The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-12-04
WHAT CUBA COSTS SPAIN.
The Heavy Expense Which the
Revolution Has Entailed.
New York Tribune.

IL" c'ilcSpoildellC Oh the London Stand.
md, to whom the world is much in.
debtcd for news of Spanish government.
al doingS, gives 4 most interesting nc.
count OF the strain to which the govern.
ment is subjected on behalf of tie Gu
bln campaign. The war minister, Gen
rral Azacarr,ga, has displayed great
energy in providing troops, but he has
been forced to resort to some eXtraoytli-
nary measures. At the outbreak of tie
w"r he called in some 5000 men of the
l!rSt-cl;iSs reserve, and men. of the
CLASSES Of 1904 and 1895, and even some
of the class OF 1893, who, after few
months of training, had been dismissed
to their homes III order to lessen army
expenses, Then he called for the S5, ,OGO
canscr;ptS of 1895 some months before
r'Ic usual time. These were boys of less
| than twenty years of age, fine subjects
for I'M ar'luous foreign campaign in an
unS;lntary country. No wonder many
OF those drafted were found to have fled
from the country. No wonder, too,
that no less than Is, 1tN of those who re-
naincd chose to pay the government
forfeit of $500 each rather than to I've
sent To the Antillcan saughtor' pen.
This latter fact was, of course; Y fine
thing for the well:nigh bankrupt Span
isl! treasury. 1t meant windfall to Il
OF S1,439, 600, or enough to Iay tho con-,
OF the War for ~ much " ~
weeks. but 10 ~ VI 'h'ee
L.. meant IL military futre Of
...eror quality, the vacancies being fill
cd with Second-r,te substitutes.
This year there will probably be
similar harvest of forfeit money. The
minister has called for the 1926 con-
scripts several months in advance, and
thousands of them will sack release from
',uty which means probable death. The
military census shows this year 1925
''mcn'-all lads under twenty years of
agc-!iable to be drafted into service.
OF these. 20.III are exempted for physi-
cal disability, ,, l34 are temporarily en-
cmntch, 6,2GS are missing, 63,033 Are
held condilionally liable for service, and
1925 are actually summoned for active
service. The places of such of these
latter as purchase cNemption-$H00f from
| from hGme service and Sl00 from
colonial Scrvice-will he filed from the
ranks OF those conditionally drafted. No
less than IO,O)D of these unreasonable
lahs, after two or three months of drill,
are 10 he sent to Cubl, the first of them
arriving l%IoIc Christmas. Such are
troops with which We, Ter hopes to
crush Che veteran lcgions of Gomez and
Macco. BY such measures Spain has
Swcilcl her army to 100000 men and
boys in two Years. in nineteen months
! she has sent IG5,:,5l OF them u Cuba.
| There We're already here some 1000 and
l5.0'D more volunteers, making Il total
ot 10, 2,5Ii. This number las now been
reduced to les; than .l3o, 900, showing a
| fearful rol, of death and disabilities Oh
the field ard i'll the hospital.
BESIDES this @ppallins drain upon tin"
Young manhood Of the nation, there is Il
corresponding drain upon the treasury.
Nineteen months of war have cost fully
900 COO. and the present rate of eX-
pcnSc is Sll ,OW,OOO month. And
Still the cnl is not in sight The in
SnrErntS are actually stronger than ever
| before, in spite of all the wealth and
h'"cd spent for their suhjcction. They
have, says the correspondent, an un-
| limited recruiting ground in the majority
Of ssthc Creole population. whites and
co;orcd people alike. and IN incXhaustiblc
supply of arms, money and ammunition
from their friends and SympatlIi2crs i'll
the United states. That is quite true,
and they will doubtless continue to enjoy
these advantages until the waning re-
sources of Spain arc completely eX-
hmllatcd.