The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-04
WHAT GUERRILLA WARFARE Is.
The Cuban Revolutionists Following
Old spanish Methods.
New York Times


One OF the strongest and most graphic
of the celebrated novels upon national
themes written by the great Spanish au-
thor, III. Perez Galdos. is Juan Martin ell
Empecinado." To a thin thread of plot.
1t binds a series of vivid, realistic pictures
OF incidents and scenes in the memorable
year 1911. when Spain was resisting the
Napoleonic invasion, dealing, not with the
movements of armies and the intrigues OF
diplomatists. but with the infinitely more
intense and even ferocious strife OF the
people with the invaders. The author
sounded its keynot when. in the first
chapter, he wrote:
Now, am going to speak OF guerrilla
war, which is the true national war, of
the rising of the people in the fields, of
those spontaneous armies sprilging from
the soil like native plants whose mysteri-
Gus seeds are not sown by the hand of
man. / am going to speak of that mill
tary organization. made by miraculous
instinct, behind the state: of that regul-
lated anarchy. which reproduced primi
tive times."
The following extract. descriptive of
guerrilla warfare in Spain at that time.
may. perhaps. be found pretty accurate
picture of what it is in Cuoa today. the
fact being borne In mind that Spanish
blood-improved-fows in the veins of
the defenders of Cuba Libre," and their
methods OF combat are those sanctioned
by the traditions of their race.
THE acumen OF great military cap
tains is wont to be compared to the sight
OF the eagle, who, soaring in full sun
light TO an immense height, sees n thou
sand secrets hidden from The common
gaze The penetration of guerrilla chiefs
may be compared 10 the vigilant noctur-
nal amhuscade or those fierce. carnivor-
Gus birds. that from the roofs, The spires,
towers ruins and forests. watch the
needless and tranquil victim In order TO
fall upon it
"In guerrilla warfare there are no true
hattles-that is to say, there are not those
duels, foreseen and deliberate. between
armies in which each seeks the other in
encounter. select their ground and.fight
together. The combats Of the guerrillas
are surprises. and in order that there
shall he a collision. ii is necessary that
one OF the two parties is ignorant of the
proximity Of the other. The first quality
OF the guerriilas. even more important
than valor. is a good gait, because nearly
always they win their victories while run
ming The guerrillas do not retire; they
fly. and fight is not shameful for them.
The base of their strategy is the art or
uniting and dispensing themselves. They
c0ndense together TO fall like the rain.
and scatter 70 escape pursuit, in such
manner that the efforts of the army
which proposes 10 eyterminate them are
futile, because they cannot contend with
clouds The nrincinai arm OF the guer-
rilla is not the biunderbuss or the rife.
il Is the earth: yes, the earth: becauee.
owing to the facility and marvellous eff
cheney with which the. guerrilla moves, IL
appears to modify itself at Zach step.
lending itself TO their maneuvers.
Figure TO yourself that tho coil arms
itself for seIf-6efense against the in
vasjon that the hills, the rivulets, the
rocks. the defiles. the mOrasses, he cav
errs are mortifeTous machines that take
conscious part IN the encounter with the
regular troop. and erect themselves.
sink roll and fan upon. f1atten, sub
merge. suGocate. separate. and destroy
them. Those mountains that lowered
yonder and now appear here; those ra-
vines. which multiply their wi1fugs:
those inaccessible peaks that discharge
bullets; those thousand little rivers.
which their right banks being conquer
ed. turn and reveal upon their left banks
inuurnerable foes; those heights. upon
one side 81 which the guerrillas having
been DESTROYED. then offer the other side,
unon which tho guerrillas destroy tho
army marching by: this and solely this IS
partisan warfare; i is tic land in arms.
the territory. the geography, moving tt
self in fight
..-rhe populace Of spain offers three
types-the guerrilla. the smuCCler and
the highway robher. Their aspect is the
same. only In the moral sense IS the dlf-
ference between them. Anv OF these types
can he one or the other two without any
external variation. according as "a rrJin
OF moral sense. more or less. Salls in TIE
conscience. The hands Of rsrtisans that
form So easily in Spain may Re cor
surrmately good or execrahlv had Should
we giovIfy this special ATTITUDE of Span
larss for constituting themselves armed
bodies ana opposing cfficact0us resistance
10 regular armies Are tho benefits Of
one dav such that they can make as for
get the calarnities % another day2 This
do not saw. ard. least OF all, In this
book. where I propose 70 eXtol the eE-
pl0lts II a notable guerrilla chief. whose
conduct was always moved by noble i'm
pulses. WHO was disinterested, generous.
loyal and had no moral relationship with
the factions or srauEglers, or Tuftiaus.
and whose purpose was very laudable-
beinE the cleaning Of Spain from the
French
-The VAR o. Independence was the
great school Of the Spa nisn populace. be-
cause in IL they were given thu highest
training in the art. 70 others 4ncomrre-
hensib4e. az iapTov1sing armies and DOM
mating. for more or less time, a terri