File No. 837.00/1295
Minister Gonzales to the Secretary of State
Habana, April 6, 1917, midnight.
Your April 4, 5 p.m. On reestablishment order and Federal Government Santiago City provincial council for Oriente Province, which I understand has complete legal authority, ordered elections postponed from February twentieth to be held April ninth. These [Page 395] partial elections cover four municipalities. Conservatives have already small majority in province as decreed by findings of Supreme Court and since that decision liberals have not contemplated carrying province. No interest in election is manifest here.
While I do not understand clearly what Commander of United States Ship Eagle wishes, if Cuban Government gives protection to voters and there is a free ballot to all belonging to districts regardless of affiliations as promised in proclamation those rebels turned bandits seem not to have any grievance.