The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-05-15
FINAL STRUGGLE
OF THE VAR
Gcncrul Gomez May End the Cuban
Struggle Sooner Than Expected,
CuBANs OPPOSE ANNEXATION
Naat Close Relationship With tho Unlled
States tioNsysI Statement From
Gomel is rlalO aud simple.

New York, May II y'f'hr c1rrespoll
dnut ~ tho journal has Just returned
from visit "a dnourai Gomez and other
Cuban leaders tn Cuba and n tho boat,
or of the following important statement
by General uomrE to thc American
pupplo
Your o"rivHpundon, nov In our camp
haH r"qu,ptr1 mo- to make a staIuincnt
~ the altitude ~ tho Cuban republic
20 certain quostlpna likely Ia assume
inpro ~ lraa importance whon our strug.
slo for librr,y has been con.
viudot
"Ths question nf our ac. c.rNAacu of
tho autonomous terms offered by Rpain
has alr.aiy b~cn ably answered by
our distinguished representative In tho
United sinlou. Estrada Palma Neither
The TERMS ~ autonomy nor the art
offering them are worthy OF serious con.
uid"ratlon On the part ~ CuhanH who
have bv"'ms ramilir with the lfrach.
vry ani duplsriy ~ spain and tho
worthlrasnoas u her promises We do
MT hrlicyr VIC shall ever have to call
uipn,ah convention Tor the framing Of n
treaty with Spain, only a c,nocaniun
uf absolute Independence vail Do ~.
gar,ird IN a suiticicnt basis Tor treaty
nrEatlati"na and this the Spanish gov.
ornm"nl VIII not graAL II is dinicult
o. discuss without embarrassment lnr
question ~ cur attitude toward any
proposition looking 10 tho annexation
OF Cuba To- the United sJaJru IN the
event ui our ultimate victory. a. thrrr
han developed IN th- United states n
hirmg aau,annosatinn srntlmoat be.
fore the CuhanH hay- indicated In tho
HnEhtopt dcgfr'o any deAlrv for this
ol1arr Relationship. Among the men
nuW battling fng Cupa's freedom
uhrrr ID IA strung Hrntimrnt against an.
nrSatipu with the United States. al.
though our h-viingH toward your onun-
try ARE nf tho ft4rftllirut and meet sym.
path.-,ic clearwater. We Rrv fshylnk
rnr absolute frN-~iom. not only from
Spaia but from any government not ~
cur own making We will stand fvaiy
10 rprm wiih thr United states any
alliance calculated tn mutually
alrrnKthrn our iva countries cpminrf,
oiaiiy or otherwise. but ! do not DO.
li-yr thryU n a sentiment ia either
country IA favor ~ annexation ptrons
onnush - Warrant the hope ot the ul-
inmate unspa NJ our Two countries In
the r,lasl1nshlp contemplated
ANY proposition from Spain looking
10 the E,ar'ins ~ our Independence
upon paym~nt to the Spanish govern
mon, ~ sum larsv enough 90 cover
The expenses II the war vii be- rejected
by thr Cuban republic, We can wrrHi
uur indcprndcnoc from Spain with our
awor.is without oncumbcring our nov
republic WIKI an enormous war dcht
In this communication wish 90
again call tho attention u IN" civilized
world tn the wnrrar' conducted boy Gen
eral wcyl"r, now In command OF thr
Spanish forces IN our island The hpr-
rprs ~ far-on Armenia are no, as de-
serving of the attention ~ the Amer.
lean cuugrr,r aa the harharuus and
atr,ciOus conduo, of this general %
M. GOMEZ"
The above statement was handed to
tho oorrsappni,,nt by General Gomez ~
his headquarters In the Held
The correspondent says
Il reached him with comparative
cAae after having lcfl the Spanish lines.
During the ilvc days I remained with
General Gomez | found him and his
m,n confident Of success and apparent
ly able to continue the war In their
fashion for years TO come, His lnnc-
tiyity has been severely criticised 10y
thoec unfamiliar with the conditions
undvr which hc finds It necessary to
fight. should he enter upon an az
Rrcsslvr campaign, attacking the Span,
I'm repeatedly. hc would soon exhaust
the small amount OF ammunition ut
his command ana would be lett ahsn-
lucly without other defense than that
afforded by n retreat 20 nearby forests.
As indicated TO me In an interview with
him. no viii hold the plain of la Rr-
forma, his present hcalqunrtcrs until
such time a. a plentiful supply Of am
muuston enables him To renew the
magnificent campaign lnauguratcd by
Mncco and himself year and half
ago At present, however he will re-
mnln qutet. acting on the defensive
only. untt the supplies recently landed
by Ruloff reach mm He Will then,
according To Information furnished me
In camp. begin n countermarch upon
Havana with all the forces in the PROV
lnce Of Santa Clara, and 10 the east
ward. up 10 the gates OF Havana. BY
this means he will refute In a most
startling manner the statements oil
Weyler that the provinces OF Havana,
Matahzas and Santa Clara have been
pacIncd."
This may be the final struggle Of the
war.