The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-28
BAT TLESH|PS CD
To CUBA SOON
Government Will Not Permit
Serious Situation TO Get
Beyond Control.
TAFT LEARNED OF CRISIS
WHILE AT GUANTANAMO
Gomez DistruSts Soldiers and
Strips Them of Ammunition:
Fears Assassination.

WASHINGTON. Dee. :7.-lt dsvcl-
orcd today that part of The govern
meut's information regarding thc crit
ical situation in cuba-wbIch II is cE-
rected will call for Intervention this
wiutcr-was brought back by President
Taft himself on his return from Pan
ANA recently
On his way back the president stopped
Mt Guantanamo 10 inspect the site Sc
lectcd by Secretary Meyer for n naval
base TO guard the Panama canal. II
was learned today thai on that occa
sion representatives Of both President
Come and the opposition factions de
scribcd Tho conditions OF the island,
each from their own Viewpoint, In such
detail that the president had person
al confirmation Of reports that have
reached the state depa rtmcnt of the
disrupted and corrupted conditions in
Cuba.
Bctwcou January ] and the entire
American battleship fleet, with one
thousand or moro marines aboard, will
he in Guantanamo waters. 1t was an
nounccd at the navy department today
that the fleet will go direct to Guam.
tanamo from it's European cruise,
Huntington Wilson, assistant score
tary of state. by going over the records
of reports made to that department by
Minister jackson at Havana, confirmed
every feature regarding the conditions
in Cuba as set forth In the dispatches
Of yesterday.
Admits Critical Situation.
''The last communication received
from Mr.. Jackson" said Mr.. Wilson,
"was a week ago. He said then that
there was moro uneasiness than usual,
but that he thought the government
would be able to handle the situation. -
Did Mr.. Jackson report that Pine
Guerra had quit the army and was bit.
tcrly opposed to President Gomez?''
Mr.. Wilson was asked.
eyes, he did said Mr.. Wilson.
"Did Mr.. Jackson report on the
transfer of the arsenal property which
Governor Magoon blocked when he was
administering the affairs of the is
land9''
eyes, Mr.; Jackson reported on all
those facts.'
"Did he also report on the duel be-
tween and death of Moleon and
Figuerral'
lively refused to discuss the Cuban sit
uation at all He said il was a sub
ject on which he could not talk now.
Government by Assassination.
IL developed today that during Sec.
ago he refused to shake hands with
Frank Steiuhart, an American, who has
been more or less of n thorn In the
side of the state department officials
since the first intervention in Cuba. 1t
was at reception given to the secre
tary at Havana.
While Secretary Dickinson refused to
talk on the Cuban situation. An army
officer of high rank and officially ia
miliar with conditions in Cuba, said
today that the present government
of Cuba is a government by assassina-
ton. -
So serious is tho situation there and
so near is the opposition verging on
revolution that President Gomez has
stripped the standing army of all am
munition, This information. on file in
the war department, was received re-
Gently.
Gomez Fears He Will Be Slain.
When General Guerra, head of the
army. was forced TO resign few weeks
ago. President Gomez feared the army
would follow him and be strong factor
in his deposition, which he apprehendcd
was to be attempted. 1t was for this
reason that he relieved the soldiers of
their ammunition and turned it, all over
10 the rural guards, IN organization as
strong as the standing army numeri
callv, and in sympathy with Gomez.
The latest advIres from Cuba received
oday, are that President Gomez is in
deadl" fear of assassination Mt the
hands of his rivals A majority of them
believe that there is scheme on foot
10 retain Gomez rs president despite
frequent declarations OF his intention To
step down at the end Of his present
term.
Evidence of this scheming, il is de
cIarcd is to he found IN the recent un-
attempt TO send General
Guerra, who resigned as head of the
army, out of the country on n foreign
mission. Guerra, a "hero of the revolu-
ton has never made any secret of his
aspirations Had he con-
sentod to take the trip out of the coun.
try, dangerous candidate against the
re- election of Gomez would have been
Gncrra did not go. however. He re-
signed and declared he would fight
Gomez. His refusal TO leave Cuba is
believed by officers of the war depart
ment to presage q revolution. These
which Guerra commanded will desert
Gomez and flock to Guerra s standard,