Evening star., 1923-09-21
SEIZE CUBAN VETS
ON SED|T|ON CHARGE
Gen. Carlos Garcia-VeIez
Head of Organization,
Has Disappeared.

By the Associated Press.
HAVANA, September 21.-Charges
lof sedition were made yesterday
against a number of the leaders of
the Veterans and Patriots Associa-
tion, but before any of them were ar
rested, Gen. Carlos Garcia-Velez, the
president, and two other officers of
the organization had disappeared,
leaving word that meetings of the as
sociation had been suspended until
further notice.
Half a dozen of those who were ar
rested later and released on their
own recognizance appeared in court
i'm the afternoon, but on being in
formed that the judge had not been
notified, drew up a statement declar-
ing they had answered the summons
Change of Policy Unexplained.
Reports are current that similar
arrests had been made in Oriente and
Camaguey provinces, but the reasons
for the governments change of pol
icy. which hitherto had been to per-
NIT daily meetings of the organiza-
t1on, were not publicly explained The
Veterans and Patriots Association
1y afterward sent President Zayas a
petition making numerous demands
and charging fraud and corruption in
his administration. The demands in
cluded abolition of the national lot
terry, breaking up of alleged graft
among government officials, woman
suffrage and various reforms in the
administration. The pending Tarafa
bill, which would establish national
ports and consolidate Cuban railroads,
was also denounced.
Talk of Revolution.
President Zayas replied by saying
most of the demands were matters
for congress to act upon and asked
for specific charges.
Many speakers at the daily meet
ings of the association in Havana
have talked of the possibilities of
revolution if their aims were not at
tanned, and while the official bulletins
OF the association generally were of
moderate tone. Gen. Garcia-Velez sew
eral times openly declared he might
not be able" to hold the organiza-
tton's members in check if they con-
tinued to be Haunted by the presi-
dent"
That the leaders of the movement
knew something of the governments
intentions in advance is indicated by
notice that appeared in one of the
Havana papers shortly before the ar
rests We're made. 1t read:
of the assembly of the veterans and
patroits are hereby suspended. its
members to await resolutions of the
executive committee.
For liberty and country"
1t bore Gen. Garcia VeleZ's name as
president. and was dated somewhere
In the country of Cuba, September 20,
1928"
Others Face Charges.
Besides Gen. Garcia-Velez, who is
Cuban minister to Great Britain, a
veteran of the Cuban war of independ-
ence and a son of Gen. Garcia, to
whom Lieut.. Rowan of the American
Army carried the famous message. a
number of other men prominent in
Cuban life are among those charged
with sedition. Col. Manuel Despaigne,
treasurer of the Frank Robins Com
pany, one of the largest American con-
Germs in Havana: DIR. Oscar Soto a
lawyer, and Gen. Garcia-Yelez were the
three who could not be found Until
last spring Col. Despaigne was secre-
tary of the treasury i'm President
Iayas' cabinet. He is treasurer of the
association. while DIR. Soto is its gem
eral secretary.
Planters Head Arrested
Among those arrested was AIeio
Carreno. president of the Planters
and Millmen's Association. Gen.