Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-21
NUNEZ TALKS OF THE WAR
Cuban General Says Nothing Less Than
Freedom Will Be Accepted.
He Claims That FiHbusterfng Has
Ceased-Men and Arms Now Reuch
Cuba Separately.

Gen. Emilio Nunez. the well-known Gu
ban leader. who now has his headquarters
at Key West. has been north on a flying
trip. In an interview in Philadelphia lust
before leaving for his Florida home he
said
There is no more flibustering. There
has been none for two months. The de-
cision was made long ago that flibustering
should be abandoned. The arrests and
trials and annoyances were too expensive.
A filibustering expedition consists OF arms
and Men. They are never sent together.
The munitions wish 10 furnish our
friends on the island are sent on a mer-
chant vessel consigned to them. which is
something We have a perfect right to do.
And any men who intend going to Cuba
go without arms. We thus entirely
within the laws, and filibustering is at AN
end"
Reference was made to the Cuban ma
tional elections, which occur September =,
and the general was asked:
How Will the elections affect the man.
agement of the war In Cuba and of the
junta in American
The war will be conducted just as IT has
been waged hitherto. Gen. Gomez. with
out doubt, will remain commander-in-chief.
Whether or not the elections change the
secretary of war, the policy in the cam
paign will not alter, since IL is controlled
entirely by the general-in-chief. With re-
gard to the junta, / am free to say this:
Senior Palma will remain the delegate I'm
authority in the United States. There il
not G member of the junta who is not
thoroughly satisfied with Senior Palmas
administration: and the citizens of the re-
public who are under arms in Cuba nave
constantly manifested equal satisfaction
with him their representative. L wish
to point out the circumstance that, no
m VI ha
sonnet of the Cuban government, from the
presidency down, the policy with regard
TO the conduct of the military campaign
cannot be affected. The president and the
secretaries holding the several govern
ment portfolios are administrators merely.
They distribute the finances, manage the
civil branches of the government AID d.
rect the foreign policy through the repub-
lies delegate in the United States, who in
turn appoints the other foreign delegates.
The military campaign is like Grants Ia
nous campaign. which was TO go on that
line if it took all summer the Cuban cam
paign is to go on its present lines II 1t
takes all eternity.
General Nunez said he desired to add
that the now famous ultimatum OF his
compatriots Freedom. or DEATH was not
a piece of braggadocio; nor was II de-
mand for much in the hope of receiving a
little. Every man In the Cuban ranks anu
every man In the Cuban government
meant. when he declared for freedom or
death" nothing more or less than exactly
what these wor ds signify.
1T is, therefore" continued the general,
altogether idle for half-hearted friends OF
Cuba to talk of the whole hearted parti-
sans accepting anything but entire sever
ance from Spain and absolute independence
for Cuba. General Weyler, from the very
outset, discerned the sincerity of utterance
W hich formed those three impressive
words, and from the outset he adapted his
measures and policy solely to combating
that ultimatum. 1t was not his business 10
give Cubans freedom, and * was his busi-
ness to give them death. His policy of con-
centration of pacifcos and of starving
them until the race is eXtermil!ated shows
that he takes his enemies at their word, IT
the United States doesn't. one need but
call to mind the numerous utterances of
Weyler within the past few months, with
his insistence that the Cuhans must be eN-
terminated to be assured that SPAIN
captain general knows the ground he's
treadng on. Reforms and autonomy
nothing more than boys squirt gun used
burning house. II is rather a lurid
metaphor, but Il is almost literally true.
that the house of Spains authority has
beeen a:ire ever since the flames of revolu-
ton We're kindled this last time. No hui
man agency can put that fire out now: and
the building must burn to the ground.
Weyler. we reluctantly confess, is using
the only means that would recommend il
self to a military fireman who is at once
scientific and murderous. Weyler is fight
ing this fire the principle of starving
out the flames; deprive a fire of material
and ii cannot burn. The question is
whether Weyler will he able to starve
confiagration fed by the righteous wrath
of 1.Jn.ED human beings, who now have
all to gain and nothing to lose by continu-
ing in rebellion. Thus, it is useless, and
will ever be useless, for President McKin-
ley TO negotiate plans with Spain for sys-
tenn of Canadian autonomy in Cuba
Cuba won't have autonomy. Cuba will
have liberty, and she is ready to wait and
fight for liberty"