New-York tribune., 1896-01-11
THE CUBAN REVOLUTION.
NINE MONTHS OF SPANISH FAILURE AND
PATRIOT SUCCESS
HUNDRED THOUSAND SOLDIERS AND AN EN-
PENDITURE OF s5O.oOoooo NOT SUFFICIENT
TO HOLD THE CrBANs IN CHECK.

TO HOLD THE cCBANs IN CHECK
From The London STANDARD Dec. 2s; Madrid dis
patch.
Nine months have passed since tte then viceroy
o. cuba. General Caieja telegraphed 20 the Madrid
Government that he had discovered n Widespread
scparatist conspiracy. and that some small bands
OF insurgents. chiefly colored people had unfur'ed
thc flag Of secession in the province Of Santiago;
and seven months have elapsed since Spain sent
out 20 cuba her ablest marshal. Dol Arsenic Mar
tnez Campo. Yet the rebellion is still IN full vgor.
and the Insurgents have found Themselves IN a
position to invade those provinces IN which the
royals. forces are concentrated in strength. To
understand the difficulties which Marshal Campos
has had 20 cope with during those seven months,
and which have condemned him to remain almost
continually the defensive much allowance must
be made for MS having assumed the command
just before the beginning OF the rainy ana ul-
The Spanish Government cannot be criticised for
having - long persisted a. undertaking the grave
mpor, Of 'nsurrectlon more Formidable than all
previous risngs IN cuba when ne coi3iai anrnor-
tiles had affected. before and after the outbreak,
t. treat Ngnty the repeated warnings that they
When the nsurrection began. only nine battaons
regular army in Spain. were sent out in March
Then ten battalions Of the line, and some artillery
March and beginning Of April about the same time
as Marshal Martinez Campos vas sent out, "neh as
tiaso. to that OF Puerto PRINCIPE Directly the
surrection in Las Villas Ge Santa Clara, and ap-
piled for more relrforcemeats, the Government or
Senor Canoyas del Castillo dispatched some artli-
lery and eighteen squadrons of cavalry. drawn
from the Hussar Cazadore' and dragoon regiments
at home in May. Prepare tons were actively
pushed during the summer. and in June and august
over seventeen bataions Of the l.ne, six battaons
OF foot CaZadOres three battalons % marines.
o&at"2n & U ley ey one housand Trae;s for tae
corps ALREADY in the colony
DRAINING THE RESOURCES OF SPAIN
The reinforcement, had much reduced the peace
es,a blishnent OF the Spanish army, wh!ch is only
$3.50. strong 90 the Government: had gradually
% cali out the OF the last conscripiions who
had been sent home or unlimited furouga FOR the
sake OF economy. $500 young soldiers and
1900 hrst-class reserve men, many OF whom showed
reluctance for colonial service, gladly as they had
responded a previous call for service In Morocco
during the Melll.s confc. In 1923 Nor this
deemed sufficient. as the Mnste" OF War decided
order The cOIscripts % 1873 to come in several
months earlier than usual. and. IN fact he m
timatal that 5000 wou.u be summoned 10
b,y,,rr ,bemsSy"s ,.' ofr Tbe Finarca Minister has
been most agreeaby surprised at getting an n.
crease OF ilcoGo I'm the frs quarter OF 1906 and
ceeds Of the payments made by the fam!lies Of con-
scripts who elect 70 pay 100 IN marc cAsh sooner
than see. their sons face the deadly clmate o'
gents are nickname, by the Spaniarls ana loyal
;hc M Army OF the r@nlnSaia ;hc Mairia War 6hlce
was able to undertake to forward to ruba be-
twee: the middle of Noyenber ahi Dnrsthas.
3jo" more mon p. twenty battaliOhs of inc
lire sN la tullOnS Of taZddDies. one SIOES Ddt-
TALON of marines several mountain patierirs o'
Zoe, artillery. dozen squadrons Of lsht cavalry.
aul four companies OF engineers. Heavy drafts
from the d"pots We're als" sem yu' 20 AK w
place Of the victims OF the yeNo" ityer am of IRE
season in a colonial army OF 75oo men that had at
time 90" men in hospital WITH all the rein
nearly loo0J, m-n AT his disposal Large as this
force may seem to outsiders, II - no, ~, .eee' ne s es
territory in which the Spandras naHf aSfrd0 To oprrs Fsm
While So many OF the inhabitants at heart sym
path.ze with the insurgents cuba is very large
the Oriental department TO Cape San Antonio n
tie province Of Pinar del Rio. win a breadth
of 1850 square kilometres. including the adjacent
isles on is north and south coasts ana i has
cuba. according to the latest spanish statisycss
Asat.cs. mostly Chinese and 1929 muiattoes and
negroes This population Is more dense IN tae !
western and central provinces man III the TWO
eastern.
THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN
The province or Santa Clara has % %, $50 |
square miles with $4,000 mia bltants. and contains
important towns and ports. railway and telegraph |
lines ng IL with the three rich western prov
inces numerous plantations and sugar mills In ts
ulairs while the mountains and forests Of other |
parts OF the province afford easy shelter In this
war az they did in the past rebeons, for the |
insurgent bands particularly in Las Villas. In this
province Marshal Martinez Campos established h.s |
hea dquarters a Clara itself. and distributed
In garrisOnS. Outposts ana nylng columns nineteen |
battalions OF infantry. one battalion OF marines:
ten squadrons OF cavalry Of Spanish and colonial
oi srepv ITG eVea c"mpanes OF engineers
and many local corps OF volunteers In the prov |
s"nare klomefres with only 1000 Inhabitants In
this province the towns are few and wide apart
sorts Of the insurge who ind the majority OF |
the people of the rural districts very fayorably
DISPOSED for the cause OF secession. especially in |
the district OF CamaGuey, which has been the |
headquarters OF Maxine Gomez. and one OF the |
pruriual training grounds or the insurgents Tor |
several months. Il has been thought necessary to
fantry ten aluadrons OF cavalry. five companies |
of engineers and one n ountan battery. The most |
Sf g. 100 SQUARE kometrss and 2sS nhsbants
THIS province has been always hotbed Of insur.
h r"bcon a' OF H' ssss at Yars and Antono Maceo
caqaed the present rising to begin al Bare ni IN
province. Ike that OF Puerto Principe. for guerilla
h eer n of hh nF oop the 'ah
etrable forests La Manigua. as the spaniafis call
whole territory. Within very short time after the
beginning OF this rising, and during the greater
came masters OF the whole province OF Santiago
outs side the ports and towns garrisoned by Spanish
This disaffec;ed district twenty-sx battalons OF
Infantry; four sauadrons OF cayalry three mountain
Scaa 90 90 ihs Santiago osa GSara
prevent tie rebels making the province OF santiago
centre OF their political and military organisation.
the landing place OF most OF the hibuster.ng ex.
"a therins OF separa,ists that Antonio and Jose
Maceo easily recruited from the cSlored & people OF
gen; forces been in the four districts Of santiaso
e mana ny BY such men as Marshal campo.
erals Echague. Iachambre. SaIcedo naides ana
lef and conveys of ammunition and PROVISIONS to
he towns and ports In the Interior The r,i rebel
s%n r ncipe. more than half OF whom well mounted
kats re @ daring that they raid and loot |