The morning news., 1897-08-29
CUBANS NOT FIGHTING.
A Writer Who Thinks the struggle
Cannot Last NNnch Longer.

From the Chicago Tmes-Herald
From private and reliable source
learn by letter from an Official in the
HIabana and Sagua districts in Cuba that
the rebels are in worse condition than they
have been at any period since the bloody
war commenced, over two years ago
From this same source I vast informed
couple of months ago that il was only
question of time, and little ii lie at that,
before the insurrectiOnists wO I'D march
upon Havana, capture it, rout Neyler and
his forces and thus end the stru ggle Ihus
1t seems that the situation has materially
changed. 1t IS not surprising. have
written many columns about lie war
down there. At no time has it ever oc-
CURED to me that the rebels un Ter such
leadership as has been maintain II from
the incipiency Of the trouble up TO the
present, would or could be sue cessful.
Events Of the past, forecast of u e fu-
ture, show that | was not entirely lncor-
rect
The struggle cannot last much onger.
1t cannot by the very nature of hings.
The revOlutionists have no money. They
have no credit. They have lost wha leNer
prestige they once possessed. They ca nnof
borrow any longer, and the cigarma kers
at Key West, Jacksonville, Tampa, New
York and New Orleans have become ped
of meeting assessments from month 10
month simply in order that BenJai min
Guerra of New York might dine at the
fashionable cafes situated on Manhat an
Island. and that Gomez and his lieutena ats
could buy expensive shoulder-straps a nd
glistenng swords that have never be en-
unsheathed. The junta at New Yo TX
promises that during the rainy season ''n
the island that the Spanish troops Wou Id
be decimated by Cuban bullets, assisted
by yellow fever and smallpox. Nothing
of the kind has occurred. The Cuba ms
have not won single battle for months;
and for that matter they never have won
a signal victory. The rainy season is
about over. Within foI might dry wealth
er VIII set in, and then NVey,er will throw
every soldier now under him in the he'd
with orders to conquer or lie That Is the
Information contained in Il letter just
received from Havana
cuba has been partcula. ~ free from
disease during the present su miner. There
has been some fever of cours 4. but il has
been of mild character and deaths have
been few. The Spanish troop. have been
well cared for during their va cation and
are i'm good trim to 80 to the front and
fight. According to reports, sh ploads of
provisions have been received az Havana
within the last six weeks and stol ed away
for winter use Forty thousand improved
rifles have recently been stored a way at
the arsenal at Cabana ana ANN unition
u
months has been purchased of New
York concern. Surely it looks as { che
rebels viii soon be called upon to fig hit.
The junta must have been disappoi nted
yesterday when they read that our ! leW
minister to Spain would arrive at Mad rid
with friendly message from this natl 9n
to King Alfonso. Ii has long despaire
of a bellicose report from Consul Genera
Lee. 1t has been unable 70 dispose of it's
millions of dollars in bonds that We're
placed upon the market for sale in New
York some months ago 1t could not stir
up trouble between the United States and
Japan. II has been too weak in argument
to convince the sensible members of con-
gress that the island naturally belonged TO
this country and that we should take it
by force 1t has been too cowardly to
show its treasury books and unfold to
the world what has become of the thous
ands of dollars contributed to its treasury /
by sentimental Americans. 1t has prom
ised that the war would end every week |
from the time it commenced to the pres |
ent. 1t has guaranteed young Ameri cans |
who would 90 there and fight a princiOal- /
ity, and many of them have gone. ThrolSh /
its news agency the most revolving Ia 'es /
that could he told have been given 20 tive |
press, all of which were more or less un-. |
true.
The prediction is made by my friend in '
Havana that Weyler will have the island
under SubJecuou by the end OF the year.
After two years the Cubans have been
unable to take or to hold single town or
province. They have burned and slaugh-
tered. They have scalped the dead. They /
have murdered more men than Weyler's |
soldiers have done. They have violated
every law OF morals And now, after hav-
ing needlessly sacrificed the lives Of hun
dreds OF thousands and caused the destruc- /
ton Of millions of dollars worth of prop
crty, they are about 60 lay down. Poor /
old Gomez; coWardly Old Cisncros!