Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-08-14
EVACUATION MAY
nut TAKE PLACE
Bitter Fight for Presidency of the
Island May Possibly Have to be
Suppressed With Firm Hand
and new Government viii
be Short Lived.

''"etoH, aug. lf.-N ME NOl-
ers of the United States are strug-
Cling with campaign issues, a red-hot
campaign VIII be in progress in Cuba
tor the election OF a president.
Balloting wall take place there on
December /, and the candidates elect-
cd will probably be inaugurated in
February next. when the American
troops will be Withdrawn. and the
provisional government under Gov
Charles h. Magoon will be terminated.
Returns from the recent provis onal
and municipal elections held in Cuoa
on August We're both a surprise and
shock TO officials of the state and
war departments. While Gov. Md
COON was ins.i ucted to maintain an
absolutely impartial attitude in mis-
dealings with the contentious Cuban
politicians, there is a feeling that,
from the viewpoint of the Washing
ton government, the success of the
Liberal party would have been more
acceptable.
News of the mayoralty and guber-
| material elections. in which the Con-
servative party scored what is counted
| n substantial victory, goes counter TO
Prediction calculations here, and
has had disquleting effect in that
| I Is thought 1t may make the latter
part of Gov. Magoon administration
| less serene than has been anticipated.
! The possibility of complications aris-
| ing that might necessitate change IN
| the program of evacuation Is found
| somewhat disturbing in the war de-
! partment.
The dispatch from Havana to the
| effect that the Liberals are trying to
arrange a fusion of their two factions.
| headed, respectively, by Alfredo Zay-
as and Jose Miguel Gomez, is thought
to presage a bitter fight for the pres
idency, in the event these two factions
get together to overcome the advant-
| age the Conservatives seem to have
gained
1t is feared by officials who know
the heat OF Cuban politics that il the
Liberal compromise occurs there is q
likelihood of disorders in the coming
campaign which GOV. Magoon would
have TO put down by a trm hand
This, in itself, would make a situation
delicate in the circumstances, with
either side ready to complain of mis-
treatment oy the provisional govern
or.
With the two factions of the LIBERIA
party united on the one hand, anc
the Conservatives encouraged by theil
successes in the recent elections. Gu
ban politics would be divided exactl,
as 1t was at the time of the receu
Intervention, when President Palma
resigned and the United States wa.
compelled to intervene, under the
Platt amendment, in order to preven
"A civil war. The Conservative is the
old Moderate party. which was II
J control of the government severa
years ago, when revolution, aided
by Liberals. developed such strength
That President Palma was obliged L
retire and request the Intervention o.
the American government.
During President Palma's admins
tration there were three principa
political parties, the Moderates, tn,
Nationals and a small Independen
Radical party. Palma declined to af
filiate with either of these organizd
tiOns and endeavored to be impartia
IN the distribution of patronage. Find
Ing that attitude impractical, he tool
the side of the Moderate party, and
with the Nationals and a group o
disaffected Moderates, formed tn
Liberal party.
With the Cuban people dlvlde'
upon practically the same allgnmen
a. they were at the time of the revo
lotion of 1906, government official
here believe the new government q
be established next winter will b.
beset by many dangers and that !
may be short-lived.