The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-12-03
AFTER THE REBELS
CAPT. GEN. WEYLER STARTS AGAIN
FOR THE FRONT.
He VIII Make Another Attempt to
Whip the insurgents in the Prov
fncc of PinEr del RiO-He Says
That Spain VIII NeNer Cease
Fighting for Cuba as Long as
Men and Money Last.

l'OIN IiGlil. IS,ft, 2SSbCltlCh ItSS.'
Havana, Nov. 2S.-To-day Capt. Gen.
Wcyler left Havana on board the
Spanish cruiser La Gazip for Mariel,
Province of Pinar del Rio, where he
will resume personal command Of the
Spanish forces operating against the
insurgents.
Later in the day the correspondent
of the Associated Press called upon
the chief of staff here and Informed
him that a dispatch received in New
York from Jacksonville. Fla, stated
that Gen. Weyler. during his recent
campaign in Pinar del Rio, lost 700
men killed ard 1000 wounded by the
explosion of an insurgent mine, and
that 1000 men of the Spanish force
were killed and 1000 wounded during
the two days fighting in Rubi hills.
The chief of staff stated that there
was no truth in the statements made;
that no mines were exploded by the
insurgents; that there had not been
two days fighting and that the re-
port of the engagement cabled to the
Associated Press at the time was cor
rect in every particular.
SO many contradictory statements
have been attributed TO Capt. Gen.
Weyler since his return from the Prov
ince of Pinar del Rio that the cor
respondent here Of the Associated
Press was instructed TO ask the Span
ish commander for n full. official and
authorized statement on the subject.
Therefore. just previous to the de-
parture of Gen. Weylcr for Pinar del
Rio the correspondent called at the
palace where he was c~OurteOuSly re-
ceiyed by the general. who was asked
to supplement the exclusive interview
with the correspondent of La Lucia
ut ArtCmiSa. which was Cahled to the
Associated Press on Tuesday after
noon. and which contained his first
public u~tterancpS since his return from
conducting the operations against An
tonic MaceO. This the general agreed
to do. He declared that he was per-
fectly satisfied with the result of his
work in Pinar del Rio. and expressed
confidence in loon pacifying the prov
incc. He said that Maceo only offered
to fight once. and after being whipped
the insurgents scattered in all direc-
tons.
Il In Mckinley.
do you believe President Mckinley
will follow the policy Of President
Cleveland in regard to Cuba?' was
sked.
Mckinley represents public wealth
| and the producing elements of that
country, and l cannot believe that a
man who so represents the work, vir-
tue and prosperity of his country can
| carry out a policy which would COM
promise the interests entrusted to his
talents and discretion as a public man.
| Hence. | think that Mckinley will be
| guided by a just and equitable policy,
without passion, and with prudence
such as is cOunselled by the interests
of the American people and the cor
dial relations existing between Spain
and the United States"
1T is reported that the Spanish
minister of war intends to send anOth-
er large contingent of troops to Cuba
in January"
Il do not know" replied Gen. Wey-
Ter. Il only think | can assure you
that the nation is prepared to make all
kinds of sacrifices. both in money and
men. which has already been proved.
to conquer in the undertaking and
make Spain's sovereignty respected
before and above everything. All the
money spent and to be spent will be
Spanish money. Cuba has Eeen asked
for nothing. neither for men o for
money. Spain does not hold Cuba to
exploit her. nor has she had anything
from her. Her pride in her great ma
tional historic traditions alone compels
Spain. and she will defend Cuba and
will exhaust her last dollar and her
last man in so doing. This is not only
the feeling of the government. but also
of the Spanish people, as is shown by
the daily growing enthusiasm and sac
riiices by the nation
"Do you think. general. that the rec
ignition of the belligercncy by the
United States would be taken as an
offense by SPAIN"
ut would be strange is any act di-
rectly aimed at a recognition of any
challenge Of Spain's right of sovereign
ty here. which people look upon as
being beyond question, did not evoke
an explosion of popular feeling which
1t would be impossible to check, eX-
cited and ardent as public sentiment
is now on the Cuban question in
Spain.
Finally the correspondent asked the
general if he would agree to a truce
in order to bring about an exchange of
views between himself and the Cuban
leaders. He answered: That would
be out of the question. Such q step
would give the insurgents an import
ance which | cannot conCede to them"