San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-06-19
FLOCKING TO HAVANA.
SPANISH GENERALS TO HOLD A
COUNCIL OF WAR.
Great Discomfort Among Spanish Troops
A Few Authentic Gases of
Butcheries.

spanish generals nave Detu uOcAIuss
into Havana from all parts of the is
land. There are here at present Gen
erals Oldare, Barrague, Gonzales,
Munoz, Ruce, Melguiso, Hernandez,
Ferrer, Basan, Altachste, and Ynclan,
without counting -SuareZ Valdez,
brought disabled from the wounds he
received in the Descanso engagement
with Maceo. Naturally with these
generals there have arrived a great
number of colonies, lieutenant colonies
and other minor officers forming the
staff of the generals, the list of which
will fill q column.
The hotels are crowded with them
to the great satisfaction of the hotel
keepers. who are reaping rich har-
vest with so many guests. The cafes
are also having boom. for at night
nothing is seen in them but the white
caps and blue uniforms of officers of
all ranks, slipping their lemonades or
other refreshments, discussing war
matters Nobody looking at these men
taking their drinks with such tran
guilty would ever imagine that the is
land is convulsed with a tremendous
war, which only the American admin
istration seems to ignore and most Of
them have still ON their hands the
blood stains of innocent people, shed
in their implacable fury TO destroy
whatever bears the name of Cuban,
be it man, woman or child. Not a few
of them bear on their faces the stamp
of their characters. Take for instance
Melguize, a tall, lean, clOse-shaven,
small, piercing greyeyed and gener-
ally sneakish expression, which de-
notes his cowardice and brutality, re-
pulsive to witness. The presence of
all these generals and officers is excit-
ing comment. Many believe they
have been called by General Weyler
to arrange another of his famous COM
binations against Maceo in order to
force him out of Pinar de Trio, where
il seems that the chief is doing what
ever he chooses without the least in
tention of leaving the trap" they had
set for him. They now appreciate the
stupidity of having established that
Gordon after MaceO got inside the pro-
vince, and not before he tried TO enter
it, as any other of the generals would
have done according to the simplest
rule of military tactics. Consequently,
seeing the grave error they have COM
mitted and that the trocha is crunb-
| ling to pieces on account of the rains
and fevers which are sweeping the
men away by the hundreds, they have
decided to push Maceo on the line and
force him to cross it in order to have
preteXt to break up the line. 1t is
also said that they will clear the road
and put no great obstruction in his
way for that purpose. The question
is TO break up the trOcha, which is
mere wart ON Weyler's nose. 1t re-
mains to be seen what MaceO has to
say about it.
The generals have begun to ask for
money to pay the troops. who have not
been paid since February last. 1t is
said that there is great disconJent
among them and many of them are
deserving to the rebel ranks. 1t is also
rumored that two battaliOns mutinied
in Las Pasos, Havana province, few
days ago, but the mutiny was quelled
by paying them their arrears. Anil
that there is some truth in this is
proven by the fact that in this city
you are accosted almost daily by
many poor, ragged soldiers, requesting
the gift of few coppers TO buy ciga-
rettes or other articles. Nothing more
sickening can be seen than these poor
soldiers strolling around the city in
their soiled, tattered outfit, with an
old straw hat battered out of shape,
with their toes protruding from their
shoes 1t is shame and disgrace to
Spain to keep these poor fellows in
such a pitiable state. And while the
officers look unconcerned on the miser-
able condition of their soldiers they are
filling their pockets with the proceeds
of scandalous speculations, carried on
with the greatest audacity. Some
thing has been said about the big sums
which are being made by hiding the
great number of deaths. The generals
keep them livng-on paper-in order to
receive their pay. This is the reason
why no accurate data can be obtained
of the actual losses of the Spanish
army since the beginning of the war,
and all calculations are based on mere
suggestions which, according to good
authority, exceed 10000 men.
Another big speculation has been
the horse business. When Campos
ordered the seizure of all the horses
in the island to mount the troops he
commanded that the owners were to
receive S34, the maximum price of
each, they being given receipt which
was to be collected in time, but has
never been paid up to the present.
Now it appears that the treasury has
paid 81 .29S, $500 for the purchase of
3S, 1877 horses, according to disburse-
ments made in the following manner:
April, 1895, $11OS26.60; May, 1895,
s19O, $1,000; June, 1895, $93, 1872; July,
1895, S115,55O; August, 1895, 1884, 1884,