The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-08-14
CUBANS sure OF SUCCESS
Everything Seems Now to Favor the
Patriot Cause.
FEVER FIGHTING THE SPANIARDS.

The War rs Far Advanced in Five Months
as Was the Last One In Five Years.
More Patriots In the Field and Fewer
Spanarls---The Calling Ont Of the
Spanish Reserves Considered Significant
With the enthusiasm which is the natural
inheritance of those in whose veins flows the
blood of Latin race, the Cubans in New
York were inclined to celebrate the landing
of the patriots in the province OF Santa
Clara. It would be difficult now to find
Cuban who does not believe that the Revo-
lutionists will ultimately win.
This belief is based not only upon the
success which attended the landing Of the
latest expedition and upon the number
and condition OF the Revolutionary troops,
but also upon the fact that the First Span
ish Reserve has been called out. The Cubans
reason that, II there were available regular
troops, the reserves would not now be called
for. The last revolt continued for ten
years, and the reserves were not oaued ror
until the war was more than half over.
During the five months that the present re-
volt has continued the Cubsns, It Is SAID,
have made as great progress as they did ~
the first five years Of the revolution OF 10.
At no time during the former struggle were
the Cubans as numerically strong as they are
now. The largest number OF men wnlcn taey
had in the field at any one time during thar
conflict was $4,000. and these were poorly
armed There are said to be 3,OOO patrors
In the field now.
Santiago de Cuba, the extreme eastern
province, is the scene Of the most active hos
ttlities. It Is In that province where Captain
General Campos has his headquarters. In
all the territory occupied by the Spaniards
there are only about 125, 900 troops, as COM
pared with the 250, 900 men General Csmpos
had under him during the last revolt.
Then # Is asserted that the pretudices OF
the inhabitants Of the island favor the sue
cess Of the revolt. 1t Is in only the three
western provinces that there is anything
like loyalty to the Spanish. Before the
landing of the expedition week ago there
were 5000 armed Revolutionists In Santa
Clara, and now 1t Is believed that the
original number Of patriots will be increased
by from 5000 to 5000.
Another thing that makes the Cubans be-
iieve their cause will win Is their belief Of
the ability of.the patriots to live comfortably
upon the fruit, roots and herbs Of the coun-
try. The Spanish, they say, are poorly fed
from supplies obtained from Porto Rico and
from Spain. A substantial meal Of bananas,
anonas, guavas, plantain, or avocadas
(alligator pear), is enough, they say, for
Cuban to fight cheerfully upon all day. On
such meal, Spaniard they believe, would
fall from exhaustion.
The treasury Of Spain Is we'll nigh empty.
It looks now as If the Spanish Government
would be unable to secure the loan that it
has attempted to twice and failed. Spanish
Al Aoh
paid. It is only matter of time when there
will be nothing to pay them with. Then
Cuba will be free. The Cubans have $4,000
men in the field. They need, they say, am
munition more than men.
Private kilograms confirm the story Of the
safe landing Of the largest and best equipped
insurgent expedition that has reached Cuba.
The expedition was commanded by Generals
Roloff, Sanchez and Rodriguez. They
carried 2S0 men, $4,000 rounds OF
ammunition. $50 rifles, 400 pounds
one cannon. Dr.. Valdez Dominguez went as
Colonel Of the sanitary corps. The expedi-
tion. started from Harbor Key, about thirty
miles from Key West, Fla. Cubans state
that the safe landing Of the expedition has
put new life into the Cuban cause, and Its
failure to land would have been death
blow. The expedition was so we'll planned
and executed that few. even Oh the CuDans,
knew anything about 1t.
The Spanish troops in Cuba are suffering
terribly from fevers. Martinez Campos
cabled to the Government q request for 1900
pounds of quinine, to be shipped at once, as
the supply taken with the troops was almost
exhausted. The War Department sent $50
pounds. Campos had already informed the
Government that during the rainy season in
Cuba quinine was more indispensable In the
field than powder and lead.
The general opinion in Havana is that q
successful campaign against the insurgents
will be possible only after their connec-
tions with the outside world, especially
those with the United States, shall have
been cut of. This must be accomplished
by blockading the whole coast. Consequently
Spain has bought or ordered to be
built large number Of gunboats. These
new vessels, together with the old ones, will
make up considerable feet for service In
Cuban waters. The blorkading squadron, as
now planned. will eonsi' Of seven cruisers,
seven torpedo cruisers ind twenty-five gun
boats.