The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-05
a SEEKER OF WAR NEWS.

The Journal is in receipt of a letter from
an Indiana gentleman who offers to go to
Cuba and collect correct reports of the Gu
ban army and forward the same. to the peo-
pie of this country If the people whom he
thus seeks to benefit will contribute the
funds necessary for the trip. He is for
Cuba" he says. and is willing to go there
and charge nothing for his time if the Jour-
nal Will collect the money to defray
expenses. He confesses that. in fact, he
has always wanted to go to Cuba. and.
with the benevolent purpose of getting ac-
curate news from the seat of war added
to his earlier interest, feels an anxiety to
so Immediately. "An that L want he
says. lis four men to M me (these
can be found that will not charge anything
for their time), and a gun and sword
apiece. so as TO defend ourselves in case we
should be attacked" This enterprising gen.
tleman modestly requests that his name
shall not he printed, though why he should
hesitate to take the public into his entire
confidence i'm regard to SO bold an under
taking is not quite comprehensive. But
the Journal regrets that it does not see its
way clear to taking up the desired collec-
ton. 1t is true that the news from the
Cuban army is rather meager and of UNI
certain quality, but there is reason to be-
lieve that the army itself is meager, and
that the Indiana agent of the American
people would have difficulty in finding it,
even if he should succeed in landing. There
is a painful doubt, however. as to his
getting there alive with his four body
guards. Has he read how the redoubtable
stephen Crane. animated by just such d
purpose as his own, tried to go over and
how a wicked traitor bored d hole in the
vessel and drowned a lot of the passengers.
Crane only getting back to the Florida
coast after a great struggle? And If he
should get over there. there is danger that
the terrible Weyler would come out with
his army to meet him and would eat him
and his four attendants, skin and bones
and note books. too; for Weyler. though
his army be not large, has probably suf-
ficient confidence in it's power to march it
valiantly against five men, however brist-
ling they might be with guns and swords.
Or. if they escaped this fate, they might
run against the tTOcnd the HrSt tnlnS Iney
knew and hurt themselves. Moreover, the
island of Cuba is of considerable size. and
there is IA likelihood that the Indiana gen.
tleman in search of correct information
concerning the Cuban army, which is not
large. would have a long and hard journey
to find it. The Journal does not wish to
put itself in al position where it would suf-
fer apprehension and remorse al the
thought OF it's correspondent chasing up
with a growing probability that he would
never find it. or that. having found it. he
would not know what TO make of it. IL
stephen Crane, who writes i'm small capt.
tails and is apt at impossible war tales as
Weyler himself, could not so much as get
to Cuba. but had TO swim back to Florida,
what could a mere Hoosier amateur hope
TO accomplish, willing though he might be?
No: the Journal recognizes the daring and
self-sacriIicing spirit of its correspondent,
but must decline to take up the proposed
| collection in his behalf. The picture of
him and his four comrades with their five
| guns and five swords marching through
Cuba would be too narrowing. Though it is
! giving up true reports OF the army they
will have to go; the Journal cannot be re-
such perilous conditions.