The Portland daily press., 1896-03-31

Says the Cuban Armies Are Perfectly Or
They Could Succeed in Three Months If
Granted Belligerency Rights-Spanish
Forces Are Already on the Defensive.
New York, March 30.-El oert Rappleye,
the Cuban war correspondent of the Mail
and Express, recently expelled from Ha-
vana, arrived today on the steamship
Yucatan. In an interview, Mr.. Rappleye,
said:
Sin General Weyler's decree expelling
me from the island, am called an enemy
of Spain that charge being based on the
letters published in the Mail and Express,
over my signature. Amy person, familiar
with the existing conditions in Cuba,
would know that the only enmity, if
any, Ive shown towards Spain has hesn
in telling the truth without fear or
prejudice. AS an impartial observer sent
to Cuba to study and inform myself, and
report the progress of events, I unhesitat-
inglY state that within three months the
Insurgents cause would be triumphant If
the United States government would
grant belligerency rights, and give the
Cubans anything resembling a fighting
opportunity. Tho Spanish are now ON
the defensive. Every battle fought in
Cuba in the past thirty days has been in
vited by the rebels. They have more
ammunition now than they ever had,
and if they can maintain source OF sup
ply, there is not anything that can pre-
vent them from winning. Gen. Weyler
has been Spain's greatest mistake in the
war. His name and reputation carried
an odium which attracted the attention
of the world. The best evidence of his
bad generalship is his complete failure TO
hold the insurgents acmies back after
they left the western province of Cuba.
Maceo started the western campaign,
which is now complete, with $1,000,
third of whom had not single arm to
fight with. Those who had guns went
into battles with one or two cartridges,
and fought knowing, that unless they
captured the enemy's ammunition, they
would have nothing to fight with the
next day.
They are coming back with a whole
cargo from the steamer Bermuda. Gen.
WeyIer is Withdrawing the Spanish de-
fences from at least half of the principle
polnts OF the island to bar their progress.
This leaves Gomez with larger army
than Maceo, practically unrestricted to
do as he pleases in the three quarters of
Cuba. The barrier which Weyler is at
tempting to place before Maceo is
acknowledged by one of his own generals,
with whom talked with just before my
departure, to be a little stronger numer-
ically than Maceo's army. In all the in
vasions heretofore the Spanish have un-
successfully attempted to prevent them,
with numbers in their favor, of at least
four to one. While thsre has been some
doubt, perhaps justified, about the mill
tary organization of the rebel armies,
it need not exist longer, as they are
now perfectly orga nized. with COM
manders of every rank. All their opera
tions are being conducted as systematic
ally as those of the Spanish.
"Their one appeal to tbs world is not
for sympathy, but ammunition.
HOW THEY ARE KILLING THEM OFF.
Spanish News Bureau Reports More Vic
tories Over the Insurgents.
Havana, March 30.-The insurgents
burned Penalver, q shall town two
leagues from Guanabacsa, province of
Havana. They hanged the alcalde.
Col. Monoada reports the5 his command
made reoonnoitre in tia Siguanea val
low ond docfrovod b,1r lrod houoos +Lo