Evening star., 1897-01-18
ACCOUNTANT.
NEED RIFLES AND BULLETS,
Gen. Rivera Tells of the Cuban Want
in Pinnr del Rio.

"SAA. AeAsSHN AeiIA Oh the SuDan Wants
In Pfnnr del Rio.
NEW YORK, January 1s.-The World
prints an interview with Gen. Ruis Rivera.
obtained in field near Cayelonoa, Pinar del
Rio. In this interview Gen. Rivera saws:
Il do not wish to criticise our friends in
.~the United States, for 1 believe them Ge-
ferring to the junta) patriotic men and
striving to do their best for Cuba but we
here in Pinar del Rio have been somewhat
neslected Great reliance was placed upon
Cen Maceo, our beloved commander and
1t was thought that he could notGonfy de-
feat the enemy in the province, but finally
make junction with Gomez. But he
knew. and our friends should have known
also. that four or five or ten thousand men,
poorly armed. and most of the time with
but scanty ammunition, could not prevail
against 5000 well-armed and well-fed
troops. One or two small expeditions land
ed-one at Corrientes bay-butf otherwise,
for nine months. we have been depending
upon our strategy and knowledge of the
province to keep us out of pitehed battle
Speaking with reference to cannon. /
wish it could be communicated to our
friends in the United States :thato cannon
are more in the way of ourselves athan of
the enemy in this province. In the first
place they are inconvenient TO take about
over the hills through the iowlapd man.
fgua and among the woods The cannon
we have now represent an outlay of 600
to 5000 and yet almost one thousand
''Of course, when We are in position to
assault Havana heavy gums will be a ne
cessity Do we expect to soon? No; not
very soon-about the end of the winter, L
hope.
There is certainly nothing to be gained
by making statements that are untrue, or
that do not belive in myself.
1T woull BE- wrong for me to give our
friends in the United States the impression
that We are perfectly able to take care of
ourselves no matter what happens. Indeed,
now that you are here, representing pa
per that has been true to us from the be-
ginning, I hope my statements will reach
those who are endeavoring to aid us d.
rectly and assist them in arriving at proper
conclusions.
Some of my best friends may critictse
ne for speaking SO plainly, but l wish the
Cubans of New York, Philadelphia, Jack
sonvile and Key West to know that we
here in Pinar del Rio. like our brothers of
the orient. are willing to die for Cuba or
to win. We cannot fight alone with our
hands, nor even with machetes against an
enemy that IS fully equipped, fed and
drilled.
1--WE do not need men, and, above all. we
do not want foreigners to come, unless they
are men of military science. 1t is not. as
you know, because of any lack of apprecia-
tion for the sympathy or assistance of the
foreigner We pray and we thank God that
the American nation exists, and we know
and appreciate the great help 1t has been
to US
But we do not want young Americans to
ccme to Cuba fighters. Not one in ten
knows a word of the language of our coun-
try-a language we would change II We
could, since we dislike everything Spanish.
There were, perhaps, forty or fifty
Americans with Maceo when he entered
this province, but do not believe there are
a half dozen of them left.
Il do not know how General Gomez feels
in this particular. but, far as l con-
cerned, l do not want any foreigners.
There are plenty of Cubans In the United
States who should be. and presume are,
willing and anxious to come to the assist
aLce Of their fighting brethren. If men are
to be sent let Cubans be the men.
But, as a matter of fact we are not in
Feed of men at all. The whole native popu-
lation is with US, and 1 am confident an
army of $1,000 could be placed in Havana
province before the winter is over if we
had but the arms and ammunition. Our
Cubans are brave and patriotic and willing
to die for our republic, but they are not
crazy enough to face an enemy's bullets
with empty hands. Tell the American peo-
pie to give us 10000 rifles and supply of
cartridges, and we will whip hi out of
Weyler and his trocha before the winter
ends.
I'VE have that many men waiting in the
province who wish to take UP arns!'