New-York tribune., 1907-12-02
SOLDIERS In CUBA.
TROUBLE IF RECALLED.
4rmy Officer Tells of Unusual Com
diti0ns EGisting There.

IF the American troops are brought home from
Cuba next June, have it stated in press
dispatches that they might be. they Will be back
there before the next June. and in the mean time
many lives will have been sacrificed TO sentt-
rnent." This statement made yesterday to a
Tribune reporter by Of the best known army
officers the service. who spending the day
IL New York City.
Il don't mean, either that Il will be whole
year" he continued, before our boys will he or
tisred back TO Cuba for believe trouble there will
follow rapidly upon the heels of the vanishing
army of pacification- doubt if there IS an ofhcer
in the army who is at ali familiar with the true
state of affairs on the island who does not agree
with me in this matter. The advice of these men
all along has been that nothing short Of murder
Will be the result Of the formal order of recall
..I know positively that a fund has been raised
already by the men back Of the American interests
in the island for in the state OF anarchy that
will reign without the Dlue-coated men Inc Amer
tcan interests there are familiar with what VIII
happer as are the officers who have STUDIED me
situation In the Spanish mind there Is no coh'fp-
ton of the rights of property. and this VIII ieau 10
q state of affairs that viii mean only one tilns-
-a1,ortion and bIoodshed Without our troops the
business interests the isiand-largey AIncrican-
will be at the mercy OF the powers mat oe' i,'
fund I speak OF has been raised SO that "ieh 'iio
s,,,,a+io,, becomes intolerable il can be tsed III
ec,,e. 8 revolution and the placing OF another
crowd of officials II power the men bach % ti'o
scheme hoping by that means TO receive 49,
treatment than Will be accorded them aI III ~
.r,ro a government which they did not ilAAe.
i--o,v this is a startling statement TO MAKE "ut
there are dozen men II ''
UP In It -. = mar, the men
."-he army officers are unit IIISi-' i-',, j.
-bo have been in Cuba and the fillpile
agreeing that well meaning but iilSii,.o - T4
so,,s have succeeded in making cei lam e " -,
otaI. q. ,he government forget some th'iis9 O. ar.
r1indinr them TO a true appreciation ol '''o 0''
,bo+ We army officers know exist ,.,-
.eThere has been too much senuIl'i't g 1,,l
4, ,ba xtbole matter and now as the time iva To- t.
-, =, t,r+ii1, given pledge arrives army oHc1
80 i would be wiser and better for every -
in the future If q frank statement N'+o " = ,..r
thar conditions in Cuba do not warrant i' =
Ill ,,srrant-the complete withdrawal ol o''
+roor,s OF course there would be a storm oA pr
,as+ from, the uniformed but ! tell you ever
officer in the army would heaVe sign Oh rei'sl-
..Ton,t understand me meaning that the army
officers ere afraid of another miX-up III 'uo"'
is not that for fighting is our business ouC IL
this case with the knowledge OF conditions W
have il would be so much more ike murder thaIl
fighting that we cannot help an occasional shud-
der The withdrawal OF our troops means 1huiuet
and fighting before we could get them pacA anu
some lively fighting after that.
.-rbere are about one thousand marines, five
regiments of infantry and some artillery III. Iuoa
now Since the American occupation our men
have gone SO TO speak, into the highways ara
bx-Yavs and studied the Cubans until to-day We
49, chem better than they know themselves.
O,,- men down there now know what to expect
and lust because you DO not hear OF any trouble.
nresent or brewing is sign it is not there pt'
o,,r soldiers with their knowledge are able 10 mp
# IN the bud Take them out anu cisoi "oi a
- - ii, -,,n riot Now they following the
,,-.c,tce Of your once great detective IhoIIaS
I,-nas IN rlayinc one crook against another
"J'he Spanish character is about the inosF pc
cul,sr on record. and you never Know from nay
10 day what the Spanards, and Cubans as we'll
I'm do Rlit the best way is to be on the safe
side and thar is forget sentiment and keep The
soldiers where they are needed