The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1897-12-29
REMARKABLE SITUATION IN CUBA.
Looks Like an Opera Bouffe War to Amer
lean military 0bservers-Why
Senator Frye
Opposes Charles Page Bryan-Uncle Sans
Proposed Armour Plate
Factory.

military circles here by the killing of Colo
mel Ruiz, the Spanish emissary in the in
surgent camp near Havana, both views
have been warmly supported. The weight
of opinion now seems to be that II 1t is
true Ruiz was acting as an agent Of Gen.
eral Blanoo, carrying authority to. offer a
bride to Nestor Arangueren for leaving
the insurgent army and surrendering to
the Spanish, then the revolutionists are
absolved from blame for taking the unfor-
tunate mans life. Army officers who have
made a special study of this question say
the insurgents would have been justified,
under the circumstances, in shooting Ruiz
even If he did not carry authority to bride,
for 1t is admitted he did not approach the
commanding general under flag of truce
for the purpose of proposing treaty of
peace or an armistice. If such was his pur-
pose, he had no business with Arangueren,
who was only a subordinate, but the man
he should have approached was General
Gomez, or at the very least the commander
of the Cuban forces In that district, GEN
eral Rodriguez
Although army officers thus acquit the
Cubans of blame, especially in view of the
warnings which they had issued as to the
fate of emissaries who should approach
their camps with any other proposals than
those of Independence, many public men
still condemn the insurgents for shooting
man who was under a flag of truce. The
net effect of the incident appears TO be
some little damage to the cause of Cuba
In the opinion of public men at this capt.
tai.
A Remarkable Situation.
One army officer pointed out to me the
remarkable fact that the insurgents are
able to maintain camp so near Havana
that Colonel Ruiz was able to travel to IL
within a few hours. They suggest that
this is, after all, the chief significance Of
the Ruiz episode. They marvel that the |
Spanish military authorities permit an
army OF the enemy to camp almost within
sight Of the Cuban capital, which Is at all |
times filed with the soldiers of Spain. |
To the suggestion that during the late re-
bellion Confederate army was for long |
time encamped near Washington, the re-
ply Is made that the cases are not at all |
similar. The Confederacy and the Union |
were about evenly matched In point OF |
numbers at the outbreak OF the war. |
Spain, on the other hand, has had In Cuba |
five times asgmany soldiers as the insur-
gents could place in the field with all che |
advantages ample supplies of weapons
and ammunition. II there was a small
party of rebels within 100 miles OF Wash.
ington they would be wiped out in "a
hours
A gentleman who recently spent much |
time In Cuba tells me that ever since the
war started the Cubans have been able to
maintain camps within a short distance
of Havana. Various efforts have been
made by the Spanish authorities to rout
them out and once or twice they have
succeeded But as soon as the Spanish
approach their position the insurgents run
away. No sooner have the royal troops
won this sort Of victory" than they
gladly return to town TO sit about the
cafes telling Of their prowess. Then, OF
course, the insurgents come back and
reocoupy their old camp. So 1t is that TO.
day one may, II he knows how, start out
of Havana on horseback In tho morning
and at night be in a camp of the insurgent
troops. | notice the official dispatches
sent out by the permission of General
Blanco tell how the insurgents are burn
ing canefelds and sugar plantations in
Havana province. 1t looks like an opera
bouffe war to American military officers.
Joke on Charles Page Bryan.
There is a good joke on Colonel Charles
Page Bryan, the Chicago man who wants
TO be minister TO China and who is likely
TO be nominated by the president after the
holiday recess, though his confirmation Is
doubtful. Mr.. Bryan has been In town
for some time looking after his own inter
ests, and among the many senators upon
whom he ca.ed to talk Of his case was
Mr.. Frye of Maine. In speaking Of the
matter afterward Mr.. Frye naively said:
1T was rather queer, but was for
Bryan till he called on me and talked with
me about ten minutes, and then | was
against him, and expect to be- against
him to the end"
Colonel Bryan's friends insist, however,
that he Is well qualified TO be minister to
China and that he will be confirmed.
Senator Frye's experience with the pro-
spective minister to China reminds me OF =
story OF Senator Wolcott One day a west
ern man with views concerning the way
the government should be run and the
finances In particular called on Wolcott
. - - k.lho1 =. -. /