The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-08-12
CUBA Isolated.
Spanish Officials Suddenly Shut OH SaDle Sohi-
munication. Killing OF Canovas neieveo -
IN Have Precipitated a Crisis. :.e@-..
Ahumada Sick and Weyier In Camp Id the INTERIOR Stste BE-
oartment Prepared for Startling News.
litter co,,.,se o, spas,sh Authority Believed to Be lmninest-Isssr
rests Likely to Reoccupy Pinar dol Rio'. havaha' mas:s'
"a ard sssts Clara Provinces at Ohce.
atch the Globe Democrat.

Special bspatcht hcO iop-1cmTra - ="
7 n NsHiNGToN, i. C. Aug accumulation between the Unit
" ed States and Cuba was practically suspended u'oay. A cable
connects Kew West with Havana. 1t might as well have been
ont in m,d.uulf for the purpose lit served. The time from Havana to Key
West by boat is only five hours, but this was not sailing day. The Cuban
end nj, thc cable vas in possession Of Spanish officers. Ominous silence pre-.
vailed. -
SPANISH authority maintains d rigid censorship we Inc capie at all
times. Immediately following the news OF the Canovas ASSASSINATION Cuba
was isouedf from the rest OF the world. All the messages to be sent out.0f
Havana must be taken to the palace and passed upon by regularly detailed
ccusorsb before the cable company dares handle them. II they are stamped
"cennred" they 20. II not stamped they are waste paper. Il IS presumed
that the stamping was suspended as soon as the news from spaiu. was re.
|ceived. ".I -,
Soon after the state department as opened for business today a brief
cjnber message " a. sent to Consul General Lee, giving him onicial informa..
ton Of the assassination. Nothing had come from him in reply up TO- late.
hour. 1t was thought at the state department that the Spanish authorities,
at Havana we're trying to suppress the news until troops could X. concGn..
trated and provision could be made for the defense of Havana. a. ..
The situation in Cuba Is doubly critical now. Ahumada, second ncgmt.
mand, is sick. Weyler is in camp in the interior A few days ago he went
by coast steamer from Havana to Matanzas and thence ont into the countrya
to Agucate, in Havana province. Agucate Is a large town on the. railroad
railroad, however, has been blown up and there are. strong bodies Of insur..
gents between Aguacate and the Havana terminus 1t wonldb be most natu.t
raj for the officials to try to suppress the information u the assassination
until Wcyler could reach Havana. "'' 49, i s.l
The state department is prepared for most startling news from Cuba. ~
Diplomacy prevents utterance for publication, but privately the. leading Of, -.
fcials at the department express the opinion that the end Of the war is near.
Canovas was not only the personal friend of Weyler but he was the malnstI.
Of the Spanish loyaist party in Cuba. His removal meansso much that. It.
would not surprise the state department to see an utter collapse Of Spanish !.
authority N the island. The prediction is made that there will be no mere.
aggressive campaigns by weyer and that the Spanish troops will be concen.
trated rapidly at the seaports. s. f+ ''r'-~ tM.
If the insurgents re sufficiently supplied ithammuniton, it isthuught,s
they will at once take the field and rapidly possess themselvesof the interior .
of the island, reoccupying the provinces OF Pinar del Rio, Havana, MAINTAIN,
zas and Santa Clara. as they now hold Puerto Principe and Santiago. 80