Evening star., 1933-09-20
Grau San Martin, Mean
while, Prepares to Keep
Post ( --ainst Rivals.
POLICE FORCE AT MORON
JAILED BY MILITARY UNIT
Government Orders Eight-Hour DAY.
to Appease Labcr-Malaria
Spreads Over Island.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
HAVANA, September 20.-A motley
crew of soldiers, students and workmen
tracked the rebellious Juan Bias Her
nandez in the rugged Camaguey Hills
today while at home the scenes were
set for another political skirmish.
Bias Hernandez, a doughty CAM
paigner against Gerardo Machado, was
reported sorae place near Las Cuevas,
in Camaguey Province, with force Of
500 men, all as firm as he in the con-
viction that President Ramon Grau San
Martin should resign.
On their trail were 600 soldiers, COM
manded by Sergt. Mazorra and armed
with IL machine guns, and a group Of
students and laborers.
Many Rumors Heard.
There were many rumors about the
movement. One was that the troopers
surrounded the rebels near the small
town OF Zayas. Another said soldiers
and rebels exchanged shots near Tama.
rindo. But friends Of the Cuban SAM
dino" agreed that he will not surrender,
guey Province town which the Her
nandez force occupied before pushing
on into the hills. the police force was
disarmed by soldiers and imprisoned as
Stanch supporters Of the rebel leader.
Bias Hernandez, a romantic char
acter of the hills, haraSsed and evaded
former President Machado for Two
years, and army men here believed I
would take an excellent army to Sud
round his band.
On the Havana front a less dramat.4
but no less important episode was being
enacted in what the executive described
before 5000 hearers as "a duel to the
DEATH" in which he and his followers
were sworn to maintain the free coun-
try OF which our fathers dreamed"
President Won't Quit.
Grau San Martin had not answered
demands of his leading opponents that
he step down, but there were indica-
tions that he would continue to defy
them.
He said his resignation was in the
hands of his supporting factions and
that he would abide by their decision.
The Student Directory, his main
civilian prop. was in permanent session
to study the matter. and although
IL,
reliably learned they would not agree
to his resignation
1T is not possible, after all we have
done, after all we have suffered, to re-
treat" the scholarly President pro-
claimed from the balcony of the palace
Widespread outbreaks Of malaria were
added today to Cuba's burden of suf-
fering. Many towns in the island re-
ported numerous cases of the disease,
and conditions were especially bad at
Cienfuegos.
Eight Hour Day Ordered.
There were unconfrmed rumors Of
revolutionary activities or preparations
in Santa Clara and Oriente Provinces,
which, with Camaguey, form the east
ern half of Cuba.
Plagued by strikes, which have put
much Of the Cuban interior in fer
ment of unrest, the government played
its ace card to settle labor troubles by
decreeing the eight-hour working cay
obligatory on all employers. effective 80
days hence
At iron mines, near Santiago 1000
employees were on strike and no one
was permitted to enter or leave the
property. A number of Americans were
reported virtual prisoners, with food
supplies running short. In Oriente
Province is sugar mills were said to
be In the hands of workers Disturb
ances occurred in several places.
The general staff reported that Capt.
Bias and his 500 followers had been
surrounded. but this report was not
confirmed from any other source. Ru-
mors that a battle had occurred were
officially denied.
Called Open Civil War.
I'VE are in open civil war" said Ell
Mundo, prominent Havana newspaper.
Efforts to combat the outbreaks Of
malaria we're carried on against diff
culties in some places. Thus at Nueva
Corona. on the Isle of Pines, druggists
refused to furnish sanitation officials
with further supplies because the au-
thorities have not paid their bills.
News reached Havana that 400 work.
ers besieged the Soledad sugar mill
near Cienfuegos yesterday. Rural guards
prevented any violence, and when the
American officials of the mill supplied
the workers with food they withdrew,
but they declared that unless their de-
mands covering working conditions were
met they would seize the mill.
II also was reported that workers at
the Tacajo mill in Oriente Province
chased of soldiers on guard there, leav-
ing the Cuban officials Of the mill with
out any defense.