The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-03-31
STORY OF THE SCRIBE
Elhert RappIya the Cuban War CorespOn-
dent OF the Mall and Express Talks.
EXPELLED FROM THE ISLAND OF HAVANA
General Weyler Has Been Spain's
Greatest Mistake In the War Snid
Ne. md IL This Country will Re-
cOEnizc Cubn's B.IHrcrcncy She
Would Soon BE triumphant

New York, March 3O.-Elbert Rap
plEe. the Cuban war correspondent of
the Mail and Express, who was recently
expelled from Havana, arrived here to-
day on the steamship Yucatan. In an
Interview MIR. Rappleye said:
II come back from Cuba as n deport-
ado of General Weyler. In his decree
eXpelling me from the Island, l am
called an enemy of Spain, that charge
being based on letters published in the
Mail and Express, over my signature.
Any person familiar with existing con-
ditiOns in the Island of Cuba would
know that the only enmity, if any. |
have shown toward Spain has been in
telling the truth without fear or preju-
dice. This, of course, has resulted in
my expulsion. AS an impartial observer
sent to Cuba to study and inform my
self and report the progress Of events
there without restriction, having been
placed upon me when ] accepted this
mission, l unhesitatingly state that
within three months the 1nsurgcnt
cause would he triumphant If the
United States Government would grant
the bclliserency rights, and give the
Cubans anything resembling n fighting
opportunity. The Spanish are now on
the defensive. Every battle fought in
Cula in the past thirty days has been
invited by the rebels. They have more
ammunition nov than they ever have
had. and If they can maintain Il source
of supply, there is not anything that
can prevent them from winning. Gen.
Weyler has been Spain's greatest mis-
take in the war. His name and reputa-
ton carried an odium which attracted
the attention of the world. The best
evidence of his bad generalship is his
complete failure to hold the lnsurgent
armies back after they had left the
western province of Cuba. NIaceo start
ed his western campaign, which is now
complete with 1900, one-third of whom
had not q single arm to tight with.
Those who had guns went into battle
with one or two cartridges, and fought
knowing that unless they captured the
cneny's ammunition they would have
nothing TO fight with the next day.
They are coming back now with the
whole cargo from the Bermuda, and
Gen. Weylcr is withdrawing the Spanish
defenses from at least one-half of the
principal points of the Island to bar
their progress. This leaves Gomez
with a larger army than Maceo, practi-
cally unrestricted to do as he pleaScS
in three quarters OF the area of Cuba.
while the barrier which Weyler is at
tempting to place before Maceo is ac-
knowlcdced by one of his own generals
with whom talked with Just before
my departure, t. he but little stronger
numerically than Maceo's army, not
withsranding the fact that in all of the
invasions heretofore the Spanish have
unsucccssfully attempted 10 prevent
them with the numbers in their favor
of at least four to one. While there
has been some doubt, perhaps justified.
about the military organization of the
rebel armies, these do not exist any
longer, as they are perfectly organized,
with commanders of every rank. at this
time. and all of their operations are
being conducted as Systematically as
those Of the Spanish. Their one appeal
to the world is not for sympathy. but
for ammunition"