File No. 837.00/745.
[Untitled]
Habana, June 12, 1912.
The following from the consul at Santiago:
An order dated June 11, 1912, of which the following is a translation, has been issued and will be promulgated this afternoon:
Insurgents in arms who will appear and submit to the lawful authority before 12 p.m. on June 22 will be exempted from punishment and immediately liberated, except the originators or leaders of the rebellion and those guilty of a second offense. The originators and leaders will be exempted from the penalty to which they are liable if they surrender within the same time limit, and will suffer the penalty immediately below, from the lowest to the medium degree. Those guilty of a second offense will be held under the surveillance of the authorities.
From the foregoing it would seem clear that either the Government’s claim of having the rebels surrounded and at its mercy is without foundation or that the President intends to adopt no severe measures against the rebels in order for political purposes to avoid antagonizing them.