The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-04-08
Triumph is Theirs
Rappleye Reviews the Situa-
ton ia Cuba. Rebels
WILL Win.

s7ew York, March 30.-Elbert Rap
pleye, the Cuban war correspondent of
The Mail AID Express, who was re-
Gently expelled from Habana, arrived
here to-day on the steamship Yucatan.
In an interview, Mr.. Rappleye said
II CONS back from Cuba as a depcr-
tado' of General Weyler. In his de-
cree expelling me froa, the island. l
am called an enemy of Spa1o, that
charge being based on letters published
10 The Mail and Express over my
signature. Any person familiar with
existing conditions in the island of
Cuba would k, ow that the only eDmity,
if any, have shown towards Spain
has been in telling the truth, without
fear or prejudice This Of course has
resulted in my expulsion as an Impair
tial observer. sent to Cuba to study aud
inform myself and report the progress
of events there, without restriction bav-
ing been placed upon me when | ac-
ceptcd this mission.
Il unhesitatingly state that within
three mouths the insurgent cause would
be triumphant if the United States
government would grant them bellig-
erency rights and give the Cuoans auy
thing resembling dghtiOg opportunity.
The Spanish are now on the defensive.
Every battle fought in Cuba in the past
80 DAYS has been invited by the rebels
They have more ammunition noW :han
they ever have had. and if they can
maintain source Of supply there is
not anything that can prevent them
from wiooipg. General Weyler has
been Spain's greatest mistake in the
war. His name and reputation carried
az oGiam which attracted the attention
Of the world. The best evidence of
his bad generalship is his complete fail
ure to hold the osurgent armies back
after they had left the western prov
inces Of Cuba:
"Maceo started his western cam
paien, which is now complete, with
Is. 900 men, one,third of whom had
not single srm to fight with. Those
who had guns went into battles with
one or two cartridges and knowing that
unless they captured the euemy's am-
muuition they would have nothing TO
Gghs with the next day. They are
coming back now with the whole cargo
fron the Bermuda, and General Wey-
Ier is withdraw wing the Spanish defences
from at last one-ha.f Of the principal
points Of the island to bar their prog
This leaves Gomez, With larger foace
than Maceo, practically unrestricted TO
Go as he pleases in three quarters of
the area Of Cuba, while the barrier
! which Weylcr is attempting to place
before Alaceo is acknowledged by QUE
of his Own generals. with whom |
talked just before my departure, to be
but little stronger numerically than
Maceo's army, notwithstanding the lac'
that in all Of the invasions heretofore
the Spanish have uosuccessfully at
tempted to prevent them with the pum-
bers in their favor Of at least four to
one. While there has been some doubt,
perhaps justified, about the military
organization Of the rebel armies. that
exists 20 longer, as they are perfectly
organized, with commanders of every
rank, at this time. and all of their
operations are being conducted as sys.
tematically as those Of the Spanish.
Their one appeal to the world is not for
sympathy, but ammunition -