The San Francisco call., 1896-11-25
CUBAN PATRIOTS
ARE REJOICING
Think Weyler's Return
Means Abandonment of
the Campaign.
But the Captain.General Says
the Insurgents Cannot Hold
Out Much Longer.
While the Spanish Leader Rests in
His Palace the Rebels Are
B,sieging Puerto Principe.

HAVANA, CUBA, Nov. A.-The report
circulated by the New York World to the
effect that the men captured on the
American flibustering schooner Com
petitor had been retired by court martial,
despite protest filed by Con nsul- General
Lee prior to his departure from Havana,
is absolutely without word of truth.
Only the preliminary examination of the
prisoners on their second trial, as ordered
by the Supreme Military and Naval
Tribunal in Madrid. has as yet occurred,
as was reported at the time by the
United Associated Presses. 1t is not
known when the trials will take place.
Every effort has been made to learn the
true reasons for the return last night of
Captain General Weyler from the prov
ince of Pinar del aio. ALI that is known
is that he came here on the gunboat from
Mariel accompanied by only one adiu-
tant The rest of his staff came by rail
from Artemisa.
General Weyler has made no official
declaration concerning the condition of
affairs in the province of Pinar del Rio.
In an interview had with him just before
he left Piaar del Rio he said he was salts
fed with his campaign. He had crossed
to the south and had expected to meet
Maceo to give him combat. He had,
however, met only snail bands of rebels
who disappeared when the Spanish troops
came near TO them.
When questioned concerning the where
abouts of Maceo General Weyler said: ~
do not know where he is. 1t is certain
that l did not meet him in the hills or
dells of Pinar del Rio. Despite their re-
puted bravado the rebels always fled on
the approach of troops"
General Weyler added that the supplies
of cattle that had been obtained by the in
surgents are disappearing, the troops cap
turing and des troying all that they saw.
The military com nations planned by
him had resulted as he had expected. All
these com binations were not finished, but
there would be much less to do at the end
OF the year.
The press comments on the return of
the captain-general are very good, as is
natural under the strict censorship exer-
cised here. 1t is rumored that he Will soon
return TO the field. One report has it 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, and
events in the near future are anxiously
awaited. Some dissatisfaction is quietly
expressed even by Ioyalists that General
Weyler, after his long preparations to in
tiict a crushing blow on Maceo, should
now come back to the capital without
even catching sight of the main body of
he rebels. The rebel sympathiZer> are
jubilanf, believing that General Weylers
return signalizes the abandonment of his
leadership of the campaign.
NEW YORK, n. Y, Nov 24-Tha SYM
pathizers with the Cuban cause in this
city were very jubilant over the news that
Captain General Weyler had returned to
Havana. Several reasons are given for
the generals action in Withdrawing from
| the field, one of them being that Marquis
Ahumada, who took charge of affairs in
Havana during the absence of General
Weyler. did not properly conduct the
war. The Cubans all agree that Weyler's
campaign in Pinar del Rio has been a
| failure.
Senior Estrada Palma, president of the
Junta, in an interview with a reporter to-
day, said: 81 think General Weyler has
disgraced himself by leaving the field, for,
although he had over three times the
| number of men at his command that
Maceo has in Pinar del Rio, he has not
| accom- plished his avowed purpose to crush
| the voluiionists.
The Information has come 70 me-" he
continued, "that the insurgent forces
under General Calixto Garcia have be-
seiged Puerto Principe, the fourth largest
city in the island. which they low practi-
cally control, has. l believe, had some
thing to do with his return, for he is needed
in Havana to direct the entire movements
of the Spanish army"