The Washington herald., 1912-06-23
THE EPEOPLE'S FORUM
THE CUBAN REBELLION.
Letter from . Former Amerienp
Sergeant.

Sergeant.
To the Editor: I notice IN the Ha-
vana newspapers that lot Of colored
ministers in Washington propose calling
mass meeting with the object Of np-
proving and encouraging the negroes IN
Cuba TO continue in rebellion.
Those preachers mean well. but they
can DO the Cuban negro more good by
using what money they win spend In
consequence Of those meetings By paying
the expenses OF a couple Of good honest
] colored men like Booker T. washington
to come quietly 70 Cuba and hear what
all Of the real leaders OF the race and
every man that held any rank OF tmpor-
tance during the war OF Independence
think Of IT, They all not only condemn
this revolt. but have offered their serv-
ices TO the government to hght those
negroes that have done 80 much harm
to the race IN 90 little time
The colored men In Cuba have attained
a standing higher than that OF any other
negroes in the world. ! have observed
with delight the negro and white side
| by side In the evolutions Of their national
life. Cabinet ofIicers, army ofieers OF
All GRADES. customs ofiicials, mayors Of
cities, city eouncilmen, besides the minor
places. Wherever there is government
money paid out they got their share
With good measure. I am not referring
to the government jobs alone. II seems
to me that these Cubans are bound to-
gether by ties unusually close. have
lived fourteen years In Cuba and have had
dealings with all classes Of the people.
and ! never could believe that things
could be as they are to-day.
This revolution IL not an uprising OF
negroes against the whites. Only two
days ago Gen. MenocaI. the next Presi-
dent OF Cuba, telegraphed 20 Cen Raoi
and two other negro generals 10 meet
him and discuss plans to end the reoeilon-
They have each one offered their serV-
ices to the President TO put down the re-
volt. Gen. Menocal has at the moment
over Loo men In the three mills that he
manages, all waiting his orders, and near
Iy one-half Of them negroes, by the way.
Gen. Menocai counts among some OF his
best friends those negro generals who
fought with him in Cuba for its indepen-
dence. I have seen Menocal and several
Of the leading white men Of Cuba sitting
At table eating with other generals and
persons Of color, and no one ever criti-
cised them so far as I could see.
1 am an old soldier Of the American
army; have been here in Cuba since our
war with Spain. When Gen Wood was
me as drill master OF a company or
Cuban soldiers almost equally divided as
TO color; me, q colored man, in charge
count among the army officers OF to-
day. They are always glad TO see me.
No one ever thought to criticise Gen
Wood for putting a negro TO drill whites.
| On the other hand, wherever you hear
the name Of Gen. Wood mentioned by
Cubans II 10 with the utmost respect and
4 ~ ~ a.
volt. II the American people want 20
know the real cause OF their suicidal act
I will tell them. EstenoZ, In the nrst
place, never was q representative negro.
He is said TO be a master builder on
a small scale
He has not a professional education,
consequently he could not i'll any Of the
Cabinet ofices II any President should
have felt like insulting all those honor
able patriotic negro leaders by onering
him such He fought in the war OF In
ldependence, and that's the only good thing
he has done in all his life for his race.
He Is sore because he could not be elect
ed or appointed to some fat once. in
his own ward, which is Overwhelmingly
negro, they wouldn't elect him, and 10
Nreak vengeance on his brother politicians
he seeks to bring another Intervention.
But you can rest assured that no mat
/ ter what the ColOT OF lue olnCeE tioA
captures him, he will never be brought
in alive He and his assistant, 1vonnet.
are not in a war. They are only running
| from the troops destroying property OF
| foreigners ands stealing what they can
llay their hands on. But TO give them q
square deal. to tell the truth, they have
not committed any outrages on white
women as reported. The Americans need
not fear. il Is not as bad as reported.
There will be no race war because all
the best white people will not permit the
worst white people to impose on inno-
| cent negroes, and all decent negroes are
against this outrage that EstenOz and
IIvonnet have committed on the race, and
are taking up arms to help the govern
ment. the negroes in the cities going rs
] far as to give aid TO the authorities 70
detect those that are in sympathy with
the rebels
| Finally. as a small notice to the Amer.
lean people, believe that the Americans
| II they tried to intervene or annex the
island they would md all Cubans united
to oppose them except EStenoZ, Steinhart
| & Co These Cuban colored people don't
want any OF their assistance along that
line. for II their action should have any
effect at all It would only help TO widen
the breach that Is just cracking oper
through the objectionable act OF EstenoL
| JOHN R. THOMAS,
Late First Sergeant. Company X, Eighth Illinois
Volunteers. and Sergeant and Drill Master,
Rural Guards Of Cuba
| Chaparra, Cuba, June L
NIIEsIssIppPs CRyIer Russian.