The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-04
cOMEz GREAT AS A GENERAL.
sp,Iy.s LEADERS FAIL TO PROVE 4
MATCH FOR HIM.

Galaxy OF Rough Riders breaking
through the Spanish Strategic
Zine at WiII-spanish Reports of
,be Progress of the Revolution Ap-
near to BE Utterly UntrustwOrthy.
havana. Feb. /, via Tampa. Fla, Feb. 3.
Gomez. has crossed the strategic line, or
.-,.ba. between Havana and Batabano
.,i,a within a week. He had no serious
5se5,ultv either time, although the wall
- men is the strongest one ever thrown
scross the island by Spain. Troops have
basn drawn from all part of the island to
make il invulnerable, and several thou
sand volunteers have been added to the
force Of regulars along the line. over
40 cavalry have recently been formed by
mounting infantrymen and several bate
ries Of artillery are stationed on the line.
With all these preparations and the
building of block houses of wood and
stone. the throwing up of earthworks and
the transferring of railroad stations,
churches and dwellings into forts, the
daring rough riders of Gomez push
through the line, leaving a few dead and
wounded Spaniards to mark their pas
sage.
Each time the line is crossed, the au-
thorties at the palace, who sift all news
that is published here or cabled direct,
carefully eliminate all reference to the
crossing, and state in official reports that
Gomez was driven away. After the rebel
chief had gone west over the line an Off
Cial report of an encounter with him near
Guanajay revealed his whereabouts; he
was officially reported to be in Pinar del
Rio Thursday, but was giving Gen. Ca
nella a serious time on the line south of
BejucaL 1t is two days since the fight
and no official report of the encounter
has been given out. 1t is pretty we'll un-
derstoOd that Gen. Canneila and 800 men
would have been wiped out by Gomez and
his 1900 men had not reinforcements under
Col. Galyis arrived. There is some excuse
for the delay in preparing report that
will make a Spanish victory out of des-
perate defensive encounter against over
Whelming numbers.
All official reports of the Spanish gov
ernment should be read between the lines.
In the war, which has been going on
nearly a year now not one Cuban victory
is recorded in those reports. Not one
fight has occurred in which the losses have
been correctly stated. Not one report of
an engagement has been made which did
not close with the statement that the
Spaniards occupied their enemies posi-
tiOn dispersed them and were still pur-
suing them. Hardly a day passes without
a Spanish report of a battle in which for
ty or fifty Spaniards defeat four or five
times their number of insurgents, occupy
their positions, capture their horses, camp
utensils, old hats, alarm clocks or pair
of suspenders.
The whole world knows that the Gu
bans, starting their rebellion with hand
ful of men in the mountains in the eX-
treme east. have extended ii over the en-
tire island, and with 10000 regulars sent
over from Spain, and $4,000 volunteers re-
cruited on the island, the government
has been powerless to check the spread
OF the revolution.
The hospitals are full of wounded SOL
hnrf aH har~ tod . GafI
yet the Spanish losses in the official re-
ports amount to nothing. Twice each day
the government issues official reports to
the local papers and to the foreign cor
respondents. The press censor hands
them out. All news published here or ca
bled abroad must conform to these re-
ports. Similar reports are cabled to the
Spanish ministers at Washington, Lon
don and Paris.
Martinez Campos said that these re-
ports were ludicrOus, every press censor
who has held the post has said they are
absurd, no intelligent American has any
1alth in them, but, for sooth, the CORE
Spondents are compelled to send these mis-
cables.
Gen. Marin is now at Quivican, eighteen
miles south of Havana He missed his
great opportunity of penning both Gomez
ana Maceo in Pinar del Rio province by
starting one day late. Now he has Gomez
on one side of the line and Maceo on the
ing
While practically all the Spanish forces
Wnlch can be spared from guarding the
cues are concentrated about the strate-
&c llne IN an effort to maintain its inn
pregnability, the various bands of insur-
SeIls roam at will in all the provinces of
1uDa. In Santiago there are frequent en-
counters and all grinding of cane has
CCSeH stopped; the same is true of Santa
cara and Puerto Principe. In Mantan-
% zas the whole interior of the province is
5lVe with rebels. Lacret has united a
uozen small bands and has nearly 900
men under him. They have had daily en-
ftiounters with Spanish troops, and CON
tIIue gaming in strength.
In Pinar del Rio, Maceo is returning
10 10 me Havana border, after a triumphai
eeaLdhpalgn, and has turned away thous-
ahds who wished to join his army. The
rev Spanish troops in the province have
succeeded in holding the capital city and
SSoloilla, It's port, but every other town
in II 9een entered and occupied by Maceo,
spain has over 5000 troops and holds
M Gilte rallroad line-the one now converted
mo the "trocha'' due south from this
city. Every town on II is occupied nv a
strong force. Every train has carloads of
ugops. 1he western railroad is practf-
abogg+ abandoned beyond San Antonio.
%WTout seventeen miles from here, and the
MdIanzas road operates only about eight
81 mics TO the eastward. The road from
Sah Felipe east to Guines and Union has
TN IN the hands of the enemy for days.
IL ne last attempt to run a train resulted
&c ne ~ capture OF the engineer and fireman
looen feApIoFlng engine, and the turning
toose OF the latter at full speed backward
ward the train which was following
II, me two men are still in the hands of
G IG enemy Of the four lines of railroads
running --0' oii0 -
tbjh zen, Marin has sent five engineers from
s rlS CITY by rail to Batabano where they
cree cre 70 take steamer to Cienfuegos and
tr tross overland on horseback, escorted by
taUops TO Jovellanos in the center of Ma
f,!as ffonzas province. There they are to man
IN 1,e trains of cars, which have been tied
b ior weeks. These cars are to be loaded
WIN WIN l,6OO newly formed cavalry, and the
fr'ttinpt ~ Will be made to bring the outfit
h. ms city. That will give the railroad
bIe additional cars to replace those which
rine u@ne been burned, and the government
WI obtain an additional force of cavalry
" operate the "trocha"
]. Frank Clarke.