The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-03

men are in these divisions. They NAY hs,.
ie.e", out the Insurgents are almost VITA.
ous exception finely mounted. Thsy "a.
JOIN Gomez II they wish 10 DO so.
Furthermore. they control today al a.
railroads in Cuba. They have cut up ~
hnes, burned bridges. destroyed ro,Is,
stock and ruined the business of The rua.as
Within few hours they have notified -
engineers and conductors OF the trains in
moving on a few sections that they via !
shot If they carry Spanish troops axain
The Spanish troops might man their ON
trains, and doubtless Will do so. but "A.
first event to fellow the new order IL -
announcement that the railroad cornanle
VIII no longer attempt TO repair their fraess
or viaducts. They have lost all their trarss
and spent thousands upon thousands i,
dollars repairing breaks, but the SpanssA
government has neither protected thxa
nor given them even a Spanish promise d
pay the loss. OF course. considering tha
claim that the Cubans are rioters and raaa.
ers. and that actual war does not exist. tAs
company expected the protection o: liz
state from rioters.
From this time on the railroads are solely
in the hands OF the Spanish governmee.
theoretically, OF the Insurgents practscally
This action OF the companies, which an
largely owned by foreign investors. IS r..
ceiyed in Havana as significant Of more
than the mere deserving OF \ losing eaisr.
prise.
with affairs at this point the question !,
once arises whether the event for which Al
the world Is waiting, the capture Of Ha-
yana, is possible for Gomez, and whether
Gomez VIII make the attempt 10 take tia
city II his forces unite in this vicinity.
Gomez. in all probability. could take Ha-
vana- It is just as certain that Gomez
knows the chances OF his success in al at
tack. The question 20 be settled before
that one is whether he wishes 10 DO So
He has done about everything he has said
he would do since the first wave OF the rev.
olution gathered itself at the eastern end
OF the island last February for the sweep
ft has tust finished IN the western extren-
ity. Yet today he does not hold one largs
city. One hundred and thirteen thousand
Spanish soldiers from abroad and soaoo vol
unteers from the island according 70 the
Spanish official hgurss) are holding The
cities and towns OF greater importance IN
every province. Gomez has not made Sc
r.ous efforts TO capture any of the strongly
garrisoned places. He has filed the very
streets and houses of the cities. however,
with smoke from the blazing plantations
outside and has passed and repasssd with
his troops IN sight OF the Spanish cclors
but the Spanish have defended the cities
successfully. they say. Gomez has never
attacked them.
He may have exhibited great wisdom Ia
not doing SO. The Spanish say he did.
Gomez has always disappointed Camps
His progress from Cape Maysi 10 Cape San
Antonio has been so successful. so skflfM
in tactics. so resourcefui In avenues OF r.
treat when they were temporarily necss-
sary. and his objects have been so M
formly attained. that II Will be one Of TIE
greatest chapters in new nations hlsfar
OF its birth IL this revolution ends % tat
history writing IS practicable. The esss
and apparent lack OF seriousness VITA
which he walked into Campos' trap ant
then walked out again is but one of scors
OF instances showing how his generalshp
has proven 10 be more suitable to the Ell
gencies OF Cuban warfare than that OF No
enemies. Therefore no reason exists fo'
accepting the supposition of the Spanish
that Havana was secure from attack @
long as all the other cities on the island
were safe in Spanish possession. And
part of the alarm which has been felt N
Havana following the unexpected massinf
OF Gomez armies is due TO the suspicion
that he would possibly again execute ss-
ac.lv the opposite move from what fns
Spanish generals anticipated.