The San Francisco call., 1897-04-24
GENERAL GOMEZ
DEFIES SPAIN
With a Vast Army She
Cannot Crush Poor
Cuba.
An Interesting Statement Is
sued by the Commander
of the Patriots.
An UNEQUAL Struggle That Will
Soon Terminate In Favor
of the Oppressed.

NAhANJOi NbbAJ hplil 1A.-ocncIdl
Gomez is encamped here with 2500 men,
1900 of whom are cavalry. For nearly a
month he has been moving around these
hills and the estates of La Reforma and
Juan Griollo in an area of twenty square
miles. One Spanish column after another
has been outwitted, but all the efforts of
Weyler to make him retire to the trocha
with view to catching him between two
fires have failed. Several times when the
Spaniards thought they were following
Gomez. pressing him 10 the trocha, Gomez
fired on their rear guard. Yet all the time
the Spanish regulars in the small area de-
scribed have mum bered fully 10000. The
excuse of the Spaniards that Gomez could
escape only because his whole force was
cavalry and theirs infantry cannot be used
now, as tho Spanish columns operating
against Gomez have more than 1900 cav
airy. Gomez yesterday mace the follow
ing statements, which were carefully re-
vised by him:
"The Spa niards accuse Us Of cowardice,
when there is not a single day on which
i'm portant fights do not occur in all the
six provinces into which they divide the
island. Their columns are constantly
harassed. checked and obliged to abandon
marches. 1t is enough to take, any day,
copies of their newspapers published in
Havana. At least twelve engagements
day is reported by them with artillery
fire, and in many cases desperate hand-to-
hand fighting in others, and an aver-
age of 100 men killed. In the two
years of war Sc, 500 men have been
killed on both sides, according to Spanish
reports, and as we have not submitted
and won't submit, how can it be honestly
believed the Cuban army does not like
hghting2
I'VE have routed the Spaniards in sew
eral pitched battles. Spain, after such
disastrous defeats, sent 10, 900 more men
against US. She could because she had a
population of l., ,0OO. 900 and all the facilities
OF a nation which does not fear any at
tack of steamers, as a Cuban warship
would be regarded as pirate and its crew
hanged if caught by naval officers of any
of those powerful nations which claim to
give guarantees of justice and liberty on
earth. Seeing how things stood l changed
my plans. Without a constant and
powerful supply of arms and ammunition
from abroad the Cuban army could not be
REINFORCED. 1 was compelled to dismiss
for their country, but without arms.
Il kept, therefore, only the best-armed
men in our army and began that terrible
warfare which is e1hausting the resources
of Spain and nnnihilatlng her soldiers.
Whenever a Spanish column passes it is
harassed without cessation. The Span
ish soldier is hunted as q wild beast. Each
shot of the Cubans is aimed at particular
man in the Spanish lines. Their big
masses are useless against this mode of
warfare. The more there are the more we
chastise them. Fifty Cubans can in this
way make havoc among 5000 Spaniards.
The Spanish always enter towns leaving
behind on the roads trail of dead. Thus
they are reduced and made desperate.
When l find good strategical position to
meet them in open battle, If they do not
receive re-enforcements of several thou
sands, they have to fee before the swift
Cuban onslaught.
Naturally, Weyler would like me to
risk in single battle the future of Cuba,
he at the head of 100. 900, with 10000 or
IL, 600; he with the best munitions of war
] with scarcely ten shots for each man.
No courage and no science would be
needed to defeat me under such circum-
stances. The cause of Cuba would be
ruined on the day risked such a conflict,
and Spanish tyranny would continue in
this island. We are fighting against su-
perior odds, deserted by all the world, we
standing alone against European power.
AS we are resolved to die or be free, we
must be cool and brave. because salvation
rests on our own resources only.
1.-The Spanish army in Cuba is the most
powerful European army which ever
fought on American soil, but even il we
cannot destroy it in one day we will
eventually. That end is near. Spain,
bleeding and penniless. cannot keep up
the war a year more. She has no re-
sources and we are finally resolved to stay
In the field to the bitter end. Spain lies
TO the foreign bankers from whom she
asks money, lies to the American Govern
ment to prevent the recognition of the
Cuban republic. We do not lie and do
not need to. Convinced that. our fate de-
pends upon our own efforts we let the
tects speak for us, and the facts are that
in two years Spain has had an army of
1000 against us and spent more than
5000, 100000; and, though Weyler de-
sc-ibes me defeated, 1 am still here as
hopeful as ever"