The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-20
SPANS HOPELESS CAUSE.

Ruin Starcs Her People in the Face II
War Goes On--llad Better Abandon
Cuba is the Prevailing Sentiment at
Home.
Havana, April IA great sensation
has been produced here by letter
from Madrid, written by Senior GoroZ-
tegui, a deputy in the Cortes, promi-
nent man in Spanish politics, and some
years ago governor of the provinces
of Havana and Matanzas. Senor Go
roztegui writes to one of his friends,
who is high official in the Spanish ad-
ministratiOn here:
Cuba will surely be ruined by the
war, but what the Spaniards must know
in Havana is that Spain will come also,
and very soon. to helpless bankruptcy.
The $50. 900 men sent to Cuba represent
a standing army of 300, 900. as they had
to be replaced in Spain by the reserves.
They are all laborers, and the country
Is deprived of their work, and agricul-
ture Is practically abandoned. Their
families are now supported by the mu-
inequalities in Spain, and the resources
Of the municipalities are exhausted.
I'VE have no credit in foreign coun-
tries, and we can only afford with our
own money to pay the expenses of the
war until next August. From August
to December we will support the opera
tions in Cuba by means Of paper money.
But after that time, what shall we do?
Public opinion here Is very much
alarmed. Nobody understands how it
is possible that the insurgents, fighting
against our 10000 regular troops and
nearly the same number of Spanish
volunteers, can run from one end to
the other of the island, stop sugar
grinding, and even win in hard fights.
1t looks as though even the stones in
the island are against Spain.
our effort in the past year to crush
the revolution has been a failure. We
have no resources to stand against the
insurgents for two years more. Our
intelligent political leaders think that
we will be obliged soon to abandon Cuba
az we abandoned San Domingo in 1864.
| The circumstances are the same.
"Only the merchants of Barcelona,
| who would be deprived by this step of
| the Cuban markets in which they have
enjoyed such q great monopoly, would
| seriously complain of such step. Even
| other sensible Scaniards would rejoice,
and 1t would delight the Spanish moth
ers who now weep for their unfortunate
| sons who are engaged in Cuba in a
hopeless struggle
Private copies of this letter have cir
culated largely in Havana. but no news
paper dares to publish it, nor even to
| consult the press censor about the mat
ter. 1t is said that General WeyleI
has called to his palace the official
who received the letter from Senol
GoroZtegui and accused him of lack OF
patriotism in circulating such docu-
| ment.
| ON THE ISLAND.
| Havana, April 19-Nothing Is known
here to the movements of Gomez and
t t NhffaueU, tire rebel leaders. An Officia
| report has been issued of an engage.
ment of the troops with Mirabels com.
mand at Guanabo, province of Havana
and the killing of ten of the ins,ir.
gents. Another report gives the details
of a fight with the rebels command by
Lacret and CollaZo on the Jesus Maria
| estate near ,lovellanOs. province o
| MatanZas. The rebel loss was three
killed and number wounded Tht
Spaniards, according to the reports
sustained no losses in either engage
ment. Aside from the above fights
war news is scarce, and the officia
reports are insignificant.
1t Is said that Jose Maceo, with +.
strong force, is near La Salud, provinc,
of Havana and that Mayia Rodriguez
from Camagney, has entered the pro
tnce of Matanzas.