The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-27

men, ecSn 70 10 NucEc ihSS
Please.
Havana. Dec. ss-Since the arrival here
last night OF Cant Gen. Martinez Campos
'0from Al4tanz3s ne has been In conference
with thG leading military and naval officers.
otlgs nibdlsznItarieS and the leaders 0f thu
3 different political parties. They assembled
Al the @94laCe last night. and in the course
Of a number eg patriotic speeches pledged
their unconditional support 10 the govern
fu$nt in its efforts 10 suppress the insur-
rectiQu, and promised Is 10 everything pos
sibio in the way OF moral and actual assist
ance.
Senor GaIvez. president Of the Autoao-
mist party. during tbs course OF a speech
which was warmly applauded advised tho
cap{ain general not 10 expose himself 10 tha
fire of the insurgents who. the speaker
claimed. made war against the lives and
property Of civilians never making stand
long enough to cause an engagement De-
tween the troops, and adopting all methods
Of savage warfare. Senor GaIvez also stated
4 that, i'm spite OF the supreme efforts made
by the insurgents they had not heard or
toe capture of any town, the mischief or
the enemy being confined 10 small villages
aud the plantations Of the island. lie com
pared the army 0f Gomez and Maceo 10
wandering hordes of Tartars." aed eN-
pressed the opinion that the raid of tho
Cuhans into the province OF Matanzas.
where they had done 80 maIch injury TO
crops would turn cut 70 he the worst Tor
them In the long nun. as the fields, cleared
of standing cane. are now much better
suited for military operations.
News OF recent date seems 10 he inter-
rupted by rail and telegraph and no de-
tails are oAtdinabla concerning the move
ments of the Insurgents. The captain gen.
eral anon his arrival here announced that
In a.
advantageous positions. and that the Gu
bans would be compelled 10 fight pitched
battle in that province or surrender. IL
Is not generally believed however. that
the march OF Gomez and Naceo upon Ha-
vana has really been stopped, and that
they are I'm retreat. In support OF this, II
is said that If Macco ana Gomez We're
retreatIng the government would not be
Slow IN making public every item or news
obtainable concerning this feature -ot the
hithSrto triumphant march of the insurg-
ents from the province OF Puerto Principe
through the province OF Santa Clara aud
the province of Havana. in spite OF tho
numerous columns OF spanish troops in
4he tetritory trayersed. The last news
Cfroni the Spanish columns was that they
were heading for Guanaoana. the head
quarters recently evacuated By Campos.
The fact Is that so many announcements
have been made of the defeat and retreat
OF the insurgents that u VIII require some
thing connrmatory to make anybody here
believe that such is actual fact Nhen
TIE insurgents first entered the province
,ST Santa clara it was announced tnat they
4 had been defeated with great loss. and
had rstreatet across tho border hut the
next news received from the front vas
that the Cuban army WAS threatening Pa
-cetas more than half way between the
border and the capital. Santa Clara. AMI
since thea they have apparently pushtd
,~FI~t ftfffa qf fUtpFTIUfIOn.
The absence Of news from the insurgents
IS causing some anxiety among their
friends here, but they claim that Gomez
and0 AEnceo are tn possession OF the ran
road and telegraph lines, and that II was
with difficulty that Campos succeeded IN
reaching Havana last night. BE that as
il may. the only news oDtainahie IS that
b furnished by rumor, and II the authorities
aro IN possession OF any additional facts
All such matter is carefully suppressed.
In the meanwhile active preparations
are being made here for the defense ana
P19ryyaralng u the front OF all the troops
that can bedaparcd. II is understood That
tb. Spauisf15 columns in the rear OF The In
surxent arfnyo have been ordered 10 con-
centratR ~ quickly a. possible on the
frontier Of 9AIAtangas and that every Ell
fort is 20 he made t0 prevent the retreat
~ the Cahans into Santa Clara While
thes. prepHrafions are being mace oppaF-
entity to Stop the insurgents from escaping
hack ntoCSanta Clara. the lana fortihcs-
sions9 Of GHayana are receiving attention
day andOuight. A number OF additional
earthworiSs have been thrown np during
the last month also. and these are being
hastily completed and supplied with am
fuunitlon and the outpOsts or the spanish
troops ag0und Havana are being strchgth-
ened and more securely fortified. Through
out the night and all day there has been
am air 81 hurry and anxiety az the diner
cpfo ba4dqnarters here which does not
seem t0andiCate that the supreme author
tiles are in any way satisfied that the m
stlr.rarts are retreatiug. and IN military
acttvifys goes for anything the most deter
mined efforts were being made 10 pioNeht
q surpfiseo
fgnerso is considerable speculation here
as ~ tho actual number Of men under the
command OF Gomez and Maceo. The
highest estimates have r. that the Cuban
army numbers 12.uo0 men. while the lowest
Is G406 II IS 10 be- presumed. however.
that Gomez and Iaceo may have 1000
men with them. as they arc known 10 have
bsfa ioined by large numbers of adher-
ents slnce they approached the province
Z az Slntanzas. The insurgents are also
r,IeDufGlly supplied with ammunition. said
toobave been stored for their use a. differ
enop0infs and accumulated and hidden for
months past
% oT9er % enable az many troops as
r,6zeaHfa 10 be sent 10 the front. al ths ma
RINGS and sailors who could DO spared
fr3rn fY,e Spanish feet have been landed.
and th.5 Harmer are n0w dotng duty as ar
,ftler,rn{rn wherever their services are
ree5ed All the volunteers available are
burfer arms and every male inhabtant
capable ~ doing active service is being
called upo6 20 TEAR arms
n is rerorteA here tonight that the tn
ls,t~gent forces have taken Up hne of re-
,-e3f from about the city q Aatanzas
Through sldra. Navaiaa and Corral Falls
IN the direction of JagucY Grande. in the
eo,Itbaru part of Aiatarzas. This is be-
,,ora frrioo Pevfx wfere u was reported
that the Spanish troops we're being con-
-g.-nt~afcd - cut Of thelr retreat.
T~6e insu-geut leader Acebo was exc
cnted today At Cienfuegos-
Manitoba Positively Refuses.
o -,7f-t,.,, f,e4 -xfanffota's reriv n