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Show I CUBANS 3IADE HAPPY ASSURED THAT THEY WILL DE CRANTED INDEPENDENCE. At a Iiunqunt Given in Honor of General ionicz, the American Officers Kxplalu to the People Tlielr Mission Mis-sion to Cuba. Havana, Feb. 28. The banquet at the facon theater Saturday evening proved a brilliant success. Cubans generally regard the occurrences at tha faction as the most promising auguires of Cuban independence since the peace protocol was signed. The theater was crowded to overflowing with spectators and more than 200 covers were laid for the banqueters. Besides Governor General Brooke and General Lee the company included Major Ma-jor General Ludlow, General Chaffee the governor general's chief of staff, the stall's of Generals Lee and Ludlow and other army and navy officers, together to-gether with many prominent citizens and Havana officials. General Andrade sat on the right of General Gomez, and Mayor Coste on his left. The boxes were filled with people representing Havana's best society. Among the SDeakers were Senor Pedro Pe-dro Lorento, Colonel Carlos Garcia, Cualbeerto Gomez and Dr. Lanuza, secretary sec-retary of the department of justice. The tendency of all speeches was toward to-ward independence for Cuba, with eulogy of General Gomez and assertions asser-tions that he must neyer more leave the island. The spectators called vociferously for a speech from Major General Lee. His remarks and those of General Brooke were translated for the benefit of the assembly by Senor Pablo Devernines-secretary Devernines-secretary of the department of finance. Both the American generals repeated former statements of the military administration, ad-ministration, chiefly along the line of assurance that the United States intended in-tended to establish a stable government in the island and then to deliver it to the Cubans themselves. The assurances were vociferously applauded. Colonel Garcia explained the disinterest disin-terest in the position of American military mil-itary officers in Cuba. General Gomez himself did not speak, owing to the hoarseness from which he is suffering. |