Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-06-25
VIATHEGRAPEVINE
De lome's Opinion Of Cuban
News from Florida.
DECLARES IT MOSTLY FICTITIOUS.

Battles OF the American Civil War sDons
Over" for Duty In the 'Pearl Of the An.
tiiies' and lsotched In the Doing, Ho
says-Rcsults Of . Watch on Letter Car.
riers-Tho FiOurnoy Land settlers
Capital News Items.
WASHINGTON, June Administer Depuy
de LONE, Of Spain, says that the report Of
the killing Of Captain Campos, said to be
the son OF General Cainpos, is without
foundation, as Is also the report coming
via Tampa that n sanguinary battle was
fought on the 18th, in which many were
killed. II am surprised" said he. ''at
the systematic manner in which this
propaganda Of misinformation Is sent out
from the centers Of Cuban sympathy
Tampa, Key West, Jacksonville, Gaines
Vile, and Nassau, Bermuda. Here is q
great public question on which th2 facts.
II known, would permit the public to
form their Judgment. But these centers
Keep furnishing reports Of bloody battles,
and the killing Of generals, although no
such battles or casualties occur. Tho re.
ports show on their face that they have
been manufactured.
Spaniards Don't Letter TbsIr Compsnies.
Zone Of them took the account of O battle
which occ urred in the American civil wal
and filled in alleged Spanish and Cuban
details. 1t referred to company A., oOm.
pany b., etc. Spanish troops are not
numbered by letters. The report came
recently that well.known Spanish gen.
eral had been killed. He was q relative
of one Of tho officials Of the legation. Sc
inquiry was made at Havana as to the re.
port The answer came quickly that the
officer was we'll. He had not even par.
ticipatcd in an engagement. In the
Tampa report Of today that Captain Cam
pos, son OF the general, is killed, this
same clumsy invention is evident. Gen.
eral Cnmpos has no son with him who i:
a captain. The son with the general is
not q military man, but is serving rs Il
private secretary. The other son, who Ii
q military man, is n lieutenant and not a
captain, and he is far from General Cam
the military son is killed while with hi:
father.
some Geographical Difficulties.
'Thcse centcrs also send reports which
ignore the geography of Cuba. A
leader Is given nt ono point to
day. and tho next day he Ii
given as leading charge at another
point several hundred, miles away. The
Cuban agitators are also In ,Ehabit oi
giving tho same regiment I'D sl06m several
different points. Tampa will first tell
the story Of 4 fictitious battle. The next
day Gainesville furnishes another report
of the same battle. Then it comes from
Jacksonville and a little later from Mas.
sau, so that the fighting Is made to serve
for several weeks. This Is being done
systematically by the persons interested
in giving u fictitious Importance to the
trouble, but it Is only fair that the public
should understand the motives which i'm
pei these series OF hoax battles"
Cuban Planters In Had shape.
Consul Baker. at Ssgua la Grande
Cuba, under date Of June l2, reports tC
the state department upon the sugar crop
He says: .'Ihc sugar Of lSSSY having
been marketed leaves no doubt Of n ma
terial decrease from the yield Of previous
years. This, together with the very low
price realized by the planters, leaves the
sugar growers of Cuba in u most helpless
condition. They now frankly admit
that they will not bn able to secure loan.
with which to make the coming crop
which means that not exceeding one-halt
of the usual acreage Of new cane has been
planted, and corresponding ncglcc: In
the cleaning OF the present crop. In
truth the condition OF the planters o
this island Is distressing