The record-union., 1897-11-17
General BIanco Enters Upon an Al
most Hopeless Task.
Seems Impossible to Effect the Proposed
Reforms on the Island.
The Peculiar Conditions Of the Gu
ban Struggle Make Any ConciI-
iatory Move a Direct Play Into
the Hands of the Insurgents.

HAVANA, Nov. 16.-General Blanco
has entered upon an almost hopeless
task The present Cuban situation is
such that it seems impossible to effect
the reforms by suavity what the
greatest army in the history of the col
onial wars has failed to accomplish.
Spaln's present policy is announced
to be one of combined conciliation and
force. 1t appears to be, as some Spanish
journals have called it, "a suicidal pol
icy.' The peculiar and not generally
understood conditions Of the Cuban
struggle now make any conciliatory
move a direct play into the hands of
the insurgents.
This is particularly true of the proc
iamation of November 10th, which COM
mandS civil and military authorities to
aid in protecting the sugar properties
in grinding cane. To adequately pro-
1ect the sugar estates likely to operate,
General Blanco will have to practically
close the operations against the insur-
gents. He has not enough men to do
both things. Most of the plantations
were worked last year for short periods.
All paid their own guards and most of
planters who did not pay tribute were
forced to double or treble their guer
1illa guards.
only about - per cent. of the sugar
plantations of Cuba that operated two
years ago have machinery modern
enough or can good enough to warrant
grinding at the present price of sugar
General Blanco will have to furnish,
1ras
215 guards to each of forty-four plan
tations. These soldiers must come from
forces now operating against the insur-
gents. 1t is not likely that General
Blanco has forgotten the lesson of the
invasion and Will take the regular
troops from guard duty in the towns to
allow volunteer garrisons opportunity
of surrendering to the enemy. The
large number of Cubans forced by hun
ger into volunteer uniforms makes such
surrendering more probable now than
before.
More than half of the rural popula-
lion has disappeared having been muir
dered by Weyler and his supporters.
The same men are much more directly
accountable for the inhuman manner in
which their spiendidly brave soldiers
have been underfed and uncared for
As nearly as can be conservatively
computed from official figures, little
more than half are left alive and well
of the $4,000 vigorous peasant lads
Spain sent to Cuba. The figures are:
Died in hospitals, $4,000; killed and
died on the field, 1900; sent back to
Spain as 'inutile." 25,000; now in hos
pitals, 1900. Total, $1,000.
OF this enormous number it is i'm
probable that more than $4,000 met
death or disability from Cuban bullets.
even during the real fighting of the in
vasion and the six months thereafter.
General Maceo estimated that not more
than 1900 Spanish soldiers had fallen
in battle. That was in August. 1896.
Since then very little fighting has been
done.
If General Blanco follows up his plan
and guards sugar-making this year, he
VIII not have more than 27.OOO men
available for service against the insur-
gents. OF the $4,000 troops at his COM
mand, even alleged to be fit for duty.
about 10000 are guarding towns. About
the same numbaS are looking after rail
roads and the trochas. These cannot
very well be drawn upon or the we'll
organized rebels of Eastern Cuba can
swoop down in a second invasion and
the railroads will again be torn up.
The best Informed Cubans admit that
disease and starvation have reduced
the rebel army of able bodied men from
100000 to 10000, The real figure prob
ably is nearer 10000. Still there are
more than General Blanco will have to
send against them, and they are vastly
better armed and have fifty times more
experience than when they baffied the
successive efforts of WeyIer to crush
them with twice that number Of men
taking one province after another. 1t is
not likely that with the odds in their
favor they viii continue TO run away
1nsurgent bands may combine and the
experiment of weakening his force to
aid his conciliatory movements may be
disastrous to General Blanco's an
nounced policy of combined suavity and
sternness and very disastrous 10 Spain.
But even If the insurgents should
continue their tactics Of running away.
Spain's chances of raising the yellow
and red over Cuba grows less with each
Soldier taken from against her enemy.
AN AWFUL SPECTACLE.
HAVANA, Nov. 16-It appears that
nearly 40 per cent. of the 100000 help
less women, children and non-con1bat-
ants in Cuba affected by former Cap
tadn-General Weyler's policy are dead.
Despite the orders issued by General
Blanco TO feed the starving, the daily
mortality Of the remaining "reconcen-
trades is fearful.
The rabid Spaniards. who believe that
only by determination of the race can
the Cuban war be won, openly chal-
1enge the good faith Of General Blanco's
statements as to his intention to feed
and find work for those whom General
Weyler has not killed. They jubilant-
ly claim that the new Captain General
is enforcing the barbarous "concentra-
fion" Of the country people exactly as
his predecessor did. The local press
no longer prints the news from the
small towns. In one Of the last arti-
cles on the hunger situation IT was
called ''one of the most awful spec
tacles ever presented to humanity"
THE FTLIBUSTER DAUNTI IESS
WASHINGTON. Nov. I6.-The fill
clustering steamer Dauntless is again
causing serious concern to the naval
authorities. A telegram to the Navy