Abilene weekly reflector., 1897-04-22
THE WAR IN CUBA.
A Sensational Proposition Made to
the Junta.
The AMERICAN VOLUNTEER LEAGUE.
Fifteen Thousand Members, Mostly In
Western States, Want to Go TO Cuba
and "Lick Every Spanish
Force In the Way"


sensational turn in Cuban affairs has
Just developed which promises to put
an entirely different phase on the war
in Cuba within the next three months
II the proposition just made is accept
ed. For the last three days the Cuban
junta-President Thomas Estrada Pal.
ma, Secretary Quesada and Treasurer
Guerra--has been holding q series OF
important conferences in Washington.
Yesterday they were closeted with
three prominent western men who rep
resent the American Volunteer league,
an organization with branches in Kan
sas, Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, ILL.,
nois, and at least 30 Of the western
states. The report Of the league sub
mitted TO the junta contains plan,
worked out TO the smallest details, by
which 1900 Americans, all drilled and
trained in the use Of arms, can be
placed on the island under the flag of
Cuba Libre within the next 90 days.
The officers Of the league told the
junta they had enlisted, ready to start
for Cuba on "a hours notice, $1,000
men. For the most part they belong
to the militia Of the different states,
are disciplined, drilled and eager to
fight One regiment is organized in
Missouri, one in Kansas, one in Ne.
braska, one in Texas and one as far
west as Oregon. To arm this force 15,-
900 Springfield rifles have been engaged
and 1000 Krag-Jorgensen guns have
been secured for the use OF the corps
of sharpshooters For s1,OOO,OOO the
representative of the American Volun-
teer league offered to put $1,000 Amer
lean soldiers in Cuba within 90 days, in |
the language of their leader, "to march |
from one end Of the island Of Cuba to
the other and to lick every Spanish
force in the way"
The representatives of the league
also submitted to the junta plan for
raising the necessary money. They
asked them to issue 81, 900, 900 in bonds
of IS and $40 denomination, and showed
them that they had propositions from
two western smelters to furnish silver
bullion, and to coin it into silver money
Of our denominations, to aid in floating
the bonds. The officers of the junta
have gone to New York to consider the
matter. They will come to Washing
ton again next week to meet the repre-
of the American Volunteer
league and to give a final answer to
this proposition.
The offer of the league is bona fde.
It has been working for year on the
plan. Its leader is a western man OF
acknowledged standing. He has been
Of his state He is a
line lawyer and was an assistant at
torney-general under Harrison's ad.
ninistration. The legal phase Of the
question has been carefully looked
INTO. He is positive that the $4,000
can be landed in Cuba with
out a bobble. They have all been in
'tructed when the word is given to
proceed as individuals to a certain
point on the coast There they will be
Iaken to Cuba and the rest will be
Easy. A number of well known Mis-
'ourlans are interested in the PROPOSE
tion' For precautionary reasons their
names cannot now be given.
According to information received
from trustworthy sources here the
withdrawal of at least part of the
great army that Spain has maintained