Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-21

| fore they are uttered. Maso is very OBJ
servant of details, an excellent listener and
| brilliant conversationalist. Although
making no pretense as a poet, many bright
stanzas, containing both rhyme and rea-
| son, as well as measure. spring from his
brain, affocding entertainment and instruc-
ton to those around him.
portion of his education was acquired
in Paris, as well as his knowledge Of The
French language. OF English he knows
but very little, but that little he knows cor
rectly. L had been several weeks In his
company, not dreaming that he understood
word of English. when he one day in
obliged in a comment so we'll placed and
pronounced that 1 was astonished. But no
amount of coaxing could induce him to at
tempt conversation in the language.
Devoted to the Cause.
Maso studies men as a doctor would
patients. and he seldom makes a mistake
in diagnosing their true strength or weak
ness. He is effectively diplomatic where
the present occupant of the chair is in
clined to be combative. And yet both of
tt csc grand old men are devoted to and
tolilng Tor the attainment of the same pur-
pose, the freedom of Cuba. Cisneros' adj
mfration of Masos ability is so sincere that
ne mas even offered to resign in his favor at
any time.
Ihere are many reasons for this universal
and unbounded faith in Maso. With hand
and brain he has always been ready to fight
u,
son of Spaniard he would never be con-
tent with anything but independence abso-
lutte. With his two brothers, Rafael and
lsais he fought through the ten years
war from IS to rs, winning the rank of
major general. His brothers lost their
lives. but begged him never to give up the
struggle Until Cuba was free. He refused
10 sign the treaty Of Zanjou, and when
Marti, on February %. 1895, gave the word
Tor the beginning of the present revolution.
baftoicme MaSo was the first man to take
up arms against SPAIN
He did not wait to what others would
do or who would follow: he left the city of
Manzanillo. his birthplace, and went to his
country estate of La Jaquita" nine miles
distant, where he commenced to gather
about him a force of patriots Here he was
visited by a delegation of autonomis;s head
ed by Hermino Leyva, who tried to persuade
him that a struggle such as he proposed
was ili-advised and ill-timed; that the
cause of autonomy, properly advanced.
might bring success but independence was
chlmerical and impossible.
The First Battle.
Maso replied: .'Herminio, you and some
OF your followers in the old war signed
with me an edict which made it an Of
Tense punishable by death to approach
Cuban soldier with a proposition of
peace based on any condition but absolute
Independence. From this moment on /
shall establish the same rule in my Camp.
and if you say another word on the SUBJ
ject to me 1 shall put that law into execu-
lion. You will kindly take back with you
$4,000, which owe to Mandollas of Glen
fuegoS- do not want ii said that 1 have
gone to war to escape my debts. Pay the
money to this Spaniard. and then 1 am
done with the race except to fight it until
We have liberty and independence in Cuba
The next day Maso was Joined by ANA
dor Guerra and Enrique Cespedes. To-
gether they marched with thirty follow
ers upon the village of Calcito, which
they captured from the Guardea Civil
liza, getting a small supply of arms and
ammunition, which started the revolution
In Santiago de Cuba or the "Oriente"
Gomez in early April several battles had
been won and friends in arms were wait
ing to welcome them.
The letters of Gomez and Marti give
10 Bartolomei Maso the honor of being
father of the present revolution. Dur
ing the first weeks of the war word was
sent to him offering 100000 for La ia
quita. This Maso refused. saying that
the estate was still his own property
That night he burned every building to
the ground.
Maso is sixty-seyen years old, although
he looks ten years younger. His eyes are
keen and bright and an abundance of
iron-gray hair covers a well-shaped head
He is great reader and student and an
enthusiastic supporter of education. His
hammock swings under the same canopy
with that of Salvador Cisneros, the present
president, and between the two there is
not only perfect harmony, but a genuine
brotherly love and esteem. Should Maso
by any accident, become president of Cuba
tomorrow there would be no radical change
in the policy of the administration, and
even the present cabinet would probably
remain intact.
Determined to De Free.
But one thing is most certain. there
would be no possibility of compromise
with Spanish arms. Under his admins
tration there can be no home rule, no
autonomy, no peace until the monarchiai
emblem of red and yellow-blood and gold
lis forever banished from the Island of
Cuba. There Is no vacillation, no halfway
measure in Maso's composition. During
the doubtful period of 80 to 90. when.
discouraged by the failure of what was
known as the little war;" most cuaans