The herald., 1896-11-21
REPORT AND RUMOR
REGARDING CUBA
Leave the Listener Much
in Doubt
THE SPAN|ARDS IRE DISAPPOINTED
At Lack of Results From Wey.
Ier's Campaign
THEN THEIR SPIRITS RISE
As Assertions Are Made of His Certain
Success
Successful or Not He Is Still In the
Field
THEN THEIR SPIRITS RISE
As Assertions Are Made of His Certain
Success
Successful or MOI. He Is Still In the
Field
No verification Can Be Obtained OF the
Statement That an Armistice Has
~, Been Agreed Upon or Even
Considered.
A..oc,ated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Speclal wire
KEY WEST, Nov. 2O.-Reports re-
ceived by steamer from Havana are dis
appointing to the Spaniards IN the re-
suits Of General Weyler's operations IN
Pinar del Rio. Maceo is entrenched IN
the Cierreras de las Organas, In the CEN
ter of his mountain fastness, awaiting
attack The rumors of his having
crossed the trocha are without foun-
dation.
General weyler, according to Havana
reports, is expected back in the city
within few days, the excuse given TOT
his return being that the roads are
not in condition for active operations
on account of the recent heavy rains
rendering the movement Of troops I'M
practicable.
The impression already prevails IN
military circles in Havana that General
Weyler's campaign has been complete
failure and his carefully prepared plans
to drive Maceo out Of Pinar del Rio have
received a severe setback. With the ex-
ception of a few unimportant skirm-
ishes with the advance guards Of the
insurRent leaders and the capture or
the rebel captain, Valdez, with elgnt
- followers nothing of great consequence
has been accomplished. although the
Spaniards have lost several prominent
generals and many men killer or wound
ed. An apparently well-authenticated
report, which, is was said, emanated
from high military official in Havana,
says the city Of Puerto Principe has
been besieged by the insurgents.
Advices received from Cuba today by
steamship Whitney cast discredit upon
the statement that the campaign of
Captain-gener Weyler against An
tonic Maceo in Pinar del Rio has failed
and that weyler will shortly return to
Havana 1t is stated, on the contrary,
that Weyler has no intention of return
ing to the capital until he shall have ex-
hausted every effort to compel Maceo
to meet him in pitched battle. When last
heard from the Spanish commander was
massing his forces for an attack upon
the insurgents, who are said to number
only 20, 900 men, all told, and are reported
suffering from scarcity Of provisions,
etc. Maceo is waiting reinforcements
and, in this connection, the news and
whereabouts and the doings of Maximo
Gomez are awaited with much interest.
Little or nothing has been hard re-
Gently of Gomez who is believed to be
at the head of the main body of the in
surgent forces. Current reports some
time ago had 1t that he was in the prov
ince Of Santa Clara, advancing west
ward toward Matinfios. his objective
point in the province of Havana. 1t is
whispered that at the conclusion of any
pitched battle a truce may be declared
and arrangements made for confer
ence between the insurgent leaders and
representatives of Spain looking to q
settlement Of the war; This is most sig
nificant as showing that all classes are
utterly tired Of the war and its burdens
and longing for some way out OF the
present difficulties. Under these cir
cumstances an important insurgent vic
tory would almost be hailed in CONNER
cial circles at Havana with the same
satisfaction a Spanish victory would be
received. A great deal Of misery ex-
lists In Havana and the outlook grows
darker as the days pass
GROUND OF RUMORS.
w OAN, 4NON. 6Vs- HCAC Ao
no official verihcation of reports which
have been current here and in London
OF a Spanish Cuban armistice and in
fact every avenue Of official informa-
tion In Cuba is closed. The United
States. in the previous Cuban wars.
sought to have adopted an agreement
for an armistice. At that time one o.
the chief difficulties in conducting peace
negotiations was in securing the assent
Of the insurgents and to this end Geo
fet1ry Fish, on June 20, 1869, secured the
Signature of Morales Lemues, as "the
Authorized agent of the revolutionary
party in Cuba" to document agreeing
to an armistice pending negotiations for
. settlement. The settlement contem-
plated the independence of Cuba and for
this reason was not ACCEPTED by Spain
and the arfnstice failed. The govern
ment sought to bring about truce for
the reason that it thought in three OF
four months passions might have cooled
sufficiently to make possible a perma-
nent peace arrangement
THE FAKIR is BUSY
ATLANTA, Ga. Nov. 2O-The agent
Of q powder and dynamite firm passed
through here on his way home from
cuba. He went over on the last expedi-