Birmingham age-herald., 1895-04-20
 THE TRUTH ABOUT CUBA, As Touched for by the United.
 Press Man. THE SITUATION OVERDRAWN, He Says, by Imaginative Correspondents. There Is no Concert or Cohesion
 Among the Insurgents.
 Press Censorship.

Santiago de Cuba, April 16, via Tampa, Fla, April 19--(From the Saff Corre- spondent of the United Press .)-The staff correspondent of the United Press, after remaining in Havana a week, meeting residents of all shades of opinions, Span iards. Cubans, Englshmen, Americans, the United States consul and the govern or general, proceeded to Santiago de Cuba, the province where the insurgents have made the most progress, and is able to give the facts in regard to the revolution and the status of affairs on the island of Cuba
 In the first place, the censorship of the press, telegraph and cable exists only to the extent that matter of an incendiary or seditious nature is suppressed. Ci- pher dispatches are not allowed unless the key is furnished to the authorities. The newspapers of Havana and other cities publish the news of military move ments, engagements and casualties in full, even getting out extras when any thing of unusual interest is received They have reporters in the field, and LaCaricatura has an artist who follows the army corps and exercises much h- cense in illustrating. When it is remenl- bered that the entire island of Cuba is under martial law the freedom of the press is remarkable.
 The authorities, however, do not com- prehend modern sensational journalism, and when special correspondent from the United States attempts to cable his paper a story of the general uprising against Spanish rule, which has taken place only in the brain of some half witted enthusiast, or an account of the wholesale slaughter of Spanish regulars by insurgents, the dispatch is sent to the palace and the gentlemanly secretary of the goVernor-general requests the presence of the correspondent and irl- forms him that the dispatch cannot be transmitted. Naturally the authorities do not give out news unfayorable to themselves, but when such news is ob- tained, they make no attempt to suppress 1t unless they know it to be untrue. So much for the press censorship.
 AS to the progress of the insurrection, it has for the last month been practically nlli In the first place no general rising Of Cubans has taken place, no provis- ional government has been formed, no stand against the government troops has been made, no engagement of sufficient importance to be designated as a battle has occurred In every department ex- cept the province of Santiago de Cuba. the few men who attempted to rebel were promptly arrested.
 The plan mapped out by Marti and other enthusiasts in New York was not indorsed by the better class of Cubans, without whose financial aid and per- sonal influence no uprising in Cuba can succeed. In several localities young men of good families left their homes to join the insurgents. They were inspired by the patriotism that throbbed in the veins of the heroes of the American rev olution, but when they reached the field and found their leaders to be mulattoes or bandits. they returned to the towns and surrendered to the authorities. They were, treated with great leniency. Some were imprisoned for few days, while others were liberated and sent to their homes at once.
 Troops were rushed over from Spain and attachments stationed in all cities and large. towns. Volunteers to the number of 5000 or 10000 were enlisted from among the Spanish residents. This prompt show of strong force of armed men has undoubtedly had it's effect up- on many whose sympathies are with the rebels, yet who hesitate about joining them.
 In the province of Santiago de Cuba, at the eastern end of the island, the case has been different. The mountainous nature of the country and the number of sym pathizers here made this section the nat ural choice for the landing of filibuster- ing expiditions and war material. The leaders who came here from Fortune island, Jamaica, Sandomingo, and per haps also from the United States found men to follow them and local leaders to cooperate. Bands of fifty, 100 and in some cases 200 men were formed. Not half the men were properly armed, but nearly all carried some sort of weapon, rifle, shotgun, machete or revolver. There are from 2300 to 5000 men in all of these bands. They form no concerted campaign, but move about from place to place in the mountainous districts. for aging among the plantations for sub- S1stence. and occasionally having a skirmish with small attachments of gov ernment troops. Large attachments are avoided. The warfare of the insurgents is guerilla warfare. They know every foot of the mountains and capture is in- possible unless the whole region is filled with soldiers. They hope to tire out then Spanish troops and seek to prolong the conflict until the rainy season sets in, when yellow fever may do more destruc- ! ton than their bullets. 'g
 Under Governor-General Calleja active operations were delayed and clen1ency extended to all who foreswore their cause i, and pledged submission to the king of Spain. With Martinez Campos, the new goverpor-general, in the field personally pushing active operations against the in- 4 surgents the outcome will not be long in doubt.
 Had the movement been supported by ! the infpential Cubaps and properly led, \ some show of success might have been looked for. The leaders are not capable of intelligent or Systematic handling of men: many of them have been outlaws and bandits for years. Others are Is-