Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-27
BUSINESS PARALYZED
The Condition Of Things on the
Island of Cuba.
G0MEZS HEALTH Is NOT IMPAIRED
Much is Expected Of the New
Captain General.
SPAIN MAY ULTIMATELY WIN

The gentleman who in November gave
The Star SO accurate an account of the
Cuban situation at that time has just passed
through Washington on another trip direct
from Havana. He left the island the mid
die of last week. Speaking Of the situation
| there now to representative of Tie Star
| this gentleman said:
| Business on the island is completely par
| alyzed. The towns are idle, the country
| precincts harried by marching men. At no
time, probably, during the ten years war.
between 1868 and 1878. was Cuba In SO dis
tressing plight as she is today"
Much Expected of the New General.
rs much expected of the new captain
| general?"
| Yes; but he comes to assume duties
hedged about by thousand difficulties.
| His course cannot be predicted, except that
| the talk Of an Inauguration Of a barbarous
| warfare by him may be put down as nom
| sense. Even If he were disposed to such
procedure, he would not dare enter upon
| 1t in the face of well understood public
| sentiment in this country. That alone
would restrain him. He is said to be an
able man, part soldier, part politician, like
1
| something about Cuba, from service there
in the past and that ought to help him.
What is the grade Of the Spanish troops
on the island?'
young, vigorous. brave enough. They are
| well disciplined. don't know any soldiers
| who in like circumstances would willingly
! stand more hardships than they are. stand
ing. They are well differed and are on the
| go continually. But they afoot, while
| the other fellows are mounted; AMI not
| only mounted, but constantly maneuvering
| to avoid a general engagement. That ex-
| plains much Of the apparent helplessness of
! the Spaniards."
| Why are not the Spaniards mounted?'
| "Horsef1esh is scarce in Cuba, and poor
The Cuban pony is an inferior beast. He
| can't carry much more than his rider
Gomez and Maceo get the best out of him,
| but this is because their men are so scan-
| munition and grub, and Cuban ponies
wouldn't carry them very far. There has
been some talk of importing horses, and 1t
may come to that. But. as a matter Of
| fact, real cavalry warfare is impossible in
| Cuba. There are no roads, properly so
| called. and a campaign depending for sue
| cess largely on cavalry or artillery would
| certainly fail"
Not Aiming ut Havana.
Have Gomez and Maceo strengthened
themselves much Of late?"
| 1T is hard to say. Their tactics are
liable to be misunderstood at a distance
Gomez has been reported as aiming at
| Havana That is a mistake. He couldn't
take Havana with his present force, and
couldn't hold it with three times his pres
| ent force. If the Spaniards could entice
| him into Havana, and get. him between
| their fire in the harbor and their fire from
the land force they could at once concen-
| trate around the town, they would be able
to bag him. He's too smart for that"
| But wouldn't his friends in town rise
| up and help him?'
Both Gomez and Maceo have the pro-
| foundest contempt for the so-called friends
| of Cuba who live in the towns. They de-
scribe them as towards who sit in cafes
| slipping sweetened water and talking
patriotism in whispers. They can't under
stand why these men, If they care any
| thing for the cause, don't take the field at
once; don't come to them instead of wait
! ing for the insurgents in arms to take the
| towns"
As to GOmeA's Health.
1T is reported here that Gen. Gomez is
! in very poor health"
| Il don't believe the report. He is in
dulging in some very hard campaigning
| but my information in Havana was that
| he was sleeping in the open air in ham,
| mock, and was one of the first in the sad
Gle in the merning 1t may be true as re-
ported that he has received ball in his
leg. He is one of the bravest of men and
never shirks dangers
| well, how much longer is the STRUGGLE
likely to continue?'
Il wish I could answer that question
| But 1 cannot. Nor do I think anybody
else can. Both sides have their dander up.
| The Cubans well led. Gomez and
Maceo are capital fighters in their line.
They know heir people aud every foot of
| the island. The Spaniards, as 1 have al
ready said, are well equipped. The Spanish
ISyfH anv,f IL
| are heavy, but sufficient money seems to
| be in sight. Spain's borrowing power is
as yet unimpaired. Active operations fow-
ever, are likely to be suspended in about
| two months, when the rainy season be-
| gins, and continue suspended until fall,
when 1t ends. This season this year, too,
| Is likely to be unhealthy, and the Spanish
| troops will accordingly have to be well
| cared for to prevent decimation by yellow
fever
What is the present feeling On the island
about the attitude Of this government?"
Spain May Win I'm the End.
"The subject is but little discussed now
| The Spaniards do not seem to fear the ac-
cording of belligerent rights to the Cubans
and the Cubans have lost the sanguine char
acter Of their expec Citations. The sympathy
| felt in this country for the Cuban cause is
generally understood, but If this does not
take the form of action it will continue to
cut but little figure in the fight. I somehow
feel that, If there is no outside interference,
Spain In the end will win. It may take a
long time, and many men and much treas
ure, but the advantages, If she sticks to her
| knitting, are with her. She has 100 900 regu-
lar troops on the island, and uninterrupted
intercourse with the outside world. The
| Cubans. on the other hand, are shut up, with
only inferior arms and without single ship.
The question is. however, whether there will
De anything left on the island worth having
If the present warfare continues much
longer. The towns without the support of
the sugar fields would be nothing, and the
sugar fields are being rapidly DESTROYED.
melancholy waste, requiring years for
restoration to conditions Of crop yielding
and prosperity"