File No. 837.00/502.
The American Chargé d’Affaires to the Secretary of State.
Sir: I have the honor to report that during the past month various associations of Cuban veterans of the wars for independence have been carrying on a systematic campaign to create popular feeling against the “guerrilleros”—Cubans who bore arms for the Spanish cause—who are now in public office, and to force the national and local authorities to remove them from the public service. The veterans themselves disclaim any desire on their part to monopolize the public offices.
On the 21st ultimo, after a largely attended meeting at the National Theater, a committee of veterans headed by General Loynaz del Castillo and others called upon President Gómez at the Palace to inform him regarding a resolution which had been adopted at that meeting demanding the dismissal from public office of all “guerrilleros” before the 27th of this month. In a fiery speech General Loynaz del Castillo informed the President that if their demands were not complied with “the veterans would know their duty.” The President replied in a few dignified but emphatic words to the effect that while in thorough sympathy with his fellow-veterans his duty under the Constitution was to Cuba as a whole and that he was not to be intimidated by threats of any sort.
A demand has also been made upon practically all provincial governors and alcaldes throughout the island for the dismissal of “guerrilleros” in provincial and municipal employ. The invariable answer has been that the employees against whom this demand is directed are protected by the provisions of the civil service law. In view of this obstacle arrangements have now been made to introduce in Congress a bill providing that any person who has borne arms against the Cuban cause should be ineligible for office under the civil service.
The agitation has recently become so acute as to cause general apprehension. The fears of the Government that serious trouble might result from this agitation induced Señor Sanguily, Secretary of State, to visit, last night, the headquarters in this city of the Veterans’ Association.1 He called upon the large gathering of veterans, who awaited him, to make some reassuring declaration which would tend to allay public apprehension; harangued them at some length on the necessity for orderly procedure, and painted in glowing colors the horrors of possible civil war or another American intervention. The veterans present were not responsive to this appeal; [Page 237] and, after some three hours of futile discussion, Señor Sanguily left the meeting without having achieved his object.
The subject is being widely discussed in all its aspects by the press and people—the more substantial elements appearing to approve the attitude of the Government—but it is impossible to foresee the outcome of the present agitation.
I have [etc.]
- Asociación de Veteranos de la Independencia.↩