Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-25
WEYLER TALKS OF VICTORY
Says His Campaign Against MaCeo Was a
Success.
REBELS SCATTER IN ALL DIRECTIONS
Spanish General Asserts that the Re-
suits of His Few Days March,
ing Are Quite Im-
pOrtnnt.


HAVANA, Cuba, Nov. 2i-(New York
World Cablegram-Special Telegram Cap
tain General weyler has occupied nearly all
day in dispatching personal correspondence
and official matters of an urgent nature.
The etereotyped response given by his ad-
jutants to audience seekers, who thronged
the reception room and corridors, was that
the general-in-chief was too much engaged
to grant an audience to any one save by
special appointment. Politicians, local ofii-
cials and military men, as well as newspa-
per reporters, waited in vain to get their
cards sent in. At midday. however, l re-
ceived word through Don Jose Porrua, civil
governor Of Havana, that General Weyler
would be pleased to receive me as the World
representative at p. m. | was accompa-
MED by Don Domingo Blanco. the Havana
correspondent of Ell Emparcal OF Madrid,
one OF the foremost dailes OF Spain, many
OF whose interesting articles on the Cuban
situation. largely inspired have been widely
quoted abroad.
wEYLER'S APPEARANCE.
At the appointed hour we were ushered
snrp The great vice regal picture room occu-
pied as a private dispatch office, the captain
general rising from his desk and advancing
as We entered. General Weyler greeted US
lnOrl COTuldlly, Inviting Illt 10 u seat ny
his side. | found him somewhat Drowned
by his fortnight in the field, but lacking
nothing of his Characteristic coolness, de-
termination and enthusiasm and confidence
in the ultimate triumph OF Spanish arms
In the island. With the results of recent
operations against Maceo he expressed en-
tire satisfaction. confirming my own pre-
vious dispatches to the World.
General Weyler tells me that Maceo, al
though comparatively well supplied with
ammunition and with his rebel forces occu-
pying a position supposed to be almost i'm
pregnable, did not dare to risk a decisive
engagement and was compelled by lack of
food sufficient to keep any considerable
number of men together, to virtually dis
band his army. breaking 1t into small
groups, which have since scattered over the
province, sweeping southwark from Bahia
Honda and ether points on the north coast
Weyler says the loyal forces captured i'm
portant rebel positions at Galalon de Laca-
rajicara, Soroa, Puerty, Hurallo. Regona,
Rosario, 0eaga, Tumbes, Gloria Brujo,
Rangel, Brujito. Carambola and Moriche,
driving the enemy from their northern and
eastern hill positions and now occupy all
the passes and points Of strategic impor-
tance in the immediate territory.
In brief, General Weyler considers the
backbone OF the revolution in Pinar del Rio
broken, and he expects. with the arrival OF
relnforcements now leaving Spain, to shortly
restore peace and order throughout the west
ern districts.
The Mariel-Majama trocha, the general
tells me. has been so reinforced and
strengthened as to make Maceos escape
from Pinar del Rio even with his mere
handful OF followers. quite impossible.
General Weyler attaches no Importance to
the late activity of Calixto Garcia's insur-
gent forces in the east. The interior towns
seized by them. after great waste of rebel
ammunition, are after all, he said, but OF
little strategic value to Spain at present
from a military standpoint.
REBELS DEMORALIZED.
In Las Villas. the death of Serafin San
chez has for the time completely demorallzed
the enemy, he says, giving rise to innumer
able jealousies among the surviving local
white chiefs, leaving Quintin Banderas and
,lhis oriental contingent of blacks and mu-
lattC's to bear the brunt of u vain defense
OF the rebel positions against the numerous
and well organized Spanish columns operat-
ing in combination and harassing them on
every hand The death Of Mayla, Rodri-
guez and Soto in Mantanzas, the inactivity
OF Lacret there and OF Aguirre in Havana
Will. the captain general thinks, make the
pacifcation of these two provinces, once
-. Pinar del Rio Is free of insurgent bands,
comparatively an easy problem.
The weather continuing good and the
progress of military operations satisfactory,
General Weyler believes 1t possible that he
will be by February in position to permit
ioydi pidHltis III lht great CtntTdl sugar
districts, whose cane may not have been de-
stroyed to save and grind their crops. His
amnesty decree will be continued in effect
and repenting rebels who surrender them
selves will be pardoned as heretofore.
In closing the conversation General Wey-
Ter expressed compassion fer those young
Americans unacclimated to Cuba and unac-
customed to the rigors OF guerrilla warfare,
who. induced to join fllbuster expeditions
dispatched by Cubans from the United
States, soon become disgusted or ill., and
either die abandoned by the wayside or
eventually fall prisoners. Could their de-
parture from hcme be averted II would save
them suffering and prevent sensational
newspaper sories, he said The captain
general would not say how long he expects
to remain In Havana, nor whether he in
tended TO return soon to Pinar del Rio.