Evening journal., 1896-11-21
NEW LIGHT on CUBAN AFFAIRs

NEW LIGHT ON CUBAN AFFAIRS
The return of Consul-General Fitz-
hugh Lee to the United States from
Cuba has been quite extensively com
mented upon by the press Of the coun-
try. So far as General Lee himself d
concerned, the public is given to un-
derstand that his visit al this time
possesses no political significance. II
is wen known, however, that public
men, and diplomats particularly, feel
justified in deceiving the public as 70
their movements and intentions when
they believe il to be for the peoples
good for them to do so.
AS to what has transpired at the in
teryiews between the president Of
the United States and the secretary of
state with General Lee, there have
been many speculations, but none of
them bear the impress of truth, and
the country is pretty well aware that
these officials have the faculty Of keep
ing their business to themselves when
they are disposed to do so. But General
Lee has made some remarks of an un-
official nature to his personal friends
which are interesting They show
the condition of affairs in Cuba. with
out beating directly upon the issue of
the revolution there, as it effects this
country.
The substance Of these remarks indi-
cate that General Weyler has very
much larger army than has generally
been supposed, one entirely disportion-
ate 70 that of the patriots. General
Lee represents that the total forces un-
der the insurgents do not exceed forty
five thousand men. Opposed to them
are two hundred and ten thousand
finely armed and well-drilled regular
soldiers Of the Spanish army Anyone
would think from this statement that
the patriots had little chance Of sue.
cess, but General Lee supplies the key
TO the non-success Of Spain.
He is further reputed as saying that
this immense army is not actively in
the field engaged in chasing and fight
ing the insurgents, but comfortably
quartered in the towns and villages Of
the island. General Lee believes that
there are not five thousand men OF the
Spanish army out of sight of the forti-
fed towns, and this has been the case
since the war began. two years ago. The
insurgents, on the other hand. are al
ways at the front. energetic, active and
ready to meet the foe.
The commander of Spain's great
army sits placidly in his palace at Ha-
vana, and spends his time playing with
his children and directing the move
ments Of his troops by telegraph and
telephone. This is certainly eondi
tion Of affairs heretofore unsuspected
in the United States, and we Judge that
il cannot be understood in Spain. Cen
eral Weyler has been supplied with q
splendid and well-eQuipped army
which lies in idleness through the ap.
parent imbecility Of its commanding
chief, who confines his blood-shedding
TO occasional slaughters of unprotected
Cubans. which have gained for him the
name of a butcher
There is no reason why the reyolu-
tion in Cuba should not last for years
under such conditions as those given.
if Spain has the means to support a
dc-nothing army of over two hundred
thousand men. Such an army viii
never put down the active and patri-
otic Cubans, and without the United
States interferes. there is no prospect
for peace in Cuba. AS an excuse for
General Weyler, it occurs TO us that
his real fear is not 50 much Of the in
surgents as Of the United States. He
keeps this great army on what may be