Evening star., 1907-05-06
AN ARMY FOR CUBA
Various Plans for Policing the
Island.
GEN. BELLS EXPLANATION
Recommendation of the General staff
Misunderstood.
VOLUNTEERED NO SUGGESTIONS
Confined Itself Solely to Work That
It Was Requested to
Undertake.
GEN. BELLS EXPLANATION
VOLUNTEERED NO SUGGESTIONS

Gen. Bell, chief Of staff, was interviewed
in his Office today on the subject Of an
article which has been going the rounds
Of the press to the effect that the general
staff had recommended the creation of a
regular army for Cuba.
"A misapprehension. more or less wide
spread" said Gen. Bell, has arisen con-
cerning the connection of the general staff
with propositions relating to the increase
OF the rural guard of Cuba, and the later
proposition that instead Of increasing the
.rurau guard an addition of some regiments
of infantry and artillery be made to the
rural guard an addition Of some regiments
cilitate clear comprehension of the facts
It win be necessary to go back a little
"After the outbreak of the recent op-
position to the government in Cuba,
Cuban congress passed an act for the in
crease of the rural guard to 10000 men and
of the artillery to 2.00o. A lot of volunteers
were hastily called together about the same
time, but on the arrival of the American
forces steps were Immediately taken to mus
ter them out of the service and pay them
of. No steps had been taken to execute the
law passed by the Cuban congress mem
toned above, and Secretary Taft, being OF
the opinion that Cuba should have suf11-
cient force to enable its government to
maintain ITSELF directed that steps be taken
with view to carrying out the will Of the
Cuban congress as expressed in the said
act.
Plan of Organization.
"The provisional governor, therefore,
called upon Gen. Rodriguez the commander
of the Cuban forces, for plan Of organiza-
ton of the proposed force. Having received
the plan, and desiring an expert opinion
upon It,, he sent 1t to me with letter re-
questing that have some of the general
staff officers then on duty with me in Cuba
go over the plan with a view to criticising
and perfecting 1t. This was done in con-
ference with Gen. Rodriguez and his assist
ant, MAJ; slocum OF the United states @
provisional governor. 1t should be OBJ
served that the assistance of the general
staff was solicited IN the proposition OF In
the artillery to 2,oOO and 1t devoted its at
tention to this proposition alone. 1t did not
originate the proposition, or do anything
else than that which 1t was requested to
do.
1.-THE plan proposed by the general staff
was forwarded to the Secretary OF War by
the provisional governor, and the Secretary
after careful consideration finally approved
1t and directed Gov. Magoon to proceed
with its execution at such time as seemed
to him expedient.
'Its publication In Havana was imme-
diately followed by a storm OF protest and
criticism, mainly from people who did not
understand 1t and imagined that one fea-
ture of It, which is the same as that exist
ing In statute law in the United States,
instituted the system Of compulsory service
which characterizes European military es-
Establishments. No one ever made or con-
templated such proposition. The clause
objected to was copy Of the United
States law which defines the national
militia, merely asserting that all citizens
between certain ages are liable to military
duty.
Many Propositions.
Many propositions were Immediately
made by Cuban citizens. and the provi-