The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-01-01
A TRAP IS SET FOR GOMEZ
Spaniards Forming Three
Lines to Crush Him.
OPERATIONS ARE IN MATANZAs
Weyler Expected to Strike Hard
Blow, So That Spain Can Call for

"eyler Expected to Strike . Hard
Blow. So That Spain Can Call for
Another Loan-Cubans Confident.
Cincinnati. Dec. 2s.-A special to
the Commercial Tribune from Key
West says:
Havana advices are that Gomez q
advance guard has captured the town
OF Las Passega, in Santa Clara prov.
ince. taking the entire garrison and all
the stores. A battalion of fresh troops
was sent from Havana. to Matanzas
this morning, to be sent to the 'front.'
Great exertions are being made to get
strong force to oppose General
Gomez, and three lines are being forced
to get the Cubans entangled between
them and crushed.
Funds Running Low.
New York, Dec. %. A Madrid
special to the World says:
1t is rumored that General Weyler
has delayed fresh operations against
the insurgents in order to give time to
discover the disposition of banos and
their chiefs since the death of Maceo,
with view to feeling his way to pre-
pare the ground for finishing the pres
ept Cuban war like the past insurrec-
tions in Spain and Cuba, where official
negotiations proved more telling argu.
ments than force Of arms, directly the
insurgents saw no more hope of for
eign aid.
1t is also believed in diplomatic cir.
cles that Spain will take advantage of
the disposition of President Cleveland
and Secretary Olney to negotiate
quickly and directly with the United
States to secure neutrality by grant
ing discriminating concessions in the
contemplated Cuban tariff, and fair
promises of colonial autonomy before
the accession of Mckinley.
One Of the principal reasons Of the
Spanish government for insisting upon
Weyler making a decisive attempt to
clear the provinces of Pinar del Rio,
Havana and Matanzas, within few
weeks, is the urgent necessity for scor.
ing military success before Spain has
once more to appeal to the native and
foreign markets for fresh loans, when
she shall have exhausted the money
obtained by the recent interior loan,
which will be in March of next year. :
At present the minister of the col
onies disposes of this cash, and Cuban
bonds to the value of about $4,000. 900
only remain out of the proceeds of the
loans. The expenses of the war in
Cuba are $12, 900, 900 monthly, and in
the Philippines at least 81, 600, 900.
UP to the present time, the Spanish
treasury has assisted the Cuban treas
ury by guaranteeing advances made by
foreign and native bankers upon Cuban
bonds, and by pledging the sources of
imperial revenue for the recent $780,
900, 900 loan.
The moment is fast approaching
when the Spanish parliament and the
Spanish taxpayers must be asked to
provide. in the shape of additional tax
alton, $26, 100000 annually for the in.
terest and sinking fund of $3.50. 900, 600
thus far raised, to meet only in part
the expenses of the Cuban war, up to
March, 1897, and which the Cuban
budget and the Cuban taxpayers could
not possibly undertake to pay, even if
the war were soon terminated, con-
sidering that their budgets showed de-
ficits, averaging $4,000. 900 annually,
before the present insurrection.