Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-21

once to the prison. and. after hearing
the statement of Mrs. Rodriguez. went
straight to the office of Gen. Weyler and
| demanded her instant release Weyler
| explained that she had lost her nation
| ality by marrying Spanish subject; that
| she was a spy and had been detected
in sending information to the insurgents
| in the field. Gen. Lee Is said to have
| INDUCED in considerable profa nifty
| which was certainly justifiable. He told
Weyler he was not interested in the de-
| t1tls; 1t made no difference to him what
otfenses she had committed. She was
| an American and woman, and her
| treatment would disgrace a savage ma
ton. He declared that unless she was
released within tWentyfour hours he
would close the consulate and leave the
| island, which, as you understand. would
be a proVocation of war. He told Wey-
| Ter that the American government and
| the American people would sustain him
and would punish Spain as she deserved
for her treatment of an American woman.
Weyler made no reply, but the next
morning Mrs. Rodriguez was released.
| She found a temporary home at Gen.
Lees residence. Mrs. Lee fitted her out
with comfortable clothing, and sent her
to New York on the next steamer
Mr.. AlVord came back here not long
ago to report the present situation, and
Gen. and Mrs. Rodriguez Immediately
called upon him to express their graft
tude. During the call Mrs. Rodriguez
produced a diary she had kept during
her troubles and they discovered that
that very day was the tenth anniversary
of her release from the Casa de Recogi-
daS.
Liberals Favor Standing Army.
The liberal party. l have said, has
no use for the rural guard Its leaders
have a scheme to create a standing army
of 10000 men with a regular military
service of three years for every citizen
upon coming of age. similar to that re-
ulIira5 nd other E,urOpe3n
countries. This, however, will not be
permitted as long the United States
has any authority here, because the pro-
posed army would be dominated entirely
by politicians, and would create a stu
alton similar to that in several of the
South American republics. 1t would make
Cuba military despotism The liberals,
if they obtained control, would appoint
officers of their own selection-their
friends and political supporters-and
thus secure permanent control of the
governments No such army is needed in
Cuba and it would not only be an In
strument of political tyranny. but would
cost something like S3,Ouo.00O year to
meet the payroll alone. Nothing in the
way of a military force is needed eX-
cept mounted police similar to the rural
guard to preserve order in the country,
as the municipal police pre- serve it in the
city, and to protect the plantations and
other property. An army dominated by
politicians is the worst form of tyranny.
Phantom but Costly Militia.
There was a phantom militia force in
Cuba which has proved Il bonanza to local
politicians In anticipat .on of the revolu-
ton in August 1906 the Cuban congress
passed law authorizing the governors of
the several provinces to organize force
of militia to support the federal govern
ment. They enlisted a small force of in
experienced, undiscipiined men partially
armed and equipped and commanded by
local politicians without military training
or experience. They took no part in the
revolution, and Immediately after the pro-
visional government was established We're
disbanded; but the government is still pay
ing them off Every man is entitled to $50
a day for every day of service, which is
paid him upon the certificate of the cap
tain of his company and the colonel of
army at the time its services were needed,
when pay day came it strong enough
in numbers to sustain empire. The
muster rolls were padded with the names
of about half the male population of Cuba
and have been formally certified by the
local politicians of each particular district
in all the provinces The government
has already dsbursed in the neighborhood
of S., 900. coo In this way and only about
half of the alleged militia has been paid
off. The experience with the veterans of
the revolution for independence is being re-
peated. They have already been paid $57,-
00O,0 900 for their services and it is asserted
that it will require $1,000 900 more to settle
the claims.