New-York tribune., 1896-11-25
uACEO BAFFLED WEYLER.
.o DECISIVE BLOW WAS STRUCK IN
PINAR DEL RIO.

,rrxrs 11-BIIANT OVER THE CAPTAIN GEN
,,.s RETURN TO HAvANA-HE SAYS HE
,,r. IN SETTLE PRESSING FINANCIAL
AND OTHER MATTERS - THE
WAR As VIEWED FROM
WASHINGTON.
$500. \ov o3-Every effort has been made
-, the true reasons for the return last
-. % Havana of Captain-General Weyler
ne tho nrovince Of Pinar del Rio, but moth
~. senite has become known. All that is
me, ,"e ,s that he came here on the gunboat
'.oavn from Mariel. accompanied by only one
,s..,ant The rest of his staff came by rail
from Artemisa.
GENERAL Weyier has made no official declara-
.,o, concerning the condition Of affairs in the
.-.,,rce of Pinar del Rio. In an interview had
,.. him inst before he left Artemisa to board
~. ,ecazpi at Mariel. he said he was satisfied
,,A his campaign. He had crossed TO the
'.,h and had expected to meet Maceo and give
49,, combat He had. however met only small
x.nas NJ rebels. who disappeared when the
c-.r,sb troops came near TO them.
urnsn asked where Maceo was. General Wey-
g. .o,d. "I do not know where he is. 1t is GER
..,n that did not meet him in either the hills
~ aa,ss Of Pinar del Rio. Despite their brava-
49,. the rebels never fight but always flee
~ the approach of our troops
General Weyer added that the supplies OF cat
A.. oh,.,ued by the insurgents are disappearing.
.hs troops capturing and destroying all that
49, cav The military combinations planned
sr him hao resulted as he had expected. All
49,. combinations were not finished. but there
,rouId be much less to do at the end of the year
EVEN LOYALIsTS DISSATISFIED.
The press comments on the return of the Cap
tain-General are guarded, as is natural under
tbe strict censorship exercised here. 1t is ru-
nored that he will sc, IN return to the field. One
report is that the chief reason for his return TO
Havana was pressing Government business
which demanded his personal attention. How
ever nothing really definite is known ana oc-
eurrences in the near future are anxiously
awaited Some dissatisfaction IS quietly eX-
messed. even by loyalists. that General Weyler
after his long preparations to inhict a crushing
blow on Maceo. should now come back to the
csn,.al without even catching sight of the main
body Of the rebels. The insurgent SYM l.
thizers are jubilant believing that General
Weyler's return sgnalizes the abandonment or
his personal leadership Of the campaign.
The report that the men captured on the
American filihustering schooner Competitor had
been retired by a court martial de-. ite pro-
test filed by Consul-C;eneral Lee prior to his de-
parture from Havana, is without a word or
truth. Only the preliminary examinations OF the
nr,soners on their second trial. as ordered by
the supremc Military and Naval Tribunal In
Madrid have as yet occurred. II is not known
when the trials will take place.
AN INTERVIEW WITH WEYLER
uadridy Nov PA dispatch to the "Impar-
.,o,.. from, Havana says that in an interview
c.,e,sl Wcyler said that ne had returned from
fhe Province of Pinar del RiJ owing to the ne
cessity Of settling the question the new issue
Of notes by the Spanish Bank. and other urgent
matters After these were settled he wouic be
r. ady to return to the field.
He added that ne did not believ" that Maceo
had more thar 6.OO0 men, and that these were
sattered in remote positions. The object OF the
recent Sparish operations had been the occupa-
ton Of the hills and passes. and the cutting OH
Of the supplies of the insurgents. The Few IN
sureents in the provinces Of Las Villas and Ha-
yana were easily kept in check. There were more
rebels in Camaguey than in Las Villas ana ha-
vana but the Spaniards had little to lose there'
Moreover the Cyject Of the insurgents In gather
ine there might be to distract atteroon from
Maceo in Pinar del Rio AT any rate, ne wouid
crush the rebellion in the latter province before
dealing with the insurgents elsewhere
MOVE FOR EFFECT ON CONGRESS.
Washington. Nov "a (SpeciaD.-General Wey-
ier's unexpected return to Havana in the face OF
known instructions from Madrid "to remain at
the front for international and political rea-
sons" has been noted here with much interest
Among well-informed persons the opinion has
been reached that the present activity OF the
Spanish troops in Cuba is due 10 desire for
spectacular effect on Congress. For montHs
General Weyler has won no advantage In CUBA
That Spain should issue new loan and that
Weyler should suddenly r-sh to the front just
before Congress meets are thought 10 be signih-
cant. 1t Is 5umeG that the General VIII re-
turn to the front. His orders from his superiors
ht Madrid require him to do this as well ~ to
keep up a show of activity.
Surface Indications point strongly to an under
standing on this score between the Administra-
ton and the ldrid Governml mt 1t Is a fact
which has been told in The Tribune that some
time ago the Administration in somewhat Wig
orous note called the attention Of Spain to the
serious conditions existing in Cuba The dis
patch set forth that the revolution in the island
was operating most injuriously on American in
terests. and that for this reason the United
States felt ii had the right to urge that the in
surrection should speedily be put down. IL was
also said that this Government would be pleased
70 Know by what date Spain hoped to quell the
!nsurrection and to restore order throughout the
Island. About the time this note was framed
part Of It's contents was published in these
dispatches. In a general way. but I'm mlder
tones. 1t followed the lines OF one Of Seer tary
iish's notes written on the same question when
the last revolution in Cuba In progress.
When extracts from the note were published a
somewhat violent denial Of the correctness Of
me dispatch was given out by the authorities
Subsequently they admitted that a note Of this
tenor was sent to Spain.
ePAlNs EXPECTATIONS NOT FULFILLED.
II now appears that a short time ago Spain
replied to the note Of the State Department. The
Madrid Government informed the United States
hat it was the expectation OF Spain tat the in
direction In Cuba would be put down and
lkshc condition Of affairs In the island be