Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-26
That Great Struggle Compared With
the Present Revolution.
DRAWING The LIFE BLOOD FROM CUBA
Devastation Greater Now Than
After Five Years Then.
SANE SAVAGE METHODS
Written for The Evening Star.

| Written for The Evening Star
Living in the present atmosphere of war
and instruction in Cuba, it is possible to
| understand the events of the ten years
| war. The surroundings are the same The
| course of events is the same but it moves
| much more rapidly. A Spanish friend told
| me that If l would study the history OF
| that war it would convince me of Spain's
| ultimate triumph. He told me how 1t had
| been carried on with the Carlst revolution
in the very vitals of SPAIN and drew a
| parallel between that and the present in
| surrection in SPANS far-off Pacific pos
sessions-the Philippine Islands He was
| sure that any one who would review the
ten years struggle would be satisfied OF
Spain's ability to conquer Cuba.
! found the opportunity for this study in
| the library Of gentleman who has lived
! IN Havana for the last thirty years. He is
an American. He was on the island during
| the whole of the ten years war; and he had
| recorded its various stages by clippings
| from the newspapers OF Havana and Mad
| rid and correspondence in American jour-
| nalS. This Scrap-book history proved to be
a vivid portrayal of the long and desperate
struggle, which did end in Spain ultimately
| esta bllshlns her sovereignty in Cuba. Some
! points of similarity and some of difference
| as compared with the present revolution
| impressed me. From personal observation
| of the existing conditions should say that
| IN two years war Cuba has been devastat-
ed more than after five years of the pre-
vious instruction or. indeed. than at any
! period OF that weary contest.
| \ Menace to Both.
During the ten years war the volun-
| teeTs were military force dreaded alike
| at Madrid and in Havana. They literally
dieated the policy of the government. They
| were turbulent. cruel and aggressive
| military np6cr no of fri
| otlc body of home troops. They made and
| unmade captains general of the island, and
the ihinistry in Spain bowed TO their be-
! hests. Now the volunteers of Cuba are a
| relatively small element among the Spanish
| troops. They are rot aggressive. and they
| nave little to do with the conduct of the
war Neitfer General Weyler nor the gov
eminent in Madrid mas any fear of the
volunteers as Il part of the army
turing the ten years war the most pow
| erfui political agency in Cuba was the
Casino Espanol, or Spanish Casino. This
was political club formed by loyal Span
| lards. 1t dominated and dictated the civil
affairs of the island. and was second only
| to the volunteers in shaping military af
| fairs. The Casino Espanol was also feared
| by the ministry in Spain. 1t was agrees
slVe and domineering, and it's policy had
| to be followed by more than one captain
general who sent out from Spain 1t
| represented the concentrated bitterness of
| the merchants and business men of Span
ish birth against the native Cubans. The
Casino Espanol still exists 1t has SPLEEN
did quarters in one of the fine buildings
| of Havana. The Spanisll-born yet make
| up its membership, and it's loyalty to Spain
| is unquenchabie, but a political factor
the Casino EspanOl is very harm
| less body. 1t does not dictate the policy,
| 1t has nothing to say about military opera
| lions, and its domineerng would not be
tolerated by the government.
| Then and Now.
Throughout the ten years War there was
| something like freedom of SPEECH and free
| dom of the press among tt. supporters of
Spanish rule. The news apers assumed
the right to criticise freely and no captain
! general was ever powerful enough to COM
pletely muzzle them. Ihey represented all
| shades of opinion, tlni they had direct
| influence in shaping che policy of the gov
eminent at Madric, and of the army in
! Cuba. Now the Havana press is COM
| pletely muzzled 1t does not dare to give
| advice about Tie management of the war,
and such tning as criticism of the gov
| eminent OF the army would not for
moment be permitted. The meaning of all
| this is tEat within two years Cuba has
| come lnder military despotism which it
| never reached throughout the ten years
| war. Its government is purely military,
and is more absolute under the forms Of
| martial law than can be found anywhere
| else today in the world. This absolutism is
| centered III one man, the captain general
! of the island. At this writing he is Don
| Valeriano Weyler, Marquis Of Tenerife.
The unfolding panorama of the former
insurrection taken year by year gives
acter which make the present revolution
| the easier understood. The first three
| years passed with varying fortunes. There
| was at the beginning of Captain General
| Valnaseda's order directing the shooting
/ of men found away from their habitations,
| the burning of the huts of the country peo-
/ pie, and the effort to concentrate them, as
General Weyler has since done. This order
1 of NalmaSela'S never carried out be-
/ cause of the emphatic protest made by
l President Grant. The early years of the
war had much more OF bandits and
| brigandage than are now heard of on the
| island. There were also appeals from the
| Insurgents to the United States for recog-
milton belligerents. negotiations between
| Washington and Madrid and propositions
| for the sale of the island and the purchase
of their independence by the Cubans.
..aIske Good the TREASURED"
| ut was during these early negotiations
| that Gen. Prmm, the Spanish premier.
said he would say to Cuba, Make good
/ the treasure you have cost US and 60"
] But this sentiment found no echo among
| the loyal Spaniards in Cuba. About this
1 time the Casino Espanol issued a mani
4 festo saying Cuba will be Spanish, or we
| will abandon heap of smoulde ring ashes"
4 Though the Casino Espanol is not what it
1 was twenty years ago, l heard the same
sentiment uttered by some Of its present
4
In the military operations this Cuban
| scrap-book chronicles much of Martinez
| Campos and of Colonel Weyler. later the
| Brigadier Weyler. Weyler was then
| most interchangeable officer. and whether
| he justly earned the title of Butcher
| Weyler'' or not. he was certainly serving
| Spain with great ability. There are many
| accounts of conflicts between him and Cen
1 eral Maxine Gomez. Maceo is also heard
of frequently, and Calixto Garcia was then,
| as now bold in attacking the Spanish col
| umns. Sanguily. who was put in prison
before he could take part in the present
| insurrection was likewise an active in
1 surgent commander. Sanguily. it will be
| remembered. pardoned not long ago.
| his American citizenship being the ground
4 Of it.
A Cry for Blood.
Bitter complaints We're made during those
| early years of the ten years war against
| the insurgents for burning sugar planta-
| TORS. while the atrocities laid at the door
4 of Spanish troops were similar to
l those now charged against them. There
| was specification" too on the island. II
/ was along in 1871 that the insurreetion