The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-11-17
GENERAL BLANCOIS
HOPELESS TASK
Impossible to Effect the Reforms and
Garry Out Policy.
RURAL PoPULACE MURDERED
Rebel Army Reduced by Starvation sad Not
Enough Spaaihrds Lett 10 Guard
Flaatstions aud Fight.

Now York. November ia World dis
patch from Havana says:
3 General Blanco has entered upon an
almost hopeless task The present Cuban
situation IL such that It seems Impossible
90 one,t the reforms and to accomplish
what the greatest army IN the history
OF colonla! wars has failed 10 90 spain's
present policy IL announced 20 be- one of
combined consultation and force II ap-
pears 20 bc. as somc Spanish Journals
have called a. "a suicidal policy" The
peculiar and not generally understood
condition of tho Cuban struggle now make
any conclllatory move direct play into
the hands OF rho insurgents This is
particularly true % the proclamation of
November 10. which commands civn and
military authorities 10 aid In pro,coiins
tho sugar properties IN grinding cane.
70 Adequately protect N. sugar estates
likely to operate General Blanco will
have 20 practically close the operations
against the insurgents He has not
enough men 10 do both things. Most Of
the plantations were worked last year
for short periods All paid ;h-lr own
guards and most Of shem paid ,hs cubans
ns well. Those planters who tlid no, pay
tribute were forced to double or treble
their e'nrds. only about 81 per cen, Of
the sugar plantations tha, operated two
years ago have machinery modern enough
or cane good enough to warrant grind
Ing az he present price of sugar.
General Blaneo viii have 20 furnish.
estimated moderately. at least i2co mon,
or g;5 guards to each Of a plantations.
These so,dlcrs must come from forces
now operating against tho Insurgents
II is not likely tha, General Blanco has
forgotten the lesson Of the invasion. and
WA take the regular troops from guard
duty In the towns to allow volunteer
garrsons opportunity OF urrendcrlng TO
7 the enemy. The large number of Cubans
/ forced by hunger into the volunteer uni
formH makes such surrcndering more
probable now than before
More than half Of the rural popula-
tlon has disappeared having been MUIR
dercd by weylcr and his supporters. The
same men are much more accountable
for IN. inhuman manner In which their
splendldy brave soldiers have been un-
dcrfcd and uncared for As nearly as
can be ascertained from conservatively
computed hgures' little more than half
are left alive, and what OF the $4,000
peasant lads Spain sent TO Cuba. The
hgures are:
Died In hospitals. &,OW.
Killed or died on the field. 1900
Sent hack to Spain as "Inutle." a5coo.
Now in hospitals, 1900
Total $1,000
or this enormous number it is improh-
able that more than $1,000 met death or
disability from Cuban bullets even dur
ing the real hghting OF the invasion, and
the six months thereafter,
Maceo estimated that more than SOO0O
Spanish soldiers had fallen in battle.
That was In August, 1896 Since then very
little lighting has been done II General
Hanco follows up his proclamation and
guards sugar making this year. he will
not have more than 27OOO men available
for service against the insurgents, OF
the $4,000 troops at his command, $4,000
are guarding towns About the same
number are looking after railroads and
Nne UochdS' Inese cannot very well ne
drawn upon, or the wen-oranzed rebels
of Eastern Cuba can swoop down in a
second invasion and the railroads will
agai be torn up.
The best-mformed Cubans admit that
disease and starvation have reduced tn,
rebel army Of abe-bodied men from
100000 to 10000 The real figure probably
is nearer SOOOO stn there are more thar
General Blanco will have to send agains
them and they are vastly better armed
and have fifty times more experience
than when they bafiied the successlv,
efforts Of weyler to crush them witt
twice that number OF men. taking ont
province after another. 1t is not lkel!
that with the odds in their favor the,
win continue TO run away. Insurgen
bands may combine and the experiment
OF weakening his force to aid his con
I ciliatory movements may be disastrous