and Santa
Clara. The law enforcing public order,
which is equivalent to martial law, al
so is put in immediate effect in the
three provinces named.
The constitutional guarantees which
are suspended by the presidents order
include equal rights under the law,
protection from arbitrary arrest and
Imprisonment, freedom of thought,
speech, writing and publication, free
dom of association aid meeting, free
dom of travel and inviolability of pri-
vate dwellings and private papers lex
scept by orderof a comIAtent authority
and with the formalities prescribed by
the laws''
A supplemental decree has been is
sued suspending the decree of Aug. %
pardoning repentant rebels and order
ing that all rebels be arrested and
Jailed. Both DEGREES have been COM
municated to all officers in the field.
Arrest OF Liberals Ordered
Coineident with the issuance of the
DEGREES, which followed the decision
not to yield to the peace demands of
the Liberals, the government ordered
the arrest of practically every promi-
| nent Liberal. Alfredo Zayas, president
of the Liberal party, and several others
have disappeared. Among the Liberals
arrested are Congressman Villuendas,
Borges and Varona
When the news of the issuance of
these DEGREES reached the veterans
peace commission, which was in ses-
sion at the home of General Menocal,
there was immediate and almost unan-
imous denounciation of President Pal
ma and other members of the govern
ment. Senator Sanguilly, independent,
who was present and who usually is
moderate in his utterances, made an
impassioned speech, in which he de-
clared that there remained for Cubans
but two roads to travel, one of honor
and the other of disgrace. The govern
ment, he said, had refused offers of en-
deavors to settle the difficulty pacific
| ally, and SO nothing was left but to
side with it's opponents.
Veterans May Join Rebels.
General Collazo and other prominent
veterans made similar speeches, and
! General Menocal conceded with the
| views of the other speakers. 1t ap-
pears probable that most of the mem
I,orc of tho uotora r,aaca commission
| will join the insurgents.
The veterans commission passed res
| olutions that 81 efforts looking to
| peace shall be abandoned and eX-
| presses regret that the government
| should take such step at the moment
when hostilities are just giving prom
Use of suspension.
Notwithstanding the numerous crit
! icisms of the government many of the
| Cuban people agree that the course
taken was the only one possible, as ne
| gotiations with its enemies on condi-
| tions involving practical abdication of
| authority were not to be thought of
and the Liberals were not willing to
negotiate on any other basis.
| Prior to the action of the govern
| ment General Menocal and Alfredo
! Zayas reached a definite understanding
as to what the Liberals would demand,
| and the peace commissioners were say
ing that while it was difficult matter
they had hopes of getting together.
Neither General MenOcal nor Senor
Zayas would give the basis of their
reasons for the hope of reaching an
4 understanding, but it is known that
the Liberals had not relinquished their
purpose of having new elections, or at
| least the resignation of President Pal
ma in favor of General Menocal, SEN
! ator Sanguily or some other independ-
ent, though there is a possibility that
they might accept the appointment of
/ some Moderate as president, with the
the Liberals. These extreme claims
/ were expected to be modified after the
first discussion of terms.
Eastern Cuba Insurgent.
/ Havana and Santa Clara provinces
are quiet, but Santiago is reported un-
easy. Americans at Santiago state
that the assertions that an army could
be raised in eastern Cuba to squelch
Guerra is groundless, as the sentiment
of the people there is very largely anti
government, although as yet not bel
ligerent.
Small exchanges of shots with insur-
gent bands are occurring in some
suburbs Of Havana There are many
/ hundreds of insurgents short dis
tance from the city. Since the de-
parture of the machine guns, one of
which had been stationed in front of
the palace, 800 rural guards who were
guarding Guanajay have been brought
to Havana.
General Pine Guerra is concentrating
his forces with a view to strike a
heavy blow. There is no knowledge,
however, Of the general plan of the
offensive operations he may pursue.
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