Omaha daily bee., 1896-03-18
RAVE NO REGULAR ABIDING PLACE
synopsis of the Statement OF Minister
dc Lnmc.

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synopsis of the Statement OF Minister
dc Lone.
WASHINGTON, March 17.--The statement
OF the Spanish side o. the Cuban ques.
tlcn ss made by Senior Dupuy dc
LONE, the Spanish minister. furnished
by the secretary OF state to the senate
committee on foreign relations. and to Witch
considerable reference has been made In the
debate on Cuba. was read yesterday In the
senate by Senator Morgan. The document is
dated. January IL aud Is introduced with n
cablegram from General Martinez dc Campos,
in which the general says: 1.-The so-called
insurgent government has no fixed residence.
They came to the villas and have returned
to Camaguey. One hardly knows where they
wander as soon as a column Of the army goes
In their pursuit. They do not live nor reside
ia an inhabited place and do not exercise any
act OF civil government"
Senior de Lomo then takes up the question
of the sugar tax, saying that 1t is not Of
greatest Importance. "lf," he says. "the crop
should be entirely lost and the average ex-
portation of 600. 900 tons were absolutely inn
possible, the loss to the treasury would be
$3.50, 900. This is less than 1 per cent OF the
war expenses
Continuing, he says the insurgents do not
occupy any part of the country permanently
and that as they are well mounted 1t is
easy for them to outmarch the troops. Their
tactics, he says, are not to engage in q fight,
but to attack the small towns, garrisoned
only by very small forces of militia. II there
are more than twenty soldiers they never
approach the block houses. Only when their
forces greatly outnumber those of the Spanish
do a part OF them stand TO fight to allow the
others to follow their usual tactics.
Senior de Lone saws that considering only
the final result of the war the condition has
been improved by the raid of the two Cuban
leaders, Maxine Gomez and Maceo. The ad-
vance to the vicinity Of Havana was in
tended, he declared, for theatrical effect and
with the hope of creating an uprising in the
larger towns, in which latter respect IL had
failed. There was, he declared, never any
prospect OF their investing Havana. There
have been no decisive victories because the
insurgents would not stand to fight and the
Spanish forces have been scattered to pro
tect property. The minister states that the
war can only be compared with our guerrilla
and Indian wars. Peace can only be at
tanned by the constant persecution of the
bands by preventing them from establishing
themselves in a part of the country, by
lessening their number by constant engage
ments and by disccuraging them, diminishing
their resources and proving to them that they
cannot succeed, because the greater part of
the country not only is not with them, but
against them. He says that they have merely
been changing their field operations in
traversing the country, but have gained no
ground.
The statement explains the advance toward
Havana by saying that the Spanish troops
attacked what was mistaken for the main
body of the Cubans and that while they were
in pursuit Gomez and Maceo pushed to the
west. Nothing, says the minister, could have
been easier, as they are mounted and are with
out commissary. The destruction of the cane
fields ia tho prpotest damape that has hppn
inflicted and this could not be prevented.
The statement is repeated in several places
that no town in the west part of the island
has risen in support of the insurgents. 1t is
evident that the insurgents know they cannot
succeed in their efforts, and that they are
spurred on by the declarations of their
junta in New York that the United States
may be brought into the matter. The junta
has succeeded, Senior de LONE says, Sin
violating the neutrality laws that they never
and now look for an indirect inter-
vention to help them in a fight that they
cannot win, because they are a small
minority. The object Of the insurgents in
destroying property, which is the only harm
that they have inflicted, is to punish the
land owners for their support of the Spanish
government and to drive laborers to their
ranks. Spain wants peace, freedom and
civilization on the island"
Minister de LONE calls attention to the
fact that the insurgents have no established
pNot - 6NNNA INV cba SeJS hSh So''SeAse I
ton was adopted only for the purpose of
it printed in the New York papers. !
He says the movements of the troops are
largely by the New York junta, COM
posed largely of citizens of the United
States. He says that everything is planned
in this country and South America and that
the leaders are mostly foreigners or colored
men, aided by home demagogues and a few
He declares they would not be
able to form a government If separated from
Spain. The negroes, he declares, constitute
of the insurgents.
Spain will have the necessary money" to
sustain the integrity of her territory. The
junta could not understand the unanimous
and staunch determination of the political
PARTIES and of everybody in Spain to sacrifice
he last man and the last dollar to prevent
bad minority of the people, without stand
ng in the island, to oblige the large ma
ority to accept, against their will a change
of the island that Is today the
ichest territory of the Spanish-speaking
lations in America"
In conclusion, the minister says: ut is
he opinion of everybody that in a very short
ime the main body of the insurgents, which
s in a critical condition., will be dealt with,
tut that il an increase of the Spanish army
n Cuba is necessary 1t can be easily sup
lied from SPAIN"
Condition of the Treasury.
WASHINGTON, March 17.-Today's state
nent of the condition of the treasury shows: