Evening star., 1897-06-12

vana were attacked by the insurgents dur
the troops got the worst Of It. Nothing Of
this kind could be learned from the official
reports, because IN those reports an un-
broken line Of Spanish successes Is re-
is published. In one OF the official state
ments I noticed that the insursent loss
was reported at 257 and the Spanish loss at
Z. For another ten-day period, 3l7 dead in
surgents were reported against 10 dead
Spaniards. The impossibtlity of any kind
OF fighting in which the losses could be
SO disproportfOnate stamps the utter worth
lessress of the official Spanish records.
The Ins1rgents' Strength.
I was told by insurycnt sympathizers in
Havana that in a military sense the insur-
rectfon was stronger than ever. My obser-
vation of the campaigning did not justify
this assertion. The insurrection is perhaps
stronger because relatively Spain is weak
er. As to military operations, II would be
idle to say that General Weyier, with his
100000 soldiers, has accomplished nothing
It Il doubtful IL Comes could now lead a
body of insurgents within sight Of Havana,
az he once did II Maceo were alive Ii Is
questionable whether he could sweep with
his nell from Pinar del Rio up into Ma
tanzas as he did on q former occasion as
an answer to Weyler's claim that the
country was pacined. In q word, the abil-
fty OF the insurgents for aggressive move
m ments has been lessened Whether II would
% renewed by the recognition Of beIlfger-
ency u question for the future Where
they have arms their activity Is marvellous
While Mr.. Calhoun was In Havana General
Weyler was personally In the field In Santa
CARA and trAYalnN fa
fuegos, Sagua, Pfacetas, Sancti Sparit1s
and other points. The insurgents said he
was afraid to leave his troops. and they
did harass ths Spanish columns. Quintin
Bandera, tha insurgent mulatte leader,
kept Q large force Of Spanish troops march
ing and countermakchtng around Trinidad.
In ofIer ways the Insurgents showed their
capability for action.
Canpatgn ol Inactivity.
With all the western and central part Of
the island garrtsoned. there Is little how
for the Spanish soldiers to do except to
wait the outcome of the rainy season. 1
have previously described the system of
forttnas and forts along the railroads and
In the interior. The military policy of
Weyler. in making the country a desert is
causing . further concentration CT troops
In the towns. It sounds ridiculous to say
trat with vastly superior force they can
probably hotd these towns, yet they sre
not entirely free from attacks by the tn
surgentA- The form the war is now .akine
is partly economic. The country does not
supply sustenaace for the Spanish troops
In many places the food has to be taken to
them by convoy trains. Where the rail-
road Is used. the insurgents frequently
blow up the trains by dynamite. Where
the railroads do not run. a heavy force Is
needed to carry the supplies. The Spanish
troops hold Bayamo in Santiago but they
hold 1t practically an imprisoned garri-
son. When tha
troops and the people of the town Join in
public rejoicing. Late in AprH Cafix.o Gar
cta successfully attacked a convoy from
Manzanillo to Bayamo. secured the pro-
Visions and caused a heavy loss Of life to
the troops. Later another Spanish force
succeoded In reaching Bayamo but the
provisions only lasted three weeks Ten
days ago convoy was started out from
Manxanfllo. was caught in the heavy rains,
and when last heard from was founderinR
in the mud unable to.either 60 forward or
TO move backward. A Spanish lieutenant
told me those rations were certain to be
distributed among the Insurgents
Insurgents' Raids.
Bayano b the most conspicuous illustra-
tton Of the difficulty Spain has In holding
Cuba. especially in the eastern provinces.
but there are other towns where her zarrf-
sons are also practically prisoners AS for
the insurgents themselves they are better
able to stand q campaign In which the aim
is to destroy the sourres of food supply,
1t Is their country. and they know how TO
live or Of It. In addition to helping them
selves from these Spanish convoys they
make raids on cattle wherever found
usually with success. During the month of
May these cattle raids were of more ac-
count than the actual fighting. The tnsur-
gents secured cattle around Guanatay with
In the lines of the trocha, around Cienfue-
gos, where heavy force Of Spanish troops
Mofo
localities. They are better fed than the
Spanish troops and even with the country
desert they will fare better better rela-
lively.
Spanish Sava&ery,
I have been asked whether the guerrilla
method Of carrying on the war does not
add to its savagery. That may be an open
question. but as the desolation grows and
spreads the savagery does increase. 1t
has already been commented on that Cen
eral Weyler shoots prisoners Of war con-
trary to the usages Of civilized nations.
That is only half the story. I know from
personal investigation of instances where
the hospitals of the Insurgents have been
destroyed by the Spanish troops and the
wounded Insurgents and their attendants
murdered. There is no exaggeration In
the reports which have come to the United
States Of these attacks on the hospitals
Nor have the atrocitiea Of the RuerriIlas.
who are part Of the Spanish forces been
exaggerated. The guerrillas do drag the
bodies OF their victims into the town to
be publicly exhibited. They are guilty OF
unspeakabls crimes. While In Havana 1
saw letter from q reputable Citizen of
Sancti Spiritus telling how that day the
gnerrt1las had paraded through the streets
the mutifated bodies Of three victims al
Legged to be Insurgents. The head Of one
had been cut on. and the trunk set up on
horseback Another had been cfeaved at
most In twain. and the third horribly mutf-
lated. To the honor of the Spanish offi-
GERS 1t must be said that they went out ana
stopped the spectacle, yet this exhibition ts
common one In the interior. where the
guerrtitas or local volunteers have things
their own way. An EngfishmAn, the super
lntendent Of q sugar plantation In Puerto
Principe. told me he had witnessed many
atrocities OF this kind and that their ex-
tent, II related. would seem beyond belief.
Exccsses BY Insurgents.
The insurgents. on their part. are not free
from excesses. 1t has to be said that 10
h0a fod