The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-18
CANNON IN THE WAY IN PINAR DEL RIO
The Insurgents In Need Of Arms and
Ammunition.
no AMERICAN TROOPS WANTED.
rhey Can Not speak the Language
nnd Arc n Hindranco Rather
than n Help.

New York. January ls.--The World
prints an interview with General RuIx
Riviera, obtained In tho field near Cameo.
ncar pinar del Rio. In this Interview Cen
oral Riviera says:
II do not wish TO criticisc our friends In
the United States for believe them (re-
ferring TO the juntg patriotic men and
striving TO do their best for Cuba, but
We here in Pinar del Rio havo been some
what neglected.
Great reliance was placed on General
Maceo, our beloved commander. and II was
thought that he could not only defeat the
enemy in the province, but fnally make
junction with Gomez But he knew, and
our friends should have known also. that
four or five or ten thousand 0s good mon.
poorly armed aud most OF them with
scnniy ammunition. cuuld not prevail
against $4,000 well armed and well fed
troops One or two expeditions landed
one ut Corientics bay--hut otherwise Tor
nine months we have been depending upon
our strategy and knowledge OF the province
to keep us out OF n pitched battle"
Speaking with reference to cannon. l
wish 1t could be communicated to our
friends in the United States that cannon
are more in the way of ourselves than that
of the enemy In this province. In tho
| nrst place they are inconvonieni to tako
about over the hills through the district
OF Manirua aud among the woods. The
cannou We now have represents an outlay
| OF $4,000 or S5000 and yet almost one thou
sand rifles could be purchased for that
! sum. OF course, when We are ~ position
/ TO assault Havana heavy guns VIII be ne
! crssity DO we expect to do 30? No. not
very soon about tho end OF the winter
hone There Is certainly nothing to be
! gained by making statements that arc un-
true or that | do not believe In myself
1T would be wrong for me to give our
friends In the United States the Impression
that We are perfectly able 20 take care OF
ourselves no matter what happens. IN
crcd now thnt you are here representing a
pnper chat has been true to nR from the
bcl ,nnins I hope that my statements VIII
roach those who are endeavorlng 10 aid us
directly aud assist them in arriving NJ
proper conclusions
some of NV best friends may critisise
me for apoalSing 80 plainly. hut wish the
Cuhnns of New York Philadelphia, Jack
sonvIlle and Key West to know We here IN
plnar del Rio, like our brothers Of the ori-
ent. aro willing TO die for Cuba. w can
not fight alone with nur hands, nor even
with machetcs against nm enemy that III
fully equipped, FED and drilled
Eve do not need men and above all, we
do notwant foreigners TO come unless they
are men Of military science. II is not. AN
you know. because OF any lack Of apprcci-
alton, sympathy or assistance OF the Tor
elgner We pray to God that the American
Nation exists andappreclate the great
help II has been TO us. we do not want
young Americans to come to Cuba MS ngnt-
ers Not one In ten knows word of tho
language OF our county, language VIC
would change II we could since We dislike
Spain. an
Americans with Maceo when he entered
this province. hut don't believe there ere
a half dozen left, do not know now Zen.
Gomez feels In this particular, but az lar
az I am concerned l do not want foreign
ers. There are plenty OF Cnbaps VINO arc
anxious TO come TO the assistance OF tneir
flghtlng brethren. II men are to DO sen..
lei Cubans be the men. But. as matter
of fact. we are not In need OF men at all
The whole native population IL WIN W.
and am confident an army OF $1,000 couid
he Minced IN Havana before the winter -
over II we but had the arms and ammuni-
lion. Our Cubans are brave and patriotic
and willing TO die for IFS. Tell the Aneri-
can neopic to give MS rifles and supply OF
cartridges. aud we viii whip weyier before
the winter ends We have many men
waiting in tho province which was last to
take UP arms