Evening star., 1933-09-12
CUBAN ARMY SIGNS
TRUCE ON SHOOTING
Troops and Deposed Officers
Agree Not to Clash With
Firearms in Crisis.
BY COL. FREDERICK PALMER.

BY COL. FREDERICK PALMER.
BY Radio to The Star
HAVANA, September IL (NAN.A0.-
To the variety of its recent political
experience, Havana has added that of
q truce. The understanding Is that
neither the army officers, who are
virtual prisoners at the Hotel National,
nor the army Of the present govern
ment. which is commanded by former
sergeants, should start any shooting.
Not that it was thought they might
but it is we'll to have the reinsurance.
Former sergeant, now colonel, Batista.
said his former SuperiorS were free to
leave the hotel and move about the
streets, but his soldiers are still taking
the precaution of searching all auto
mobiles entering the hotel grounds, lest
more arms be brought in.
The truce has brought breathing
spell. Ramon Grau San Martin, the
new President of Cuba, has time to
consult in forming his cabinet and to
learn If 1t Is hopeless task to try to
continue in power. He also has time
to solve the problem how to propitiate
the former army officers or to bring
about their evacuation from the Hotel
National without resort to force.
Officers Wait In Line.
The officers insist that their solidarity
remains unbroken, but out at Camp Co.
lumbia, the leading Cuban army bar
racks, when I entered the ante-room OF
the post commander. I met two officers
who said they had received orders from
Batista that they were on the list OF
favored officers whom he proposed to
former rank. They waited their turn in
the midst Of lettering privates to see a
former sergeant, now a captain and
their superior They had no money
and no way of earning living except
in the army, and there was nothing
left for them to do but submit.
The men who are now tasting au-
thority do not appear in mood to give
up captains and lieutenants' bars, with
the accompanying honors and emolu-
ments, to return to sergeants' stripes.
They have a certain contempt for their
former chiefs who had yielded without
trying to face their men down or dying
in their tracks rather than compromise
with the mutiny.
Every day the officers at the Hotel
National seem to lose more Of their ofi-
Ger quality as they stroll about the
corridors hoping for some word in their
favor. They make pitiful reverSiOn from
military deflniteness and dignity to lust
an idle and helpless gathering Every
rumor that they may be restored to
their constitutional rights cheers them.
They took heart at the rumor that the
soldiers garrisoning the fortress want
them back.
use Your Own Judgment"
Their appeal to Col T. N Gimperling,
American military attache, to help them
is met with the colonel's invariable,
Use your own judgment" Their pres
ence and determination to stick it out
are only two of the many very ponder
able factors President Grau San Martin
faces. Former President Menocal, lead
er of the Conservative party and the
right wing Of the A. B. c.. has refused
his support. Col. Carlos Mendieta. pow
erful leader of the old revolutionary
school and a prominent candidate for
the presidency, has not been won over
at last accounts
On the other hand, Grau San Martin
was not able to satisfy the extreme
radicals Sergio Carlo. Socialist mem
ber of the late junta and extremely
anti-American, who did not accept a
place in the new cabinet. Is now being
disowned by the radical labor following
as having betrayed its program, which
many thought included free food and
clothing
While every faction publicly protests
against any suggestion of American
mediation, each faction thinks that If
it only had tacit American support 1t
could effectively rule. The sight Of the
battleship Mississippi riding at anchor
is a powerful moral factor in achieving
the purpose Of her presence. by pre-
venting the necessity Of the United
States even needing to land troops to
preserve order.
American Support Vital.
Against the uncertain efficiency and
loyalty of the army under Batista is
set the fact that so large are the per-
sonal followings of Menocal and Men
dieta that either could probably estab-
lish himself in the Presidential Palace
If the forces of the two did not clash
while numerous armed civilians of the
A. B. c. joined In the fray and the
various student organizations. also
armed. began shooting from the side
lines.
BuC IL is the reallZaClOu CnAI AmeI- -
ican support and recognition are essen
tial to the survival of any government
whether Grau San Martins or a COM
promise successor, which is being much
talked of at present.
The new cabinet officers are too busy
trying to solve political problems to
have any time to look after govern
mental affairs as yet. Cuba may have
enough ability to create an efficient and
stable government. but SO long has its
initiative been suppressed under Ma
chado, that it is hard to organize 1t
into thought, action and team play.
Meanwhile the economic situation
daily grows worse. A woman told me
she was able to excuse herself because
she was an American when a Com
munist leader called on her to say he
heard she had paid her electric light
bill. Naturally. under threats as
penalty for paying, consumers are not
paying either their electric light or
telephone bills.
Copyright, 1893. bv North American News
paper Alliance, 1nc.)