New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-16
uoKE SMITHS VIEWS ON CUBA.
HOhE SIHI III . '11@''N CIV
HE RETURNS FROM KEY WEST AN ENTHusI-
Asr1c BELIEVER IN THE INsUR-
GENT CAUSE


AsT1C BELIEVER IN THE 1NsUH'
GENT CAUSE
A.,sn+, Ga. MAY Is (speciaD-Hoke Smith.
formerly Secretary Of the Interior returned to-day
from weeks visit to Key West. where he had ac-
cess TO many authentic sources OF lhiorme.io"
concerning the actual condition Of affairs In Cuba
Mr. Smith comes back enthusiastic believer IN
tho cause of the insurgents and sansuihe OF their
ultimate success He said this afternoon:
key West Is full of people who have recently lert
Cuba met men who talked freely OF the cond'ioh
in the island and were thoroughly In sympathy
with the insurrectionists, but who were, WhlIe III
Havana supposed to be In sympathy with SPAIN
7 sought TO obtain as accurate an estimate OF the
true condition of affairs in Cuba as my opportunities
afforded and found unbroken opinion that
Spain had accomplished nothing toward putting
down the insurrection and that the Cupans "ere
more determined and hopeful OF success IMAM ever
Indeed I might say that an opinion Of confidence
was almost everywhere expressed that thls strus-
gle would end in Cubas liberation. Tho recent
course of the Spanish Government with regard TO
the Bank Of Havana the Abandonment Oh specie
payments and the failure TO pay the troops lot
number Of months have combined to create distrust
IN Snain even on the part of the few who have
really adhered to the Spanish SIDE and have ADDED
10 the fixed expectation OF success on the part Oh
the insurrectionists l net a number OF educa'eo
men of means from Havana, who might nave oeeh
supposed TO have been adherents OF Spain. 40 my
eurnrisp I found that their hearts were with INC
insurrectionists and their supposed adherence 70
the Spanish cause while in Havana was due 10 the
faar NJ consequences which would follow an
avowa of their opinions.
.While the atrocities charged against Spain may
have been overdrawn yet crcumstantial details re-
lated TO me by trustworthy men, reveal atrocues
such as to shock the most callous. The poverty
which has been produced the suffering which Is being
caused by the efforts of Spain TO put down the
struggle for freedom by Cubans seem to me pitlui
in the extreme, and tho time appears to nave ar
rived to which President Cleveland referred when
ne saiG in his last sc that, when the inaDt!
of Spain TO deal successfully with the insurrectioh
has become manifest. and II is demonstrated that
her sovereignty extinct In Cuba for all purposes OF
its rghtfu existence. and when hopeless struggle
for tablishment has degenerated into strife
which means nothing more than the useless sacri-
fee Of human life and the utter destruction OF the
very subject matter of the conflict. situation Will
he presented in which obligations TO the sover
eighty of Spain will be superseded by higher obi
cations which can hardly hesitate TO recognize
and discharge - ,,,., 49,.
been 70 build number of Notifications around towns
mart of cuba except that actually occupied by these
little forts and temporarily covered by Spanish
rooms is practically under control OF the nsurrec-
tion}sts for they go where they please, moving with
practical freedom and exercising temporary control
.bere they go"