The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-25
TRUTH ABOUT CUBA.
The Reports Sent Out by Span
ish Censors Unreliable.
PATRIOTS GAINING STEADILY.
.sNever Did I See Such n Storm or
Lead, says Campo>. Describing
Bayamo. Where He Was Beaten.

Havana Letter in New York Sun.
To those to whom the Cuban rebellion
against the Spanish government IS or any
| interest and who. wishing 10 know ire
truth, trust entirely 10 the officials news.
or on the other hand, give credit 10 stories
OF hiieusterins sympathizers, perhaps
mistaken on account OF verbal transmits
sion. the conflicting nature of the news
brings only uncertainty.
The difference exists that, while the
rebels communicate exclusively through
verbal messages. acting as an army on
| foreign territory. the Spanish government.
Z In possession of the wires. the post. and
the railroad lines ruling with a powerful
hand in the quiet cities of the island. ex-
ercising on the newspapers a strong GEN.
sorship. emitting the reports from the in
terror that tell of the rebels lawful treat
n>>nt of prisoners, their organization and
resources. their movements and victories,
publishing record OF crime as the main
deeds of the rebels. has in It's hands all
| the material necessary 20 give out those
made-up stories OF the campaign that as
tonish the reader by the extraordinary
phenomenon OF an enemy always dis
persed and torn 20 pieces. though gather
| ed and hostile next morning. of a nation
winning every military action. though
still sending troops by the thousands 10
fight against the vanquished.
Since February a great many scattered
/ quence whatever. though both parties pro-
claim them TO he serious engagements. in
VolVtng heavy losses 10 the other side and
no harm 20 themselves. but apart from
these slght skirmishes. in the four real
battles fought. FL Ramon. Jobito. Cacao
and Peralejo. victory has shone upon the
single star banner. At FL Ramon firing
began early in the morning. lasted until
| y. m, and eighty survivors Of the Spanish
forces were set free by the insurgents
| after giving up their arms and ammuni-
/ ton; the battlefield. n cemetery. helped the
| Cuhans. At Jobito the troops We're
caught in a defle. losing 800 men, hut
aided by achievements expressly
sent for from the town, Commander Ro-
bles made gallant retreat at 5 p. m: Col
Bosch. the surgeon. and several officers
lost their lives there. The battle of Cacao
has been told of lately, and at Peralejo
| Gen. Fidel Alfonso Santoscildes his aides
| seven officers. and over 120 men. were kill
| ed on the Spanish side. The Cubans lost
| three officers and 100 men, but held the
| ground and though the troops reached
| Bayamo at p. m, they had no time to
cut a wire fence that gave way under the
pressure of the retreating men. Sixty
| pack mules laden with cartridges belong
| ing to the C9mpos forces were accidentally
| seized by the rebels and the retreat has
| been considered by intelligent observers a
| wonderful feat of skill and good luck for
| Gen. Campos. who commanded in the ac-
| ton In letter 10 the minister of war at
| Madrid. he said Never did / see such
| storm of lead; it was a perfect shower OF
| bullets But events like this must hap
! pen If the quality of the enemies is borne
| in mind. on one side strong healthy and
| sturdy veterans of the past war knowing
| every inch of the ground, and thus able 10
| act separately. with no other burden than
| the native machete, carried since boy
| hood, and a rife fighting with the enthu-
IN a nzf- f@- frz@
| against raw recruits forced by discipline
| to so forward without interest or passion
| carrying. under the burning SUM- to which
they are unused, the load of their ammu-
| milton, bayonet rifle, blanket and KNAPP
| sack. and obliged to follow the column, or
| If they get lost. to meet hunger and death
When ready for battle 5000 insurgents
must face $1,000 Spaniards and IL all the
| lawful advantages of warfare were not
taken, and the guerrilla" system aban-
doned. perhaps Spain would have an easy
task; but with the Cuhans constantly
harassing the troops, gathering in great
numbers 10 strike sure blow. scattering
when the cannon sounds, firing heavily as
soon as the troops form a square to resist
a machete charge. the advantage is plain
ly on their side, and has to be a marked
one. for the life of Cuban is more TO the
''1nsurrectos" than ten men to the troops
replenished every day by new arrivals
from Spain. In short, so far. the native
and the expeditionary armies are on equal
terms. at least on land; at sea expeditions
sail whenever they are ready and land
successfully.
When the Cuban rebellion broke out,
Spain looked on il with disdan. stigma
tiZing the movement as that of lively
party out for mere sport; but matters
went on. Gen. Calleia was RECALLED and
blamed for not checking the war at the
beginning. and. as the truth was not to be
told. he apologized, wishing Campos TO
straighten out everything. Spain had in
Cuba 5000 regulars; the rebels numbered
as MANY in the western province. Spain
had 5000 volunteers that would not leave
the cities for the battlefield, and If forced
to, would revolt. Now Spain has on the
island her chief military genius, thirty
generals and $1,000 regulars. Thirty thou
sand more are TO come before October
officials news published in the papers
week ago spoke wen of the sanitary sta
tistics as only 10 per cent of the troops
were In the hospital. or 5000 out of 81 0nn
Supposirg yellow fever. malaria diar-
rhoea. smallpox and other diseases 10
steal an average of ten mon from every d.
vision. II amounts to 100 ner dav or 2. 000 -er
month. But though the 70 non did not come
together. nor were all here in Fehruarv,
calling the death rate only 1000 a month
from April to October. when the new re-
Inducements are TO arrive. - mn men of
those coming will be no addition TO the
expeditionary army. but will merely cover
the losses produced by sickness and the
whole number OF 81 900 may he looked uDon
substitutes, if the influence of lead and
steel is taken under consideration. So we
cannot possibly see how Spain is going TO
stop the rebellion before winter with tho
same standing army that has been stead
! ily unsuccessful for nine months
In 1874 700 cuhans at most fought for
| Independence. brought Spain 10 make
treaty Of peace. and got nothing In lSq5
there are in the field already at least = 90
Cuhans. and there will he q 90 hy Deem
! her next The entire population of the
island Is convinced % Snafr's poverty %
the uselesSness OF demanding from the
government the political reforms eco
nonlic measures and general benefits not
granted in seventeen years. All this has
changed the "Buenos Espanolss' good
SPA 1iar3sl. who IN fsrS would have given
their money and lives 10 preserve Cuban
soil for Spain. into mere spectators Of
present events fully conscious Of tho
harm done 20 the Industries and com
n1erce OF the island in behalf Of those Of
Spain. Cuba viii soon bring 70 an end the
present war. and put an end 10 the las,
domination OF the most miserable OF F,,
ropean monarchies on any portion az land
situated within the limits Of America
''Per Cigarettes Are the Best
Smokers who are willing 70 paw little
more find this saying true one.