The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-17

ENCOURAGING NEWS.
A Letter From Cuba Tells Of the
Present Situation.

Senator OF prominence in Cuban affairs
to-day received letter from Gen Fran
cisco Garlic, of the Cuban army, who
was tried and acquitted in Wilmington,
Del, for supposed violation Of the neu.
trality laws. The letter was dated in
In Campana province of Santa Clara,
Cuba, shortly after Maceo's assassina-
ton. 1t says i'll part:
Distinguished friend of my highest
consideration: The general condition of
the revolution cannot he more satisfac-
tory to us. We are more powerful every
uay, while ut every step and moment the
ihcapaclty OF Spain to vanquish us is put
In evidence. Our forces cover all the
lsland moving freely from one end to
the other, conducting offensive tactics
everywhere and repeatedly striking ssgood
blows to the cncmy's forces and towns,
as much as the special character OF this
war allows and the manner in which the
Spaniards carry on the campaign.
I'VE can say that Tie country BELONGS
TO Us. In the greater part Of the island
it is ours absolutely, as it happens i'm the
East, Camaguey, Remedies, Santi Spri-
tns, Trinidnd and Pinar del Rio In
these zones the Spaniards live completely
shut up, almost bcsicgcd i'm the seaports
ana towns OF Importance, and in the rest
oil the island they do not command any
more territory than the one they tread
upon when they are operating
only by bringing in mt one time 100
ooO men could they not vanquish us. but
place It's i'll !, less favorable position and
this Spain will not be able To do much
less when she has to carry on another
war in the Philippines, which thus be.
came an auxiliary to us.
In the meantime we are also prepar.
ing for this winters campaign and we
are preparing ourselves well, for now we
are not in need of war elements, and
moreover we believe that the Spaniards
with what they ;ue able to muster will
attempt TO make II last supreme effort
to conquer US. You will pardon me if
do not write what our plans are: their
results will soon be felt.
Our effective army consists of 80, 600
men, fully armed and more than double
Thu number ready ito receive weapons,
all under the command OF the renowned,
interchangeable general, Chief Maxine
Gomez We have divided the island into
two military departments, II western de-
partmcnt, which is west of the .Iucaro
ANA MarOn trocha, under the command
OF Major-Gcneral Antonio Maceo, lieuGen.
ant general of the army of liberation:
and an eastern department from the east
of the said trcchn, under the command of
Major-General CnliNto Garcia Each of
the Spanish divisions wc,have constituted
into an army corps and in each of the old
districts we have brigade composed of
the forces constantly operating in that
locality. These brigades are organized i'm
regiments: these regiments into battal-
ions and companies, if they are of infan-
try, and III squadrOnS if of cavalry: the
latter constitute the greater part of our
forces owing to the requirements of the
campaign
The supreme power of the revolution.
as you have seen from our constitution
voted September IS, 1925, by the repre-.
sentatives of the Cuban people in arms
in meeting assembled, is vested in Il gov
eminent council, consisting of IL prcsi-
dent anu four secrctarics-of foreign
affairs, war, treasury and Interior =
The treasury is in charge of IA sccre-
tary who has under him a'superintendent
OF finance in each state, and under this
Il delegate of the treasury in.each district,
and under this the necessary sub dele
gates. The commissary department, the
work shops, the citizens. police, are I'M.
| der the secretary of the interior, who has
| civil governor i'll each. state. .Immeu-
| lately under the governor there is II lieu
tenant.governor OF each district and this
one has under !. him the inspectors ..of
| workshops, coasts and communications
and the projects and sub.prefccts ana the
postmasters of the districts, employing
the foreman and the workmen of the
| shops for the best service as well as the
employees of the prefectures and sub-pre-
lectures and to mounted mail carriers.
All this is com pletcd with the herds OF
horses and cattle held in reserve and the
cultivated zones TINT we have also estab-
iiShed.
''Oh, if the United States would recog.
nize our belligerency our triumph would
he an Immediate one. 1t is enough to
think that such recognition would place
us in conditions OF obtaining promptly
III that country the necessary implements
to commence and energetic, decisive cam
paign, while it would make the Span
iards lose all hope of recovering the is
land know that you will continue to
aid us in this manner. Not only our own
interests demands, but also that OF the
American people and the supreme inter-
csts Of humanity. Indeed, this war will
not terminate until we have obtained our
independence, and the longer il lasts the
| greater will be the loss and damage that
American commerce will suffer and also
| the property of American .owners. The
| Spanlards will continue to commit deeds
| of violence and atrocities against human
ity, some of which the press daily ex-
| poses and numberless ones that it can
not publish and which increase rs they
see themselves lost, and that they do not
| receive from foreign powers the condem-
nation which should unanimously be
| given to such acts of savagery. We
| coatinued on fourth page