New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-24
NO REFORMS FOR CUBA.
GENERAL. wEYLFR REPLIED "NO' TO
QUESTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT.
LOYALTY WEAKENING IN MANY CAsES-M'i'H
DISSATISFACTION IN SPAIN OVER THE Gun
DUCT OF THE WAR MACEoS
MEN NEITHER DEMoRAILHED
NOR STARVING.


NOR STARVING
Havana. April o. via Tampa. Fla. Aprh Elmer
Is no truth In the report that reforms are ABOUT 10
4 . - e, GOT Il, cuba Your correspondent Is IN
nosition to say that several cable dispatches on
the subject have recently passed between Tue Ni "
officials and General Weyler. The captain "ene q"
was asked II II would be possible Immediately .ie'
the assembling of the new Cortes next mont" ~
implant in Cuba the reforms which were P"Ss.'
.orlv IN 1896 General Weyler replied that the
ISLAND must first be paclfed. That setteu 'he ma
Ter for while General Weyler remains captain @
eral his wishes will be paramount Inc report Ia
reform measures will be put into effect mas 10 o'N'
Sr,bar than that the home Government mas querie"
General Weyler the subject ana receiver "e
tive reply. s.,,ad ON
The sentiment in Spain is said 10 De oNi ,' "a
fine subject That the Government is not ANXIOUS ~
make concessions is indicated by the naming U. ',e
EDITOR the proprietor and the correspondent Oh ue
sIIeraldo" of Madrid. as members OF 'he ne" ~
xas ~ rcnresent Cuba. That paper recently pun
Ished a strong editorial on Bullets MOI i.eio No
for Cuba The other Madrid papers nave pee" es
rabId in their utterances and their editors nave "o'
been named for the Cortes. These papers are NV
yoiclng the constantly growing diss"'iSA"'''o Wv"
the conduct Of the war in CUBA
Here in Havana loyal Spanlards, who take 'he
oains TO obtain other information thah SUI" az "
given out by the Government as oHiC'"i NV
oublshed by the censors local papers admit freely
have lost hope of WeyleI's being able TO crush Tue
onsurrection with the forces at his command lheS
know that he Is gaining ground: that ,he neat III
xbe interior IS now interfering with active opera
sons and that the rains will be here in rev weeks
THEIR PATRIOTISM wAvERlNG
ANY Of these spaniards. who own sugar estates OF
o,ber property which is being ruined are "aVeitns
In their patriotism, now that their poe .'o
souched They preserve semblance OF loyalty 10
Snain IN public bat in private they hope something
will happen TO stop the wreckng Of their fortunes
They do not care what II Is. so that noS'illies pe
ended and peace restored Most OF them "ouIu pre-
fer annexation TO United States or 10 any s'aoe
government, 10 independence. but the Cupais ee"'
ALLY favor independence and declare that they are
able TO govern themselves. They stil hope ior
something from the United States more than Con-
gressional expression of opinion
The situation from a military point OF view Is I'M
changed General Weylers troops hold the trocha.
and Antonio Maceo Is encamped lew mhes west VI
a. apparently in no hurry cross. The stories OF
his being in a bad way for food and clothes ior ms
sneo and the reports that he IS ready 10 surrender
or fly from the island in u boat, are ansnrdi'ies
Your correspondent is informed by Spanish oneers
who have taken part In recent operations asai1St
Afaceo that he has strong force OF We"-arihee
men with him. and that the insurgents have large
quantities % provisions stored in the hills Practi-
raIly the whole of Pinar del Rio province IL at MS
back as the Spanish troops occupy only lew
points outside Of the capital city Maceos camp mas
been at Iechuza. in that immediate nelgnoor-
hood for over two weeks. Within fifteen miles OF
him 10000 Spanish troops waiting for him TO at
tack them behind their barrcaies along the
trocha The Spanish columns. which have been
officially reported pursuing Maceo Tor ten Gays
have given the main body at Lechuza wide perth'
since Colonel Debos driven TO the shores OF ca
banas Bay where his column was saved from de-
etr,lction by the gunboat Alerta.
The massing of nsurgent forces east of the trocha
continues. jose Maceo is In command. and with
him are Masso Castillo Daz Rogue, Mirabel and
other leaders, whose forces aggregate 5000 men,
They keep the garrsons Of dozen towns In the
central and western part of Havana province In
state of constant alarm. The Government troops
are not Withdrawn from the trOcha TO attack these
parties and they practically roam will this
province even coming to the outskirts of Havana
and firing upon the line OF forts around Guanabacoa
and Maranay II is reported that several large
bodies Of insurgents from Puerto Principe and
Santa Clara provinces are moving west to Increase
the strength Of the force this side of the trocha
and to aid Antonio Maceo in case he decides at
Tempt the line There are many small en-
eagements reported in all of the provinces of the
Island In no part has anything like d restoration
Of peace been effected The cities and Important
towns are protected by garrsons stationed in small
forts and block houses. At a low estimate 1000
structures for defensive operations have been erected
by the Spanish troops In the last year.
The recent entrance of the rebels into Santa Clara
City, the capital of the province Of the name
has led the Government TO transfer the military and
civil headquarters, the courts and all Government
business TO Cenfuegos, which is sea-coast city, and
may be protected by gunboats as well as land forces
In order to prevent insurgent operations In the
northern part of Santa Clara province the military
authorities have decided to construct trcchd, OF
strong line. from Sagua along the line Of railroad
eastward to Camajuani, and from there to the
north coast inclosing rich agricultural zone
about twenty miles long and fifteen miles wide
Sixty forts and number Of barbados are now be-
ing built along the line. From Pinar del Rio City 10
Coloma its seaport line OF forts within rifle shot
of each other has been built. mainly for the pro-
lection of conveys of provisions and ammuntiOns
between the landing place and the city. In all
parts of the Island these operations for holding ter
ritory now overrun by insurgents being rapidly
pushed completion before the beginning Of the
rainy season.
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