The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-06-05
Major Smith interviewed on the
Cuban War Situation,
AMERICANS NOT STARVING
Aad Ne Doesn't hnoN Of Family Need
Ing krlici GomeL Very strict
DIsclpliaafan,

fairs hrfofr tho senate committee n
for,iRn relations In Washington, was IN
New York. he was interviewed by the
Herald, which aays
Major smith WAS formerly captain
IN tho United Statoa army and 10 the
omy American oftiror Who has reached
tho Held In Cuba Al socond chief o' tho
personal rscorI of u,norai Gomez he has
taken part IN all the engagements Of tho
last year uomrE recently promoted hrn
Ia thu rank ~ major for bravery dis
played on the nrld. and 10 morr faliy
nhaw his gratitude of,irrrd him on this
ai,oclal mission 10 Sew York. at Tho same
time graniIns him "a long furlnukh "a
visit hia family at Mt sterling. Wis. ile
aiso f1avr him an ur,irr on tho lunla Tor
his tut salary. amounting to about I+,'o.
which has bcon paid Mr Smith. who's
quo stiunri about conditions of tho parln
cos ~ the country. denied positively
that uipf, Wis any suffering among thrm
Ia usr iaotincu uf Las VILLAS. saying uhaI
although Vegetables werv somewhat
acarro about munth ago. recent abuni
an, rains have haalonrd ~" crop and
that at present sweet potatoes and yamp
can be- found Ia plvnty.
Major Smith stated ,ha, he believed
thal Tho r,portH that many Americana
Weru starving IN Cuba vas greatly "a
aFr,IutsA Ilo bases hir brlirf on the
following facts;
whilc In Thlniiai he Was shown al
letter from Consul General l.oo 10 Mr
Qualc. American consular agent at that
plAos. requesting liut or dratituto Amer
lean cltisras In hls district Str gunlc
aaid the hitter Was tho third b" had fr
vsi,rd on tho subject and TO each heI
WAS happy To rrpiy that their Mas mol
starving Americans IN the district utI
Trinidad nrlihct had he hrntd Of any
diztfvsz
Major smith also learned white In ctrr.
Tnssua. whore The huik Of the American
capital ID Invested in sugar factories. ana
consequently Whcfv there 10 fair rep
rvHentAllon OF American citizenship rm.
ploy,d AMI residing. that thrru was not
a single family needing rviirf This In
formation Waa oofroboratcd by The
American consul, who had made rrpor,
Ia Oon"rsl lee similar 90 that Of tho
consular agent at Trinidad
Mr. Smith afterwards stayed short
tlmr IN the harhor Of Santiago dc Cuba,
whrrr several prominon, cuhann ard
Americans came To ac, him. and they alro
said trhi up to that time. owing to the
failure uf Wcyicr 60 Operate IN the east
tho l.~ppIt were not destitute nor IN necd
OF relief
Uvnrral Gomez placrd undur nrrrnI cot
opoi Juan Bravo. who commanded the
brigade of rrlnldid Ito was charged
with mlnappropriallon of Cuban funds.
receiving bribo for permitting lafgoI
numbers OF rntlic to pass into the Span
iah iinrr. AMI general lneompvtcncy, lie
waA court martlalcd. and Major smith
bciiryca that by this time he haH been
shot
Major smith iatyn that Gomez sharply
roprimandcd General Rodrlgucs FOR hir
luknWarm campaigna. and ordered him
to Ia, hills OF Trinidad. The volunteer
Infantry under Quintin nandcra was
placed under his ordcra Gomez Major
Smith istid. had awakened TO the fact
cgio Importance ana Rodriguez anh Han
dcrl were orlcrpd 10 prevent ~ all haA'
ards the further incuralonA OF the Span
lnh. n his orders are not carried out
Gomez thrvAtcnA TO degrade vycry officer
In the command That ho VIII keep his
word u shown In the case OF iry,yO, who
repeatedly dlAobcycd Instructions 10 de-
stroy tho sugar cano and factories OF
the Trinidad valley. These estates,
guarded by spanish forts, have been
Cubsna under Bravo, undhr the cnrr-
gotic leadership Of Bnndcra the sugar
factory nt Cnnnhaino. owned by Smith
ana Tlals'r. has been completely destroy
od. nnd Handcrn declares thnt h. viii not
rest until the factory NJ Trinidad. owned
by Sullmnn. OF Boston, shares like
fate
Mcssrs, Smith and Fisher are German
subjects
Major Smith. who led Gomo2's escort
says that the Cuban leader sticks to his
old tactics OF worrying the Spanish col
unmn but that now and then hc tires or
dodglng and gives them good sharp
nght The most important one that has
occurred during the present campaign
took place on the estate Reformn toward
the ,.nd OF April Gomez was Informed
thnt Wcylcr, Ut the head OF l2,OOO mon.
divided into eight columns, was 20 make
IA supreme effort to annihlute him, Has
thy concentrating the forces OF Major
Rodriguez. Pedro Dias and Bnndora,
numbering about a)OO men. he waitcd for
General weylcr on the Reforma estate,
ana thcrc occurred one OF the hardest
lights Of the war. For two days Gomez
successfully resisted every manouver OF
weyler to enclrcle him, and, foiled and
disappointed, General Weylcr withdrew
the bulk OF his forces TO sancti Spirit
tus.
MaIo Smith says that the Cubans
never left the Reforma, Gomez had Is
killed and 20 wounded.
Gomez will soon recross the trocha of
Moron to be present at Jasa In the month
of August for the assembly of delegates
that will then meet to elect new presi-
dent. Tho election viii be controlled by
the army. and the candidate backed by
Gomez will be assured OF success. Major
Smith says that the honor viii be con-