Evening journal., 1896-10-16
ALL SPAIN GIVE IT UP2
The Significant Statement of a
Spanish Officer.
TO MAKE ONE DESPERATE EFFORT.

jr That Is Unsuccessful, 1t Is Assorted,
She wiu Let the Island Of Cuba Go.
Think the Next Administration WIN
Te Adverse to Spain.
NEW YoRE, Dot. 15-The Herald thia
morning publishes the following from
Cndiz;
"lf Spain has not put down the insur-
roction in Cuba by the lst Of next March,
it Is tho intention Of tho government to
give up the struggle and let tho island so. "
The significance OF this statement, com
ing direct from an officer Of rank IN the
Spanish army within this week, must GER
tninly be regarded as of no little impor
tanoe. Il is assorted that only action ad
verse to Spain is expected from tho noxt
administration IN the United States.
This view of the situation outlines olear.
ly the policy Of tho Spanish government
and tends TO show that It is massing its
troops in Cuba In tho determination OF
making ono desperate effort 90 crush COM
pletely the Cuban forces
10 also implies an admission on the part
Of the Spanish government that, n 10 is
unable TO achieve this end during the
coming dry season with the great force at
it5 command in Cuba at present and with
an administration In the Unitod States
friendly to Spain, it cannot hope TO con
tinue the contest successfully after the
Inauguration Of the next president, on
! March 4, 1897
cannot give the name Of the Spanish
oiiloer or that Of my informant, as l am
/ pledged n6u to do so, but l cnn vnuoh alb
sClutely foritho fact that the statement re-
ferred to comes from the source claimed.
still further, l am credibly Informed
that the above determination is an open
secret among those who are close TO the
/ government. and that tho policy Is being
adoptod Of exaggorating tho magnitude Of
/ tho trouble in the Philippines with q
view of preparing the people for the ulti-
ma.a design OF letting Cuba go.
/ by way of further corrohoration of this
estimate of tho situation 10 may be fo-
marked that, while Spain Is sending more
/ than POO 600 troops to Cuba who are In
the main very young and undisoiplinod,
she is carefully Keeping her $4,000 well
/ disciplined and efficient soldiers, who may
DO available in case of an outbreak al
/ home. She is also keeping IN Spanish
/ waters - warships which are all ready
/ ior sea and which could be- OF groat serv
/ ice in Cuban waters in hiding tho Unitod
States in that police work which she now
/ calmly asks that country to do for her.
The Philippine Islands Trouble.
W. G. Foster, tho manager Of the East
/ ern Tolegraphic company here, speaking
Of the situation, said TO me yesterday
There IS no question that tho govern
ment is trying TO use the Philippine trou-
hlos TO distract the peoples attention
from Cuba. There Is no doubt that Spair
intends TO do her utmost to crush the Gu
ban lnsurrection between now and March
Failing that, / am informed that she viii
give up the struggle.
can important issue Is the fact tha
Cuba has a debt Of some $500, 600, OOO ant
that if Spain puts down the insurrectio
Cuba Will have to pay that debt, whereas
If Cuba wins, the payment of the deb
VIII fall on Spain, who contracted it o
hohalf of Cuba.
Naturally the planters, who have bee
driven from their half ruined plantations
} however loyal they may appear to be q
spain, really want to sec tho Cubnns sno
ceed. as In that case they would not b.
taxed by Spain to pay the interest on th
! debt and could then start again undo
moro favorable auspices.
Meanwhile every one is talking abou
Cuba and little Is said Of the Philippine
islands, although the latter comprise 10.
600 square miles, as against 40, 900 fo
Cuba. In point of population the Philip
pines have D. 636, 600, as against popula
tion of e,276, 0OO for Cuba ana Puert,
Rico combined. am satisfied that Spail
will either have won In Cuba by March
next OF have given up the struggle