Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-21
HERNANDEZ ADOPTS
IRON HAND TO BAR
CUBAN VOTEFRAUD
Strong Man of Island Deter
mined to Block Fraudu-
lent Voting.
ny GEORGE c. BRIGGS.

by Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
Copyright. 1870.
HAVANA, Cuba, October Eff this
election brings a revolution in Cuba. it
| will be the last There will be no more
revolutioniStS. / will send them home
in boxes"
The man who made this grim prediC-
| ton is at once the most powerful and
the most feared public figure in the
island republic. He is Charles Herman
dez. secretary of government and emer-
gency secretary Of the army and navy.
| In that triple role he exercises author
ity corresponding to that Of Secretary
of the Interior Payne. plus that of Sec
rotary Daniels and Of Secretary Baker.
with the effectiveness of one human
dynamo thrown in. Charles Hernandez
is the human dynamo.
In thrty-eight cities and towns
throughout the island, he said. he had
found it necessary to supersede the au-
thority of the mayors and chiefs of po-
lice, virtually placing the communities
under martial law on the eve OF the
national ballotng to forestall plots OF
the opponents of the government to
steal the election.
Supports DIR. Zayas.
Secretary Hernandez is active in sup
port of Dr. Alfredo Zayas, behind whom
the Menocal government has thrown its
strength in the presidential campaign
against Gen. Jose Miguel Gomez The
secretary declared political machines
We're employing the police in many Vi
cious schemes and in widespread IN
timidation to defraud the national party
of votes.
The most common method of the
Gomez partisans to disqualify voters
fraudulently. he explained, was to
trick the voter out of his ''cedula."
or identification certificate, which
must be shown at the polling place
on election day. To get possession
of these cards and thus 1nValidate
the ballots of the national league ad-
herents, said Secretary Hernandez,
the opposition forces had manufac-
tured thousands of uniforms resem-
bling those of the regular army of
Cuba or of the rural guard and men
maSquerading in these uniforms sys-
tematically visited the homes of citi-
zens and contiscated the electoral
certificates.
Imperative to Act.
These injustices and proof that the
police in many cities controlled by
liberal party mayors were par
ticipating in them. the secretary
of government. war and navy eN-
planned, had made it imperative to
exercise Ine powers WHICH the Supiu
law gives him to impose military au-
thority upon communities where he
may decide that the police depart
ment is being misused for political
purposes.
According to Hernandez. the cor
ruption and intimidation which are
being practiced by the henchmen of
the Gomez party, dressed up as SOL
diers. are the same crimes which are
being charged against President
Menocars army in complaints which
have been pouring into the Ameri-
party headquarters.
BoaZ Long. the American minister,
to whom the complaints are made SO
that they may be forwarded to Wash
ington. would not say how many he
had received. nor would he discuss
the probability of a revolution or the
likelihood of American intervention
coming out of the election prelimi-
naries in Cuba He intimated that
the crookedness charged by each side
against the other was about equally
divided.
Extra Precautions Taken.
Extra precautions were being taken
by Secretary Hernandez's forces all
over the island last week to antici-
pate any outbreak that might occur
during the windup of the Gomez fiesta
on Sunday.
Comparatively little shedding of
blood has marked the approach of the
election this fall. One of the latest
encounters took place near the little
town of Gulnes, some forty miles
from Havana. last week. when Col.
Jose de Estrampes, candidate for
congress, was wounded and another
man was killed in a brawl Several
others were hit by bullets or cut by
machetes, but it was not considered
a good fight and experienced Cuban
politicians were rather ashamed to