Evening star., 1897-04-05
SPANS WAR IN CUBA.
Statement by the Havana Correspond
ent of the London Times.


| ent of the London Times.
c. f. Akers, who has for two years been
| the London Times correspondent at
| Havana, had four-column letter in yes
terday's New York World, in which he
declared that the worst horrors of Crete
and Armenia were equaled by Spanish
barbarities in Cuba. and that it is the
| moral duty of the United States to stop the
war. Mr.. Akers says:
The end of the dry season is now at
| hand, and Spain has accomplished little
| toward the pacification of Cuba Certain
gains have most certainly fallen to the
Spaniards, the death of Maceo in Decem-
Der and the capture of Rius Rivera few
days ago being the most notable. But at
what cost has the campaign been con-
Quoted?
THE provinces of Pinar del Rio and
Havana and large portions of MatanZas
and Santa Clara are one staring mass of
cinders. Desolation and determination
meet the eye at every point; ruin in the
present famine. disease and death in the
future, are all that the Cubans can hope
for while Cuba remains under Spanish
rule. Under these circumstances l do not
think that the death of this or that leader
can bring victory any nearer to the Span
ish arms Where one such man Rius
Rivera is lost to the insurgents hundred
spring up to take his place.
Moreover 1t must not be forgotten that
| military genius to conduct it. 1t is, to a
very great extent, every man for himself
and the devil take the hindmost.' The
only object in view is to keep the country
in such a condition of unrest as to make
imperative the presence of an enormous
army of occupation. Small parties of fifty
or one hundred men scattered throughout
the island can do this more effectively than
a concentrated force of 10000 1000
men. upon whom the Spanish commander
in-chief could at once mass greater num-
bers equipped with superior armament.
Gen. WeylerS policy of determination
and devastation is nothing short of the
almost insane working of an ignorant and
completely unbalanced mind.
ITO kill peaceful people on the technical
ity that they have neglected to obey the
order to leave their homes and take up
their residence in some town where no
means of subsistence exist is inexcusable.
'"ro devastate the whole island Of Cuba
on the plea that by so doing all supplies
will be shut off from the rebels only
demonstrates the dense ignorance under
which the Spanish general is laboring.
The rebels can get food enough to live
on for another ten years If necessary, while
the cattle alone now roaming wild in the
different districts will supply the insur-
gents with beef for at least a couple OF
years to come.
"As for the foreigners resident in Cuba,
they have but one feeling with regard to
Weyler's methods of conducting the mill
tary operations They consider Weyler and
his actions a reflex of the worst bar
barities of the middle ages, far more bru-
tai, indeed, than many of the most severe
means employed by the holy inquisition to
attain its ends.
And can they be blamed for passing
such Judgment on this fend incarnate in
human shape? Is there any precept advo-
Gated by God or man that justifies the
wholesale slaughter of innocent men. wo-
men and children on no other preteXt than
that they refuse to leave their homes and
willingly submit to die slowly of starva-
ton in such places as Weyler may order.
The object of Weyler's present policy
is to eXterminate the Cuban people-a peo-
pie composed of some 1.2t0oO0 whites and
100000 negroes or of mixed blood.
TO kill every peaceful male inhabitant
of the country is one of Weyler's methods
and to drive the women and children into
the towns to die of hunger is another
Not in one single case since Consul Cen
eral Lee assumed the duties of the Havana
consulate have any prisoners been accord
ed the privileges they are entitled to un-
der the Spanish-Amercan treaty and pro-
tocols General Lee states that his efforts
to obtain the full treaty rights for Amerl-
cans were Invariably thwarted by instruc-
tions emanating from Mr.. Olney in Wash
inSton.
IF may be permitted to give one word
of advice to the people of this great coun-
try it is to leave Armenia and the Turks
to be dealt with by the European powers.
and attend TO their own Armenia. that lies
but stones throw from their OVID
shores"