The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-04-01
CUBA FREE TODAY,
APRIL FOOL JOKE
Last of American Troops
Withdrawn, But Expect
ed to Be Needed Again.
Continued from First Page.)

BARREN. with the Fifth Infantry: CANA
guey, the railroad center of the island,
half way from Havana to Santiago,
with the Seventeenth Infantry and the
headquarters Of Colonel Van Orsdel;
Cardenas, with part OF the Fifth In
fantry and headquarters of Colonel
Cowles; CieSorde Avis, in the heart Of
the island, close to the old Spanish
trocha between the provinces Of Santa
Clara and Matanzas. where a battalion
of the Seventeenth Infantry was posted
in probably the most important strategic
spot on the island; Clenfuegos. where
part Of the Fifteenth Cavalry main
tanned the headquarters OF Colonel
Chase; Guanajay, with part of the
Twenty-eighth Infantry; Guinez. Twen-
ty-seventh Infantry and Marines; HOi-
gum. where important mines are TO-
Gated, which required to he watched.
and were guarded by the Eleventh In
fantry and marines; Manzanillo on the
South coast, with a detachment oY
marines; Matanzas, headquarters of the
Twenty-eighth Infantry and Colonel
Sweet; BuevitaE, on the north coast,
with marines: Pinar del Rio. in the rich
tobacco country at the extreme west
end OF the island, with marines; San
tiaSo headquarters of the Eleventh In
fantry; and Trinidad. with marines. In
ali. thirty-two posts were established.
Srom which complete surveillance of the
island was maintained.
The army of occupation literally never
did a thing. II didn't need 10 pull d
trigger or polish \ button. The rebel
| Hon was asphyxiated before the SOL
oiers had been distributed. II couldn't
| be found in a fortnight after the troops
had landed.
Magoon Made Governor.
/ Secretary Taft acted as governor for
/ a short time, and turned the admins
tration over to Charles l. Magoon. who
/ was sent out for the work He took
! charge October Il. 1906.
/ Gen Frederick Funston wa IN COM
mand at the time of the occupation
/ FTs was relieved soon afterward. and it
/ looked Ike hard luck for Funston.
whose instinct for getting in tho spot
/ light is a proverb i'm the army. But
/ Funston struggled nicely through his
/ misfortune; he was sent TO San Fran
/ cisco. in time to be on the Job fer the
! earthquake and got some new glory
out of handling the situation there,
/ Gen. ]. Franklin Bell went TO the
island with Governor Magoon; and then
1 IN December following, Gen Theodore
/ j. Whit took command He left. a very
sick man. in March, 1907. and has since
died. Gen. Thomas H Barry succeeded
Dllll. anu renamed Llll the END o. the
| occupation. The hauling down Of his
! Headquarters flag today will be the sig
nal that the last vestige of American
military power IS removed from the
island.
Instruction Melted Away
From the day it was apparent The
United States meant business. the
trouble was over The bands of iusur
rectos melted away, the malcontent!
returning TO their homes. Assured o.
; | stability that 1t couldn't provide fol
! itself, Cuba got busy prospecting as i
! has never prOspered before. II wanteC
2 to have its elections, and the governor
authorized municipal pollings in No
vemher and presidential election in De
cenber. 1893. Everywhere the liberal
Z won. Gomez was chosen president b,
a big majority, and HayaS, who is dc
2 scribed as one of the ablest men il
the party. rs vice president
) The new government was duly In
American troops began in January Jus
past. A troop or battalion or fey
/ companies came home on every trans
r port after that; and finally, with every
: / thing going smoothly. April l was fXe,
| as the date for the last American sol
dieTs 10 leave. with the headquarter
and General Barry.
New Outbreak Comes.
: A fortnight ago there was nutteriu
OF a new outbreak which causes
trouble; but It was only momentum
? The American flag still few over In
e | headquarters Of General Barry. and s
long as it should be there a real bus
! insurrection was not going to be start
Y ed. Now that the last soldiers are OF
of the island, the question simply !
/ how soon the old conservative party o
Palma, which really represents the Gle
% / ments DESTROYS OF annexation 70 IN
United States. will make common cauS
a | with the disaffected elements II IN
| liberal party, start a new revolution
/ and force another Intervention.
, One thing can be set down as certain
= When rhe Stars and Stripes again fioa
over Moro. they will float for all IN
, / centuries that they remain over tn
I, Capitol at Washington. Every body
= agreed 20 this. That they win go theT
again before long IS also generally al
ceDted The solid, business, cOnservs
D. tive interests of the Island are general
J. " considered 70 favor annexation.