The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-15
coop NEWS PROM cuBA.

| There has Deen hnother enSagement III
| Cuba of Importance enough to be called
battle.
| Ii is impossible to draw absolutely
satisfactory conclusions from the garbled
reports that reach us OF the battle, but it
seems certain that Gen. MAcEo thrashed
aud drove to the coast a considerable
Spanish column sent against him.
We have understood for some time that
the Cubans under MAcEo were inside
the Spanish trochs, that the doughty in
surgent leader in his advance toward
Havana had been entirely shut in by
Spanish troops. There is nothing new in
this situation. Since GOMEZ and MAcEo
started from the eastern extreme city OF
the island they have been, many times,
shat in by the Spanish lines. AS it has been
impossible to check the advance of the
swelling Cuban army the plan OF cam
paign adopted By both CAMPos and WEY-
ance to the advance but TO mass their
troops behind and around the Cubans
with view to keeping them from get
ting out again and the further view Of
destroying or capturing them at the earl
lest opportunity. The situation suggests
that of runner In baseball game being
caugnt between bases, the Cubans feur-
ing as the runner and the Spanish troops
as the basemen and all the rest OF the OPP
posing nine.
1t is inconceiva BILE, OF course, that the
Cuban generals have been ignorant of
this plan, and the fact that they have not
hesitated to keep on marching into the
trap inspires the confidence that they
have no fear OF 1t and know exactly what
they are about. AS matter OF fact, the
game has been going on for whole year
and never yet have the Spanish troops
been able to control or seriously interfere
been drawn about the Cuban forces and
drawn again and the Cubans have crossed
aud recrossed those lines without serious
interference, the net result being always
a nearer and nearer approach to Havana.
Remarkable strategic ability has been
displayed and success has added to con-
fdence without apparently making over
confidence.
On the other hand on two conspicuous
occasions have the Spaniards who are
doing the trapping been themselves trap
ped. Gen. CAMpos, with his body
guard, came within an ace of being
captured, and his troops suffered badly
In fighting their way out And this
latest engagement, precipitated by
an attempt OF Spanish force to destroy
MAoxo in the trap, resulted in thorough
rout of the trappers. The Spanish force
fought their way to MACEo's main body
and then had to fight their way back
again, thoroughly demorslized.
The territory of the operations has
been gradually narrowed until it appears
that tho Cubans are now confined within
tho Spanish lines J., comparatively small
military area. Their situation, on the
face of it, would appear to be serious,
but this recent battle indicates again that
while MAcEo is in the trocna he is quite
able to take care OF himself and IL he
does not break through and escape from
the trap 1t is only because he does not
choose to, but prefers to await the closing
in process and give battle. And he pro-
badly knows what ho is about.
Military operations will soon be imprac-
ticable as with the month of May begins
he long rainy season and IL is not un-
likely that General MACEo is content to |
settle down for the season within the
trocha.
Fop once n annears that ax.Governor |