Evening star., 1896-12-26
SPANISH POLICY
Cuban War as Seen From Spain's
Point of View.
FIGHT FOR HONOR, NOT SUCCESS
What a Correspondent Notes About
the Feeling Toward Americans.
YOU THFUI RECRUITS
of The Evening Star.

Correspondence of The Evening Star.
CADIZ, Spain, December 15 1896.
There was once man in Maine who said
of his ailing wife: II do wish Marian would
git well-or somethin'.''
Spain would be glad to see Cuba con-
quered-or something; the war ended, in
victory, or-ended at any rate.
The better informed Spaniards regard the
war as hopeless. Yet at this moment great
er efforts than ever before are being put
forth, in one grand outpouring of national
resources, In an attempt which all feel will
be the last, to accomplish the impossible.
The one desire is to get out Of the affair
honoraby, with the record for Spain of
having done her level best. Even short.
sharp war with the United States might,
some think, be desirable; it would end the
whole trouble quicker.
1t is, of course impossible to quote names
for such a statement, which is, nevertheless,
true in the uttermost detail; men high in
the civil government of this country as well
as military leaders of distinguished rank,
have said, either to myself or to entirely
trustworthy informants, that Cuba must
be conquered before spring or not at all.
This Is the more common form of the
statement. Some frankly add that sue
cess IS out OIL tne question, yet the same
men subscribe their bottom dollar to the
popular loan. Such is Spanish pride! The
conduct of the nation in this extremity is
something quite IS easily admired as con-
demned.
The great ports of departure for Cuba
of men and munitions are Cadiz, Barcelo-
ma, Santander and Coruna; but Cadiz is,
from it's geographical position, by far the
most important. The town is full of SOL
diers; the single railroad leading hither
brings carloads of them, and out in the
matchless harbor, which ought to be the
Hamburg of southern Europe, big troop
ships and transports rise and fall with the
toe, tugging not too anxiously at their
cables to get away to Cuba. One Just
came thence with several hundred sick and
wounded, many of whom had developed
tuberculous complaints The best Of care
seems to have been taken of the poor fell
lows on their way home
But the ship that brought home between
200 and 300 sick men took out 1000 well
ones. Where are the rest? OF the 27O,OOO
Spanish boys that have sailed away to
Cuba or the Philippines, few have returned,
yet We see no mention of large armies in
the field. The waste of life is, in proportion
to loss in actual fight, unduly great. Nor
can the Spanish government be wholly
blamed for this. Cuba is not exactly a
health resort, and even Cadiz has a death
rate which frolics about in the cheerful
vicinity of 80 per thousand-four times that
of most American cities Of the same size.
Treatment of the Soldiers.
The stories of bad treatment of the Span
ish soldiers on the troop ships grow smaller
as one nears their source. Mr.. w. G. For
ster, the superintendent of the Eastern
Telegraph Company, who speaks Spanish
perfectly, and who, from his long expert
ence Of military transportation, is well
qualified to give testimony, tells me that
the treatment the boys receive compares
very favorably with that upon British troop
q n
Madagascar and to Tonquin was much in
ferior 1t is true that the same ship which
carries 1000 troops from Cadiz would not
be permitted to take more than 700 to 500
British troops. Overcrowding may, there
fore, be admitted, but the food is abundant,
and winter voyage SO far southwark is
apt to give pleasant deck weather. am
authorized to say that few of the young
soldiers are anxious to leave the ships at
Havana. The truth doubtless is that Brit
ish soldiers expect great deal, don't get
1t, and grumble; while the Spanish expect
little, get rather more and are fairly satis-
fed.
The transportation and provisioning of an
army SO far from home is a tremendous
undertaking. 1t is done with business-like
promptitude-again comparing favorably
with recent French operations-probably
because the government doesn't do the
work. but farms it all out to the Campania
Trans-Atlantica, which Is making a much
better record than Gen. Weyler.
Europe draws provisions from Africa to
conquer America. It's small world, after
all. Yesterday fifty or sixty cattle were
browsing the scant grass In Morocco Bare
legged Moors in turbans and gaudy sashes
rounded them into big fatboats and foated
them out into the harbor Of Tangier. When
the Joaquin Pielago came along, the beasts
were slung up by their horns, two at
time paving each other in a midair en-
brace, their eyes bulging out of their SOCK
cts and blood-colored foam drooling from
their mouths, and dropped into her hold
a hi srfv y-ofv tn
make from Tangier to Cadiz. When she
reached port the cattle were again tackled
up by their horns and lifted into lighters.
and from lighters or hatboats they Will go
aboard some Cuban transport, either as
beasts or beef. Many army supplies come
from Gibraltar, which is q free port. and
cheap. From Africa, again. come crates
full of live hens, making much more fuss
than the cattle as their coops are slung
aboard. From Jerez and beyond trainloads
of sherry casks come rolling down along
the little toy railroad, for in Spain sherry
is as cheap and plenty as cider in Greene
county, New York. And all the supplies of
hatever sort have to be handled over and
over again. In port Of the world where
no ship lies at dock the Job of embark
ing men and rations is no sinecure.
Enlisting Boys.
Spain is heavily. taxed, but not beyond en-
durance. She can raise money, and has
Just proved it. She can indisputably raise
rate, taking each year the youths that
reach conscription age. just as Napoleon
did. But
The first time saw a squad Of conscripts
being drilled was at Linea, just across the
neutral strip that divides Gibraltar from
Spain. Two American physicians were with
me in the carriage. Both cried out at
once: Why. they are nothing but boys!
Physicians should be pretty good judges of
age, and both my companions held to 1t
that there were boys in line who looked not
over fourteen-chubbX cubs slouching along
without order, whacking each other on the
back and frolicking In blissful and youthful
uEconcern at their probable fate. There
was no sign Of beard on any face. The Of
ficers were much larger. and were all ma
ture men. 1t Is the same in Cadiz. have
in hand q popular Spanish photograph rep
resenting the drill Of just such a squad Of
recruits, and in this picture also all the
faces are boyish.
Mr.. Forster. upon whose knowledge Of
Cv,o sch of ffoir T f1vur rolx