Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-08
IGNORANCE AT HAVANA.
Little Known There Regarding the
Progress of the Revolt.

Progress of the Revolt.
Special Correspondence of the Associated Press.
HAVANA, April 3.-There Is keen antici-
patton now among the Cubans. and will be
for some days to come. Gen. Martinez
Campos, with a couple of million dollars in
cash, a lot of troops and a large personal
prestige, is now on the ocean and bending
sail hither. Great will be the day when
Campos again sets foot on Cuban soil, to
put down another rebellion. The people
here are expecting him, and anticipate
with anxious interest his coming. To an
onlooker, however, the interested among
unofficial people seems to arise more from
anticipation Of the pageant and the clatter
of bright metal than from any conscious
ness that Campos Is needed here. Havana,
always accustomed to military. has not
been wildly impressed by the landing OF
the troops from Spain. The repression OF
the Havana papers results in ignorance OF
details, If not Of facts, from the eastern
districts; and so, while the people look and
are interested in the show before them.
they feel that they have no personal part
in the matter and are, indeed, quite con-
tent to leave all the fatigue Of activity to
those who must act.
Guarding the Coast.
Utmost vigilance Is exercised by the gov
eminent to prevent the landing in Cuba of
the insurgent leaders who are in other
parts. The government especially and def
initely desires to intercept Maceo, whom
the officials profess to believe has not eff
fected landing on Cuban soil. There is
private information in this city, however,
that Maceo is now on the island, and that
the other leaders will come later. This
Cuban negro, Maceo, veteran Of the last
rebellion, is said to be an able man, a
shrewd tactician In the chapparal and in
dubitably brave. He is to the official house
here the bogy man of the insurrection.
All the movements of the insurgents
prove that the plan, announced In these
dispatches as the one laid out by their lead
ers, is being consistently followed. Theirs
is waiting campaign. They appear and
disappear. They make sortie against
some village, and II troops appear, they
hustle away out of sight.
They have alarmed the Inhabitants and
they have harasSed the troops, whose officer
then telegraphs the governor general that
his men bravely made after "a group Chat
is the governmental designation of insur-
gent forces), and routed the enemy, who
ran away" another technical designa-
ton of disappearance of insurgents.
Over 5000 Insurgents.
1t Is fact that there are on this island
today between five and six thousand insur-
gents, who have rifles and cartridges
within their reachf The government may
scout this statement, but 1t holds. And
the plan of campaign is to wait. The lead
ers know better than to openly oppose their
five or six thousand men against superior
forces, when climate and sickness are relied
upon as allies little later on.
why don't the insurgents pitch in and
do something before all the Spanish troops
reach here?' is a question asked by oppo-
nents of the rebellion here.
The answer Is that while engaging the
forces now here the rebels would suffer
losses not to be rapidly mended, and upon
their weakened force would be constantly
coming fresh troops from Spain.
Let Spain get here all she intends to
send, and then we play hide-and-seek with
them until, aided by climatic conditions
we can combine all our forces, and strike
a decisive blow at the sickening and eli
mate-worn forces of SPAIN
That is about the reply that the insur-
rectionists would make to criticism Of their
lack Of aggressive activity.
Already the government troops are scour-
ing through Manzanillo. and Col. Santo-
cildes has just telegraphed the governor
here to what action shall be taken in
the event of the rebels in big or little
groups desiring to surrender. Clearly San
tocildes expects successes to his arms
Troops are being sent to guard the planta-
tions
The government has removed the duty OF
thirty cents hitherto imposed for the VIE
of foreign passports. The reason is not
stated.