Omaha daily bee., 1896-04-27
TROOPS CROSS THE TROCHA
Maceo Sends Strong Force Through Wey-
ler's "Impregnable" Line.
SAYS HE WILL HIMSELF CROSS SOON
% Gomez, Garcia and Others Drill
Troops In, the East, While the
spnninrJs Watch Mncco
in the West.

Copyright 1895, by Press Publishing Company
HAVANA, Cuba (via Tampa, Fla), April
26-(New York World Cabegram-Specal
Telegram )-General Maceo has given the
SpanIards shock by sending Bermudese and
Sa M across the trocha last night with 1000
men. The Cuban leader himself has not yet
tried to cross the eighteen-mile barrier Of
trenches, fences and forts which the captain
general has thrown across the narrow part
of Cuba to imprison the dread mulatto cav
airy leader in the western end Of the island,
. and force him to surrender or fight 40. 900
Spanish troops with his half naked and
hungry followers.
General Weyler's offer of pardon to all
insurgent leaders who surrender with their
srms in Pinar del RIO within twenty DAYS
was published In the hope of weakening
General Maceo. but the rebel commander
knows his brother Jose is on the other side
of the trocha with 5000 men, and he also
knows that Generals Gomez and Calxto
Garca are organizing columns in Puerto
Principe to relieve him. General Maceo VIII
never surrender. He sends word to Havana
that he will cross the trocha when he is
ready, and that the immense Spanish army
massed along the barrier cannot compel him
to make the assault until the right day ar
rives.
mert, General Maceo is deliberately waiting
in Pinar del Rio in order to keep one-third
of the whole Spanish army idle at the west
ern extremity of Cuba while Gomez, CaliXtJ
Garcia and other commanders organize an
army and thoroughly drill their columns in
the central and eastern provinces. Even
now rumor reaches me that large town
in the east has been taken, but rumors are
abundant and trustworthy facts are scarce.
1t is certain, however, that the power of the
insurgents in the east Is increasing daily,
and that Maceo's heroic position in the west
ern hills is part of great strategic plan Of
campaign.
DRAWS THE COLOR LINE.
General Weyler looks upon the trocha as
the key Of war. In my talk with him he
made that plain. 1t has been sad, and is
generally believed by the Spanish leaderH,
that General Gomez and the other white
commanders would make terms for peace
but for General Maceo and his fierce negro
followers, who will consent to nothing but
complete and unconditional independence.
The captain general believes that If General
Maceo Is conquered now the war will end in
a few months but the truth is that the
downfall of negro element in the patriotic
army would mean sudden increase of white
element. General Maceo's prominence in the
Cuban provisional government has had much
to do with the conservative attitude of many
prominent white Cubans, who dread the pros
pect of independence with government
largely controlled by the blacks. They have
the example of San Domingo and Hayti al
ways before their eyes.
So much for the captain generals plan OF
smashing the revolution. On the other hand,
II General Maceo crosses the trocha, as he
may do in few hours. General Weyler's
campaign will be complete failure and
thousands of men will join the rebel army,
Neither force in the field seems likely to
master of the island. The war must be ended
by the interpositon of some power. 1t is
absurd to say that the insurgents have estab-
lished a government in the sense OF
sovereign power, and 1t IS just absurd to
call the operations Of their army brlgandage
They roam through the country from one
end of the island to the other enforcing
their DEGREES and wasting the resources of
the enemy. They burn plantations and viii
lagos and they hang traitors to their cause
but it is all done according to their pro-
claimed laws JAMES CREELMAN.