The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-04
wEYLER'S ARMY IN A BAD WAY.
FOES WILL soon, FIGHT
IT HARDER THAN THE CUBANS.

The Nevv Captain Generals Cam
paign Failure All the Way
rbrough-He and His Generals at
r,s-werheads and Many of the Lat
Ter Ordered Home-Barbnrous Ex-
,esses by Detached Bodies of
Troops-The Insurgents stin Full
Of Confidence.
Havana, April !, via Tampa, April 81
Army operations have been pushed with
great vigor for the past month. Gen.
VIEWER has given officers and men no rest.
His orders have been peremptory and
-nanv a general has incurred his displeas-
,.-a bv tardiness in the persecution of
the enemy The result of these active
movements has been to completely tire
ont a large portion of the army in the
feld. The insurgents have been kept
moving their camps have been destroyed
and dozen Of their hospitals have been
burned during the month that has just
psssed. but the government has not fore
ID a single battle upon the rebels The
onIv serious engagements have been those
iu which the insurgents, having the ad-
vantage of position or numbers, as at
Cuvaiabos and Candelaria, assumed the
offensiye and defeated the regular troops
Of Spain. There have been many rear
guard skirmishes. which appear in the
Spanish official reports as battles and
victories for the crown, but which, upon
Investigation, prove to be like some of
the battles fought by Don QuiXote. Quite
a number of them have been found to be
massacres of Unarmed citizens, and there
have been more tales of horrors COM
mitted than battles fought in this island
of Cuba during the month Of March
If one huudredth part of the stories that
reach here OF the operations of the col
umns Of Gems Melguzo and Bernal and
OF Coils. Molina Tort, Segura, and others,
are true, the reason why Gen. Weyler cam
celled an passes held by correspondents
is plain. Owners of estates report eXcesseS
committed by detached bodies of Spanish
taoops in all parts OF the island and there
is no longer talk of attempting 10 grind
sugar cane this year. the problem is how
to preserve the lives of the employees ana
prevent WantOn destruction BY the troops.
The insurgents have gained more in the
past month than in any two that have
preceded 10. Gen. Weyler's DEGREES com
pelling people to abandon their homes IN
the interior has driven many peaceable
Inhabitants into the rebel army. The
harsh measures adopted toward sus-
poets IN cities ana towns nave also IN
creased the number of recruits from fam
lilies of the better class in cities. The
landing of four important expeditions has
given inspiration and cartridges to the
patriot army. Their hopes were never
brighter. Hot weather is already here,
and the rain Is not far off. The limited
time remaining for military operations
TINS spring makes it plain that Spain can
not crush the rebellion before the wet
season sets in, and the serious problem
OF caring for the lives of her soldiers pre-
seuts itself. A Spanish officer informs me
that the losses Of the army through fevers
and other sicknesses have been 12OOO since
september, and over 25,O0O during the year
The recent statistics made public by the
Spanish consul general at New York,
Senior Baldasano, in which the total losses
for the year were given as 3,SIH, OF whom
2s6 were killed in battle, are so palpabiy
absurd that one wonders III the Spanish
government IS serious in presenting them
There have been single battles in which
the Spanish losses amounted to more than
that given for the entire year.
Gems. Aldecoa and MADAM have been
sent back to Spain, making nine generals
who have failed to satisfy Gen. Weyler
since his arrival. Gen. Obrejon is also
booked to return, and Gen. Pando COM
mander of the first army corps, has been
ordered back for all0winA Gomez to enter
Santa Clara without fghting battle
Gen, Suarez Valdez is also on the list
He is in command of Pinar del Rio, ana
besides failing to suppress the rebellion
in his section, he sent an impertinent
message to Gen. Weyler by heliograph
work out of colonels than from generals,
and the exodus continues. There is mucn
dissatisfaction among officers of higher
grades and this does not make Gen. Wey-
lers task any more pleasant. He has
been in a highly nervous state for sew
eral days, and many stormy interviews
between him and men he has sent for
have taken place. His troubles with the
Politicians are just beginning He has as
Sured the home government that cleo
rons can be held in Cuba, and now he has
two parties-the reformists and the au-
iQnomists-refusing to take'part leaving
lhe union-constitutional, or conservative
Spanish party alone in the field.
Rumors that Gen. Weyler win be re-
called are persistent, but apparently the
TIME is not ripe for his enemies to over
throw him. Since Minister de LONE ca
hled that the United States will not rec
osnize the belligerency of the Cubans,
Cen Weyler has begun open executions
OF prisoners of war. Three have been
shot al Cabanas prison in week and
more are doomed to the same fate.