Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1896-04-03
INSURGENTS WILL WIN.
EBERT RAPPLEYE'S VIEWS
OF THE SITUATION
IN CUBA.
THE INSURGENT CAUSE EWlLL TRIUMPn
IN THREE MONTHS IF THE UNITED
STATES WOULD GRANT THE
BElliGERENCY RIGHTS
WEYlER SPANS GREAT
EST MISTAKE.

. Elbert Rappleye, the Cubar
t war correspondent of the Mai
> and Express, who was recent,
t expelled from Havana, arrived in
New York this week on the
steamship Yucatan. In an in.
terview Mr.. Rappleye said:
. L come back from Cuba as a de-
portado of General Weyler. In
his decree expelling me from the
island | am called all enemy of
Spain, that charge being based
OH letters published in the Mail
and Express over my signature.
Any person familiar with exist
ing conditions in the island OF
Cuba would know that the only
enmity, if any, have shown to-
ward Spai:! has been i'll telling
the truth without fear or preju-
dice. This, of course, has re-
suited i'll my expulsion.
CAS- an impartial observer sent
to Cuba to study and inform my
self and report the progress of
events there without restriction
having been placed upon me
when | accepted this mission. l
unhesitatingly state that within
three months the insurgent cause
would be triumphant if the
United States Government would
grant them billigerency rights
and give the Cubans al. .ything re-
sembling a fighting opportunity.
The Spanish are now on the de-
fensive. Every battle fought in
Cuba in the past thirty days has
been invited by the rebels. They
have more ammunition now than
they ever had, and if they can
maintain a source Of supply,
there is not anything that will
prevent them from winning.
General Wcyler has been
Spain's greatest mistake i'll the
war. His name and reputation
carried an odium which attract
ed the attention of the world.
The best evidence Of his bad
g.neralship is his complete fail
ure to hold the insurgent armies
back after had left the western
province of Cuba.
"Maceo started his western
campaign. which is now COM
pletc with i, 900. onc-third of
whom had not a single arm to
6ght with. Those who had guns
went into battle with one or two
cartridges, and fought knowing
that unless they captured the
enemy's ammunition they would
have nothing to fight with the
next day. They are coming back
1ow with the whole cargo from
he Bermuda, and General Wey-
er is withdrawing the Spanish
leferses from at:least one~halt of
he principal points of the island
% bar their progress. This
caves Gomez with a larger army
han Macco practically unrcstrict
=! t do . 5 he pleases i'll three
quarters Of the area of Cuba,
while th- barrier which Weyler
S attempting to plac: before
Iaceo is acknowledged by one
If its own generals, with whom =
talked with just before my de-
,arture, to be but little stronger,
numerically, than Macco's army, =
Notwithstanding the fact that in
ii of the invasions heretofore
ne Spanish have unsuccessfully
attempted to prevent them with
he numb bers i'll their favor Of at :
east four to one. .
~ lille there has b cn some
oubt, perhaps justified. about =
he military organization OF the
eel armies, these do not exist
'ly longer, as they are perfectly
rgAnized, with commanders of
very rank, at this time, and all J
Z their operations are being con- I.
ucted as Systematically as those
f the Spanish. Their one ap- !,
'eal to the world is not for SYM b,
athy, but for ammunition +