The San Francisco call., 1896-02-04
Gomez Twice Crosses the Stragetic
Line Between Havana and
Batabano.
MANY USELESS FoRTIFICATIoNs
BY Strict Press Censorship the Spanish
Color Every Defeat With a Tinge
of Victory.

HAVANA, CUBA, Feb. 1 (via Tampa,
Fla, Feb. 3).-Gomez has crossed the
strategic line between Havana and Bata-
bano twice within a week. He had no
serious difficulty either time, although
the wall of men is the strongest one ever
thrown across the island by Spain.
Troops have been drawn from all parts of
the island to- make it invulnerable and
several thousand volunteers have been
added to the force of regulars along the
line. With these preparations and the
building of block houses of wood and stone,
the throwing of earthworks and the
Transforming of railroad stations, churches
and dwellings into forts, the daring rough
riders of Gomez pushed through the lines,
leaving at each dash a few dead and
wounded Spaniards TO mark their passage.
Every time the line is crossed the authori-
ties at the palace, who sift all news pub
lished here, or cabled direct, eliminate all
reference to the crossing, and state III Off
clal reports that Gomez was driven away.
After the rebel chief had gone west to
the line an official report of an encounter
with him near Guanalay revealed his
whereabouts. He was officially reported
to be in Pinar del Rio Thursday. but was
giving General Canella a. serious time on
the line south of Bejucal. 1t is two days
since that fight and no official report of
the encounter has been given out. 1t is
pretty well understood that General
Canella and 500 men would have been
wiped out by Gomez and his 1000 men had
not Colonel Galyis come to the rescue
with re-enforcements.
Ssghe hospitals are full of wounded sol :.
siers, Thousands have died on tie field,
despite the light losses given IN the
Spanish reports. Twice each day the
Government issues reports to the local
papers and the foreign correspondents
The press censor hands them out and all
news published here or cabled abroad must
conform to these reports. Similar reports
are cabled to the Spanish Ministers at
Washington, London and Paris. Mar
tirez Campos said that these reports were
ludicrous, every press censor who has held
the position has said that they are absurd !;
no intelligent American has any faitL in
them; but, forsooth, the correspondents
are compelled to send these misleading
reports or give up the use of the cables
General Marin is now at Quivican, eigh-
teen miles south of Havana. He missed
his great opportunity of penning both
Gomez and Maceo in Pinar del Rio pro-
vince by starting one day late. Now he
has Gomez on one side of the line and
Maceo on the other and will try to prevent
their meeting.
While practically all the Spanish forces
which can be spared from guarding the
cities are concentrated about the strategic
line in an effort to maintain its impregna-
bility the various bands of insurgents
roam at will in all the provinces of Cuba.
In Santiago there are frequent encounters
and all grinding of cane has been
stopped. The same is true of Santa Clara
and Puerto Principe. In Matanzas the
whole interior of the province is alive
with rebels. La Crete has united dozen
small bands. and has nearly 1000 men un-
der him. They have had daily encounters
with Spanish troops, and continue gaining
in strength.
In Pinar del Rio, Maceo is returning to
the Havana border after a triumphal cam
paign, and had turned away tn ousands
who wished to join his army. The few
Spanish troops in the province had sue
ceeded in holding the capital city and
Coloma, its port, but every other town has
been entered and occupied by Maceo in
Havana province.
Spain has over $4,000 troops and holds
one railroad Iine-the one now converted
into the trocha due south from this city.
Every town on it is now occupied by
strong force, and every train has several
carloads of troops. The Western Railroad
is partially abandoned beyond Salud, which
is fifteen miles from here; the Guanajay
road is abandoned beyond San Antonio,
about seventeen miles from here, and the
Matanzas road operates only about eigh-
teen miles to the eastward. The road
from San Felipe east of Guines and Union
has been in the hands of the enemy for
days. The last attempt to run train re-
suited in the capture of the engineer and
fireman of the exploring engine.
J. FRANK CLARK.