The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-08
CALHOUN BACK FROM CUBA
GEN. LEES SPECIAL COUNSEL RE-
Views THE SITUATION.

Ne ssys sps,n Can't aueii tina Revelation Cntn
the Laat unsurEeut us Dead-mer Flight
THAT OF a hall Attacked by I~nseets-Truth
Is as Unknown Quantity on the Island.
William J. Calhoun, special counsel to Consul.
General FitzhuEh Leo IN the Ruiz case, arrived
horo from Havana yesterday morning, and spoke
freely OF his Impressions OF the state Of affairs
in Cuba. He said that ne believed the war would
only be ended by the death OF tho last Cuban or
the final desperation and disgust OF Spain after
weary years Of guerrilla warfare. He inimated
that tho evidence Gen. Loo had boon able to
gather In the Ruiz case was absolutely without
value. and manifested resentment for the lack
OF courtesy shown TO him by Captain General
weylor and by Fonsdevtela, who was supposed
TO be the most important witness In the Ruis
cnse.
Tho Saratoga, the steamship on which Mr..
Calhoun came from Cuba, reached her pier at n
little after 10 o'clock in tho forenoon. Other
passengers were @. W. Fishhack OF tho State
Department, who acted as Mr.. Calhoun's secro-
tary, and Ramon o. Williams, who was Gen.
Lee's predecessor at Havana and IL said to be .
prominent candidate for Minister to Spain to
succeed Hannis Taylor. Mr.. Calhoun and Mr..
Fishback went to the Waldorf. They will leave
for Washington this morning. Gen. Lees report
on the Ruiz case. in tho preparation OF which
Mr.. Calhoun assisted. was mailed on the Sara
tORa ana mas reaCncO the freSluent Dy bnib tbno
what is your impression OF the situation in
Cuba - Mr.. Calhoun was asked. rs thore war
In the island T.
"Tho whole state OF the island Is pitiablo. It
IL q disgrace to civilization. There 10 no war
there. as we speak Of war. There Is a compact,
organized body Of Spanish soldiery on the one
hand. On the other are thousands Of individuals
divided loosely into guerrilla bands. ten, thirty
or fifty in a party. ~ravaging the country. and
49, h. =, h-,. - . tknp. aftu
miles to tho north. The next ten miles
south. Never a decisive battle, never an
attack OF force by force. Tho Cubans
aren't looking for a battle-they'd be fools IL
they did. The situation may best be described
by comparing the Spanish to a big. clumsy ami
NAL, a bull. that is attacked by swarms Of In
sects. They buzz around him, they sting him.
they torture him into paroxysmso Of rage, and
he can do nothing but switch at them or trample
a few Of them into the mud in an aimless way.
The fight will never end until the last gnat is
dead or until the bull has been driven out of its
senses. SO that 1t PUSHES to self-destruction."
Did you go into the insurgent camp or meet
any !S q !h SAID hiSaa H. of Gsihoa on ne n f al mot go into
the Cuban lines. / did not meet any OF their
SS s5sPs iherH %si 'as,' ss. s. 81 az io SIsh; x no s y sas
thized with them and were in touch with them.
senss sas; ! ws ss sSHH IT ss sss case as So of Dr. 81 Rsiz: rf fPals
meet lots OF Cubans in Havana, but i didn't hold
any COnIerGnCeS- IL WOulu nave Dtcn Improper
for me to go behind the backs of the Spanish. and
to break away from the joint commission for q
consultation with persons in open rebellion
that:
sent to investigate the whole Cuban question
That snpposition was wrong, then. / know
81 so aHlss had / lad ths sys tse IN m IT is ss all G snd seaid ssc
things with Nth 1 I Miil ts II the Pr Tsssn sl asks su me Z
went out for the Ruiz case and nothing else"
Did, the Spanish, cooperate with you in the
the commission, was most courteous and kind.
truth as we were. He helped US in every possi-
How was it with the othersr.
They didn't run after US begging for permits
sion to testify was the laconic reply. We ex-
amined six or SEVEN"
Now, look here! Or. Ruiz had been in soli-
tary confinement. He received a hurt, resulting
the cell and died. hhe was murdered; the only
persons who know it are his jailers. They were
cnces about the value of such testimony"
Did Fonsdeviela come before you
No" MIR. CALHOUN spoke grufhy.
II assure you. sir. that I would like very much
Pid You sec captain.aenersl Wey!err
II Sss s bssn M snis E 1baf NJ. { c ! didna' took a, an
ing his three weeks stay there. Gen, Weyler
was within fifty or one hundred miles OF Havana
Nj. Calhoun left.
One thing / learned down there, . he said in
conclusion, "is, that folks up here don't know
couldn't stand out here on the street corner and
talk this way IL we were in Havana. Folks
don't do that sort Of thing there. Everything is
done under ground, in the dark, in whispers,
When you mean one thing you must say Just
ruth Sihp9dS down there. Neither side is:' Doubt Il
there is such a word in the language"
Mr.. Ffshback did not feel under the diplomatic
restrain, that kept Mr.; Calhoun from investi.
show him. He went out to look at the trocha.
He found II. he said, Il very formidable FORTH
much like a fort in n pacitied country. But Mr.
Fishback did not SO into the insurgent lines
Does, that mean, ' no was asked. that you
formed all your opinions OF the rebellion from
at all" he said. I'VE saw plenty Of
Cubans.. You must remember that there are
Cubans in plenty outside the insurRent lines
Former Consul.General Williams said that thu
present Cuban situation was exactly that which
he had predicted twenty-five years ago in hill
he said. is not one OF politics but OF organize
ton. In explanation of this no said that SPAR
needed to learn the lesson Of ruling colonies a
England had learned it,, II Spain. would give
trouble. He had no ideas on the war for publ
cation. Asked about tho report that he was u
be made Minister to Spain, he said:
have received no communication about II
but J. would be glad TO accept the place. Their
Is nobody who knows the Spaniards better thai
] do. l was Consul at Havana, for twenty-five
years. and all my life, you might say: hay
Cuba / met nearly all the spaniards Of note, AM
men like Campos are my personal friends.
never had trouble with them. can get alonI
with Weyler or any OF Them"