The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-10
weylcr's Inefriciency as a Soldier.


The events of the past three months
leave serious doubt ss to the ability OF
the Spanish commanders to cope success
fully with the difficulties before them.
General Weyler threw q force of some
75, 600 men into the country to the west
OF Havana, where Antonio Maceo and
some 1000 rebels had been located for
nesrly the whole o. 1896. The sp,nish
army wss detailed for duty on the
TrocDs, to garrison the towns and forts
and to form flying columns to march
rapidly from district to district in the
province of Pinor del Rio. In the face of
this concen tration of troops the rebels
broke camp and dispersed in different d.
rections. smsll bodies of men only being
left to hold certain difficult passes ami
mountain ranges. Nor could the Span
ish generals ever succeed in driving
thess scattered groups together into such
position as to force general engagement.
The troops, marching continuously from
point to point. were constantly harrsssed
by the rebels fire, and an occasional skir-
mish took rlac'. Bot no action of any
Pinar del Rio Province. Msceo crossed
the Trocha, for the purposs of putting
himself az the head of the rebels in the
province of Havana and attacking Gen
eral Weyler in the rear.
BY lucky accident OF war for the
Spaniards Maceo was killed. His death
was not, however, in any sense q credit
to General Weyler's conduct OF op,rs-
tions, for Maceo was in the province Of
Havana whilst General weyIer was search
ing for him in tie hills of the western
section of PiDsr del Rio. After the death
of Msceo a couple of weeks of COMPARE
tive iDaction followed. General Weyler
completely failed to take advantage of
the snock caused TO the ebes by the loss
Of their boldest leader. Then the Span
ish commander-in-chlsf decided that,
nfaceo being dead, the rebels in PiDsr del
Rio were no longer an important factor,
basing this assumption on the fact that
the insurgents made no further attempt
TO concentrate. A more fatal error Gen.
No rebels In Pinas del Rio have sur
rendered, no arms have been captured,
oply some $50 men have been killed or
taken prisoners by the Spaniards. Gen.
eral Weyler is. however. acting rs though
the rebels had suffered q decisive defeat,
and il Withdrawing some 27, ,00l men from
pinar del bio for service in Havana, Mata-
mas, and the eastern provinces. Reliable
intoi nation from Pinar del Rio Is to the
effect that once the withdrawal OF these
q. COO Spanisrds Ii effected, the rebels
Will assume more aggr ssiye policy, the
more especially so as they have been re-
enforced by over 1000 men from the
east. The rebels ia i'insr del Rio will,
therefore, be quite as strong as they
were ixssmonths ego, and, moreover, all
reports tend TO chow that they have
sufficient food supplies In this district
for several months to come, in spite of
Spanish officials declarations to the
contrary. DR.. Zertucha, who surrendered
at r the death of Maceo estimates the
mum Der OF rebels in the fighting ranks
now in Pinsr del Rio as between 1000 and
5000 well armed, and with q fair supply
of ammunition. In these conditions the
rsbels arc in position TO carry on a
guerilla warfare for years, IL necessary,
against a very large body of troops, al
ways provided that ammunition can be
obtained and food is avsiis BILE. - Harper's
Weekly.