The Guthrie Daily Leader

Big Naval Review
Washington. Aug. 15-Major General Fitzhugh Lee, in command of the Seventh army corps at Jacksonville, was in conference today with the president and the war department. He came here on a special telegraphic summons from Secretary Alger and it was with the latter he conferred for an hour with the president. It is generally expected that General Lee will head the military commission which will adjust affairs in Cuba, and also he has been strongly urged for the governorship of that island after the functions of the commission cease. On both of these points, however, General Lee asserts he knows nothing. He admitted, however, that he had been talking over the matters in Cuba generally.
Then he added: 'The first work which will have to be done in Cuba will be to make arrangement by which all the municipal machinery can be put in operation in all the towns and governmental machinery throughout the island. There will have to be a military control, I suppose, until such a time as the people interested can organize and put into operation a government which should be stable and strong enough to impartially protect the interests of Spaniards, Americans, Cubans and the people of all other nationalities now on the island or who may hereafter go there.'
'Is there a probability of Spanish interests suffering through the Cubans?'
'The Spanish property holders, merchants and all other classes of Spaniards naturally would unite with all the rest of the conservative inhabitants for the preservation of the interests of all the citizens and I think they will help the natives and the Americans to maintain a strong, safe government. This would be natural, because no class of people would be more interested than they are in maintaining property and all other rights. The most difficult problem to solve is the first organization of a preliminary form of government, as later the island will be very rapidly Americanized and all such questions will take care of themselves. As to the probability of the Cubans attaining a stable government, I suppose that as soon as possible a proclamation will be issued setting apart a date for the holding of a general election for a chief executive of the island and for a legislative body to which all matters affecting the future of the island will be referred. This executive body probably will adopt a constitution and make the proper laws to put into operation the political form of government. As to the army of occupation which will be necessary to maintain our position with respect to Cuba, 50,000 men will be ample to garrison the whole island. Of this number possibly 25,000 would be stationed in and about Havana. Matanzas would be the next important point for a garrison; other points should be regulated by the possibilities of disorder that might take place there, and the number of troops at the various points will naturally be governed by circumstances.
Properly directed Cuba will have a great commercial future. Its unbounded and great resources will be very rapidly developed by American push, vigor and capital.'
General Lee says he has no plans beyond going back to Jacksonville to resume command of the Seventh army corps. He will leave for that point on Wednesday.