The herald., 1896-11-17
|NSURGENT MACEO
OF His Ability to Resist
Weyler's Forces
The CUDANS ALSO HAVE A 1ROCHA
Guarded by Riflemen, Planted
With Dynamite
TEN TIMES WEYLER'S ARMY
Could Not Chase the Insurgents From
the Mountain Fastnesses
Maeeo Is Well Supplied With Ammunition
and Provisions
Onicials at Washington Are Reticent,
but Feeling in Favor of United
States Intervention Is Growing
TEN TIMES WEYLER'S ARMY
Could Not Chase the Insurgents From
the Mountain Fastnesses
Maeeo Is eli Supplied With Ammunition
and Provisions
Onicials at Washington Are Reticent,
but Feeling in Favor of United
States Intervention Is Growing
Stronger-Weyler Desperate.
4 Press Special Wire


NEW YORK, Nov. 16-Senor Thomas
Estrada Palma, the Cuban delegate, has
received a letter from General Antonio
Maceo under date of November 7th, as
follows:
you need have no uneasiness about
me-" says Maceo in his letter. Even IN
the case Weyler could direct against me
such an enormous army that could not
meet 1t in the field in open battle as l
have done with success now, will resort
to guerrilla warfare, and dividing my
troops into small bodies Of fifty men
each, will give hard work to even 20O,-
900 soldiers. While Weyler was prepar-
ing his trocha was making mine ALSO"
Maceo describes Immediately after
these words what he means by his tro-
cha. 1t is a narrow passage through the
mountains, and the only way In fact to
reach the strong position where the Gu
bans have their supplies of ammunition
and the factories for making powder,
and cartridges. The Spanish troops,
Maceo says, confidently. cannot get to
the Cuban stronghold. The passage ad-
mirs only one man at a time in front,
and besides that, in the space OF half a
Spanish league tn Cubans have built
400 trenches and sown them with dyna-
mite bombs. If Weyler could force the
passaEe Maceo says he would only meet
destruction half way.
In the same letter Gen. Maceo gives
news that he has captured four cannon
and a great quantity of ammunition IN
the last engagements with the Spanish
troops. especially against the corps or
Melquiso.
II had to store ammunition" he says,
"for I captured more than I needed"
With regard to provisions. he says
that he is we'll supplied. notwithstanding
the fact that the province Of Pinar del
Rio is not so we'll supplied with cattle
as the other parts of the island. But the
inactivity of the Spaniards for long
months, while they expected to meet
Maceo in the line of the trocha from
Mariel to Majana gave time to enable
the Cuban general to victual and fortify
his army.
INTERVENTION TALK.
NEW YORK, Nov. 16.-A dispatch to
the Herald from Washington says: The
Cuban situation is pregnant with possi-
bilities. There is not a public man in
the gravity of the situation The presi-
dent, his cabinet, Consul General Lee
and official and diplomats generally are
waiting for the developments of the next
fortnight, with the. greatest concern as
TO the result. All hands seem to agree
that the real crisis is connected with
Gen. Weyler's present campaign against
Maceo.
l1 A@v halt
that Consul-General Lee Is in favor of
Intervention in the interest Of securing
the autonomy Of Cuba. II Gen. Weyler's
campaign does not result in more
peaceful solution Of the present difficulty
than 10 expected.
Gen. Lee, however, is automatically
reticent as to his views on the situation
and will not admit that he favors inter-
vention.
II don't know when I will return to
Havana. A great deal will depend upon
developments here within the next few
days. Mrs. Lee Is with me and expect
to attend to some social, as well as
official, matters while here. I do not
deny that the situation is serious, but I
very much deprecate the talk Of war be-
tween the United States and Spain. and
am especially sorry to see that state
ments are attributed to me in the direc-
tion which have not made"
No one'is more anxiously watching for
developments than President Cleveland
The Cuban feature of bis message Is held
back and will not be written until some
thing definite is heard as to the result
Of Gen. Weyler's military operations
in Pinar del Rio. No one can say now
how the president will deal with the
Cuban, question in his message. All
will depend upon the result of Gen. Wey-
ler's campaign. Should Gen. Weyler be
repulsed or should he return to Havana
without accomplishing any results at all,
everything would be in choatic state in
Cuba and Spain, and there is no telling
whist the consequences would be. OF
these possibilities connected with Gen:
Weyler's campaign a complete victory
over Maceo is considered least likely to
occur.
From the reports which Gen. Lee has
made to the president and secretary of
state upon the military feature of the
situation, the authorities expect that
Gen. Weyler will not succeed in dislodg-
ine 4aceo from his mountain Businesses,
and that he will soon return to Havana
ditursdited - . military commander,