The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-03
SPANS CUBAN WAR
AVERAGE COST. TO THE OLD COUN-
TRY IS $6,O0O,OOO A MONTH.
No Big Battle Has Been Fought and
None Likely-Race-War Idea Plays
a Large Part in the Rebellion.
New York Herald.


1t is now over a year since the present
revolution in Cuba broke out and a survey
of the situation shows that, from 9. very
small beginning the insurrection has grown
to formidable proportions, with just a. pos
sibility that it will end disastrously for
Spain. The only question seems to be, can
Spain get enough money to carry on the
war? If she can she will win; otherwise
she will lose. Thus, If the rebels should
finally win their independence it will not
be because of any triumphs of theirs in
the field, but because of Spain's financial
paralysis. The rebels have not courted, and
will not court a decisive battle, for they
know that the trained troops of Spain, with
their complete and modern arms of war,
would sweep them off the face Of the earth.
They do not attempt the capture of any
important city, for strategic or other pur-
poses, because they know they could not
hold 1t against the attack of the Spanish
forces.
So their plan is now, as It always has
been, to wage guerilla warfare, to avoid
open battle with the Spaniards, but to
harass and annoy them by sudden and un-
expected attacks on their TANKS and rear.
to trap them into ambuscades and shoot
their leading officers. to burn and devastate
the coffee. sugar and tobacco plantations
so that they will yield no revenue to Spain.
This was the plan laid by Jose MART. the
guiding genius of the Instruction and, when
he fell, his fellow insurgents announced that
they would not change it. I'VE shall not"
he said on the eve of his departure from
New York for Cuba, risk any battle with
the Spanish forces, for we know they will
exterminate US al once. But we shall harass
them night and day by sudden attacks.
for which they shall not be prepared, and
after doing all the damage we can in these
attacks we shall run away to our hiding
places in the Businesses of the mountains
or in the depths of the swamps where the
Spaniards cannot follow Us. You know
swarm of mosquitoes will drive horse to
madness and death. We shall be the mos
quitoes and the Spanish army the horse
Following out this plan of Marti the
from one end of the island to the other
without having fought what might be truly
called called real battle, but leaving behind
lagos, wasted plantations and ruined crops.
WARS FEARFUL COST.
1t has been estimated that to maintain
her troops in Cuba, 1t costs Spain Sc, 100, 900
month, and that this sum is altogether
an outlay with no revenue to offset it. Ac-
cord.ng to a statement published In Hav-
ana newspaper of recent date, Spain has
spent SIS. 100000 since the outbreak OF the
revolution a year ago. The loss in money
to her subjects in Cuba a consequence
OF the war is incalculable, for business is
paralyzed and commerce is dead and the
losses consequent upon the burning OF viii
lagos and towns. the destruction of railway
property and the devastation OF plantations
very readily run into the millions.
The rebels stake all their hopes OF success
on this financial drain, and they say Spain
cannot stand il much longer; but, on the
other hand, 1t is claimed for Spain that her
straits and that the fact that she has al
ready spent so much money on the war is
evidence that she has or can get just as
rebels was. long ego perfectly well known
Spain would not give up the fight while she
money" a prominent Spanlard remarked
not long since. ''that Spain needs to quell
the instruction. All she wants is to meet
battle. If the sun ever rises on such bat
tie it will set on glorious, lasting victory
A few words about the people of Cuba,
her resources and her commerce. her poll
tics and her topography may not be amiss
uiation of 100000. OF this number more
than half are whites, the rest being negroes
and mulattoes, in addition to fifty thousand
the plantations. The population is further
divided into classes known ''insulares"
and ''peninsulares." The latter were born
in Spain, the others in Cuba. The penin-
sulares," or, as they are also called, emil
grants from Spain, constitute a small but
very influential element of the population.
have obtained distinction in the learned pro-
fessions or been successful in various lines
OF business. These "peninsulares," and In
deed. all the Spanish residents of Cuba, are
loyal to Spain and view the present insur-
rection with as much sorrow as the people
ten tens I've patriotic. Aboat all Of e the public
offices in Cuba are in the hands of these
Spanish residents
original Spanish conquerers Of Cuba. and con-
sttue the great class known as Cubans.
They. are fully 100000 In number. and It is
said but few thousand OF them have taken
up arms with the rebels or have any sympa-
thy with their cause. The Cubans generally,
it has been claimed have no desire TO wage
war against Spain: they are not revolutions
lists, but autonomists. ana their ambition Is
to outwit the Cortes in argument. not in bat
be gained by diplomacy than by the machete
The rest of the population are negroes.
descendants from the African tribes CT Luz
number fully $4,000. Under the leadership of
Antonio and Jose Maceo, who are mulattoes,
and are fairly worshipped by the blacks.
many thousands OF negroes have been IN
duced to join the insurrection. OF the great
bulk of the negro population II Is said they
are loyal TO Spain because in 1886 she freed
them from slavery. But they are nl.terate
and ignorant, and easily swayed by men as
aggressive and influential as the Maceos
and 1t has been said that those of them who
have been induced TO take up arms with the
rebels were told that the object of the revo-
luton was the establishment in Cuba Of
great black Republic.
MADE IT A RACE WAR.
So they plunged into the war with ia
ratic madness as IL WERE for they hate the
whites. For this reason II has been said the
revolution in Cuba Is more race war than
anything else. The negroes comprise the
bulk OF the laboring class OF Cuba, and are
generally employees on the sugar plantations.
In the cutting Of the sugar cane they use
the machete. keea. lons~bladed knife. In