Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-10
HOW THE FIGHT GOES
An Americans Impressions Of the
Conflict in Cuba.
SPANISH REPORTS Are ONE-SIDED
People Heartily in Sympathy With
the insurgents.
QUESTION OF ANNEXATION
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star

Special Correspondence of Tie Evening Star
NEW YORK, February ., 1896
People having occasion to visit the Man
haitian Life building, at &C Broadway, ire
quently during the past ten days have been
attracted by the large number of strangers
in search of the headquarters of the Cuban
junta in this city. Most of these strangers
were of swartny skin, but.had the appear
ance of being well educated and prosperous
men of business or professional attain
ments.
Among the number was one who would
have commanded attention in a crowd Of
men anywhere. Tall in stature, with a
keen eye and sharp ear for everything
about him. and apparently, intensely inter
ested in whatever business had called him
to this city, he was ever the center of an
inquiring group of Cubans and Cuban SYM
pdthlZers whenever he presented himself
1t was learned that he was not registered
at any hotel. but was stopping IN a private
foomlng house in the upper part of the city
on the west side, and was never to be
found in his room after nghtfan. The
stars correspondent presented himself
Thursday afternoon, and was cordially re-
celved and enter tanned with an interesting
review of the Cuban situation Mr.. Jones
(as the gentleman shall be known for the
purposes of this article is a well-knoWn
American business man, a graduate OF i
leading institution of learning, who has
been in business in Havana for several
years. All his property interests have been
transferred to the Island of Cuba, and il
is not surprising that he takes an unusual
interest III the impending struggle for LID
erty.
After repeated assurances that nothing
should be published which would in any
he
Spanish authorizes, Mr.. Jones' consented
to talk for publication.
Official Dispatches One-Sided.
THE people of Cuba" said he, thought
fully, ARE strongly in favor of the insur-
gents in the present struggle. Published
statements to the contrary, emanating
from Spanish sources, are not to be relied
upon, nor can the press dispatches regard
ing the results of battles and skrmish hes
between the Spanish soldiery and the fol-
lowers of Generals Gomez and Maceo be be-
LEVIED. They are all colored to suit the
caSion. Had the insurgents been as badly
routed and as often defeated as re-
ported by Gov. Gen. Campos, that brave
and brilliant soldier admittedly the great
est general in the Spanish armies) would
not have been recalled by the Spanish gov
eminent. The truth is, the people are mos:
heartily in favor of obtaining their liberty
at whatever cost In many places the in
arms, and Toasted like kings. In others
they are resisted. it is true, and are forced
to compel a surrender.
But the statements that the patriot
armies sack, plumber and burn villages,
ravishing women and ill-treating old peo-
pie and children are malcously false. In
cases where the insurgents are resisted
and surrender is compulsory, the people
are permitted to take their valuables and
keepsakes out of their houses and they
are then compelled to fire their own build
ings as a punishment for their show OF
resistance The insurgents only help them
selves to food, money, arms and afnmuni-
ton. Theses latter are needed, but money
IS not scarce with them. Many of the large
sugar plantations contain as much 10u,-
600 acres of land. These are usually own
cd by Spaniards, who are very bitter III
their opposition to the patriots. From
these men the insurgents demand money in
proportion to the size of the plantation:
failing to get 1t, the cane is fired. If it is
handed over without trouble the cane is
not molested.
Il am aware that such action is severely
criticised by some in the United States.
But it must be remembered that the peo-
pie there have suffered from indgnities al
the hands of the mother country far
greater than those which caused the revo-
luton here in i11G, and are now making a
last desperate effort to gain their liberty.
The insurgent armies take from Spaniards
only, and from them only when they are
aiding the enemy. To show you that the
rayishing stories are untrue, have only to
relate an incident which came under my
personal observation. A negro following
the insurgent armies assaulted a woman,
and fed to the woods. He was pursued by
the patriots, taken, tried and hanged in
four hours. The Cubans have much re-
spect for the virtue OF womanhood as have
the people of the United States.
Little Resistance to Insurgents.
LAS to the burning of cane" continued Mr..
to ttar.t to etc rfo
at this season of the year. A match thrown
in among the dry stalks will start a fire
which will sweep a thousand acres in few
hours time In their march from Santiago
province to Pinar del Rio the insurgents
have met with but little real oppositio and
It is here that mucn of the cane has been
DESTROYED. The small Spanish forts, or
'trochas,' as they are called there, which
have been built at distances of a half mile
apart across the island at several points, Of
fered very little resistance to the onward
march of the patriots.
THE Spanish soldiers now in Cuba are for
the most part very young men, not used 10
actual warfare, and many of them are in
real sympathy with the insurgents. In sew
eral instances where engagements were an
ticipated the Spaniards surrendered with
ut firing shot, and turned over their arms
and ammunition to the patriots, while sew
eral hundred, possibly thousands ere this,
have Joined the forces of Gomez and Maceo.
Gen. Weyler will find his troops In poor
condition on his arrival. They have re-
ceived no pay for over three months, and
the provision made for their creature COM
forts is of the poorest. 1t is not unusual
for a Spanish soldier to sell his rifle for
money enough to buy a. meal of victuals.
Besides, the spring months will bring
what is known there as the wet seasonal
season when it rains more or less for three
or four months. The Spaniards are not ac-
clinated to this, and it will mean much
sickness and distress to them in consequence
of the lack of proper shelter during in
clement weather; and they would. to man,
be rejoiced at the cessation of hostilities and
orders to come home again.
Feeling in Havana.
'What was the feeling in Havana when
you left there?"
Residents of Havana are naturally very
uneasy just now, owing to the near APP
proach of Gov. Gen. Weyler, and the pub
lished statements regarding that officers
intentions after his arrival Most of the
Americans have left the city. l doubt if
there are g score left there row. If Weyler
shall start in to carry out his alleged threats
OF execution of all Cuban sympathiZers in
Havana 1t will be the means of bringing the
revolution to an end in hurry, as the peo-
pie would rise en- masse and wipe that officer
and his boy army off the face Of the earth
in short order. l believe him to be too
keen a man to adopt such course of vio-
1ence ard bloodshed.
Another cause of the unea siness there is