The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-18
HOAX YARNS ABOUT HAVANA.
STORIES THAT THE CITY WAS IN
DANGER OF CAPTURE UNTRUE.

n Dangcr-The Press Censorship
& Big Army at Campos' Command
Hut Gomez Proving IA Very Foxy
Leader-NO Sign of the End of the
Conflict.
Havana, Jan. Is. via Tampa. Fla. Jan
I.-With the cOmmander-in-chief OF the
rebel forces only fifteen miles away and
the entire island overrun with rowing
bands of insurgents, the people of this
city pursue their usual vocattons with a
serenity and lack of outward sign of un-
easiness or alarm that is remarkable Mer-
chants and business men generally discuss
the situation as though II were nothing
more than spell of hard times 1t GER
tainly is that. for all the railroads out OF
here have notified the authorities that they
can run no more trains. There is little
shipping in port, for there remains only
stored goods for export. Several Ameri-
can tobacco houses have shipped all their
goods to the states. closed their ware
houses and business generally is stag
nant. The future of Cuba is not bright
and the rebellion has reached the magnl-
tude of a civil war. although Spain will
not officially admit that anything but brig
andage and some disorder exists.
American newspapers have arrived here
with long and startling accounts Of the
condition Of affairs in this city and inn
mediate vicinity. Most of these accounts
are labeled "by Associated Press" and
are dated from Havana on the day pre-
ceding publication. That fact alone
proves that they were never written in
Cuba, for the press censorship OF cable
grams is so strict that such matter could
N he On har
true. The announcement that Havana
had fallen and only MORO Castle held
out which was given Boston date and
claimed to have been sent from Batan-
DO, was q palpable fake, for Batanbo,
which is q small town on the south coast,
had been cut off from communication with
Havana by rail or wire for three days.
During the interval that these alleged
cable dispatches stated this city to be
in condition bordering upon a reign of
terror. the opera was well attended, there
was the usual throng promenading the
Central Park evenings, and people assem-
bled in the clubs and cafes without the
least apprehension Of an attack upon this
city IT was not until the arrival of the
American papers, which are served by
the Chicago Associated Press that the
residents of Havana learned of the alarm
and dread which some one at distance
imagined they were passing through.
The city is protected from approach by
land as well as from the sea, by modern
fortihcations and field artillery. Capture
| by an army like that of Gomez without
| cannon does not come WITHIN LHo range
! of probability, and he Is too shrewd a
leader to make the foolhardy attempt,
even though recognition as belligerents
by the United States hangs in the bal
ance.
The press censorship is more rigid than
at any time since the insurrection was
| begun. Senior Casanas, the political sec
rotary of the governor general, has re-
Gently replaced the chief of staff, the
| former censor. He does not speak Eng
| lish and all cablegrams in that language
accOmnanian literal
Spanish. Senor Casanas is extremely
| courteous and kind I'm his manner, and
only pauses in his protestations of re-
gard to draw his pen through few sem
tences is your cablegram which do not
meet his approval.
upon kilograms occurred on Sunday, when
the insurgent leader, Cepero, was cap
tured by the authorities, travelling In
cognito on a South Coast steamer The
/ Diaro de la Marina issued an extra de-
scrbing the arrest, which was given an
exaggerated Importance, when 1t Is con-
| sidered that only one man was taken,
| without arms, and he was of Indifferent
| fame. / attempted to cable IL TO the
states Sunday night The censor stopped
| IL. telling me that while 1t was permitted
to be published in Havana, 1t could not
go to New York until the next day. On
Monday L again mentioned the arrest in
my cablegram, but 1t was cut out, al
though l was permitted to tell of the at
tack and burning of two towns by the
only what is known as official news is
| permitted to be published in the Havana
! papers, and Secretary Casanas has a te-
| dious task each day reading the proofs
of all news and editorial matter which.
| has any connection whatever with the
war. After reading the Spanish transla-
| tiOn of a cablegram the secretary signs
| his name TO IL and places his official
| stamp upon it. Both copies may then be
| taken to the cable Office and the English
| version is transmitted.
Gen. Campos has draw all the available
| troops from the provinces Of Santiago,
! Santa Clara, and Puerto Principe and
| thrown them into the narrow portion of
| the island around Havana and Matanzas.
| 1t is a country without mountains or for
ests; it is rich in sugar cane and has
! more towns more people, more railroads
| and more improvements generally than
any other part of the island. Gen. Cam
| pos is supposed to have 10000 regulars
! and 80 600 volunteers at his disposal The
| latter are kept in the cities and towns for
! home defense except few regiments,
! which have been sent out with regulars.
| 1t is supposed, though no figures are given
! out, that Gen. Campos has about. $1,000
| regulars in the provinces Of Havana and
/ MatanZas, extending to the Pinar del Rio
| line. This force has attempted to pen Co
| mez and Maceo in the west end of the
| island and has repeatedly attempted to
4 surround and crush the willy leader
| Of the rebels; but Gomez is like fox,
he avoids all traps and lodges through
some very narrow places. He openly an
nOunces his intention to invade the west
| ern provinces and stop the grinding of
! cane in order to cut off Spain's main
revenue. He has apparently accomplish
| ed his purpose and in doing so has wrought
vast destruction upon crops and property
| generally.
He has turned his attention from crops
| to the railroads, giving as his reason that
| they were being used by the Spaniards
| for military purposes. HIS men have set
| fire to freight trains and started them rum
| ming across the country. They have NOV
| ed locomotives two miles apart and start
| ed them running toward each other at full
| speed. They have burned trestles, sta
/ tfons, coaches and freight sheds.
After destroying about one-third of the
| cane in the field and causing most of the
planters to stop grinding, Gomez issued
| The following proclamation:
General Headquarters of the Liberating
! Army of Cuba.
Sugar Estate Mi Rosa, Jan. 10, 1896.
In consideration that the crop has been
| suspended in the western districts; and
| whereas 1t is not necessary that the burn
| ing of the cane fields should continue, 1
| depose the following:
Article /. The burning Of the cane fields
| is now prohibited.
Articles 2. Those that contravene this
| doposition whatsoever be their category
or rank in the army, will be treated with
| the utmost severity Of military discipline
in behalf of the moral order of the revolu-
tiOn.