The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-16
wEYLRR ON THE DKTHxsrvE.


spaluss Control Of Caba Looe-l1oeeops
Position Not Desperate.
London. May 1.-The Times pahllshss .
fhree-column letter this morning from .
correspondent in Havana under date Of
May In the course OF the letter this cor
respondent ays:
IA il quite useless 70 hide the real stu
alton The whole island - In revolt. ana
the Spanish troops are merely acting on
the defensive. II Is impossible that they
can prevent the landing Of supplies ana
war materials for the rebels Even the
position of Aaceo's forces confined In Pinar
del RIO Is not o: as desperate q nature as
the spxniards make believe Only a few
isolated rebels have taken advantage Of
Capt Gen Weyler's offer OF amnesty.
Spain has Iozt the power to protect life ana
property In Cuba
widespread inquiries fan to Justify the
charges Of cruelty against Capt. Gen. wey-
Ter. but the rebels destruction Of property
cannot Be Justified. The wanton burning
Of some ci.ooo.oo worth Of property be-
forging 20 inofeusive people II not war"
Tie letter proceeds 10 cilase upon the
economic ruin wrought by the breakdown
Of the sugar crop. which has rendered
Thousands destitute. while the tobacco
trade 10 In . still worse condition. The
cigar factories OF Havana" the corre-
spondent continues. have material for
only . few weeks. and the closing Of their
doors means the throwing out Of employ
mens Of g. no persons. The total exports
from Cuba are estimated at fs0oo. 90 sl5.-
eoo.esO. compared with fi30o00oe for 1855.
But for the trading involved by the war,
every merchant would be comueiled TO SUE
pend business. One OF the mos. prcmin-
ct merchants hero says tina; Cuba has
rsceived its death blow. but In my opzu-
Ton An immediate peace would still leave Q
frSr h. sxP {t~s
Commenting edltorially, the Tines saySs
"A more melancholy picture would b I'm
possible TO imagine than our Havana cor
respondent draws. bat Il ID doubtful
whether any Demonstration OF the des-
perste nature Of the case VIII induce the
Span.ards to acQu.esce IN an Arrangement
so CALLING to their national pride a. that
which our correspondent suggests. namely,
autonomy guaranteed by the United States.
Taking the DENIAL picture - # Il present.
ed. We see but one hope for the main
te1ance OF the Spanish connection. namely,
. speedy and thorough re-conQuest. fol-
lowed BY q redress Of grievances. the
abolition Of corruption and an honest gov
eminent Of Cuba for the Cubans instead
Of for the Official classes il Spain
Tfse Times Havana letter says: "Senor
Dupuy de LONE. Spanish minister at
Washington City. recently Informed me
that the reforms granted by the Abar-
xUzga law adopted by the cortes In 1876
would be shortly applied. and that the
Cuoans are not advanced enough to re-
ce.ye autonomy. Perhaps Senior de LONE
Is right. but Il r. absolutely certain that
the rebels VIII come to terms on no other
condition than autonomy. and even now
the time may be past for compromise.
There are only three possible sndings Of
the rebellion
"rrrst-A continuance Of the prreent
policy OF the ruin Of Cuba
Second-That the Cubans should rain
their Independence by fighting until Cuba
Is bankrupt. with the result that the ISL
and would be given 70 anarchy and war
between the whites and hlacks Cuba az
an independent republic would become a
he'll upon earth. compared with which
Hayti Is a paradise.
''Third-That Spain should offer auson-
ofny on the Canadian model, under the
guarantee OF the United States. All OF
the better class OF Cubans would accept
such guarantee. peace could be con-
ciuded Immediately. ana Spain would re-
tain fertiis country under her own nax
TO emigrate to-
The letter concludes by complaining Of
the rnuzxiine OF the Cuban press. snow
amounting TO complete gag"