Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-05-10
Insurgent Leader Wants Credit for
Defeating the Spaniards.
SOMERFORD GIVES INSIDE FACTS
Messengers Start for Washington
With important Dispatches.
ABOUT CLIMATIC DANGER

last night, having just come, after a Jour
ney attended with great peril, from the
headquarters of Gomez.
He left the Cuban general May 4, and was
the last American to converse with the in
surSent leader. For more than two months
he has been either with Gomez or other in
surgent chiefs.
strength:
THE insurgents have now about $500
men in the vicinity of Gomez's camp-that
is, within a radius of thirty miles. The
best troops east of the Jucaro- Moron tro-
cha the division commanded by Cen
eral Gonzales. He has 500 infantry, who
are well armed and well disciplined. One
company is armed with Mauser rifles.
which were captured from the Spanish.
For these rifles there is but a small supply
of ammunition The other companies are
armed with the long Remington which
throws bul.et of 40 calibe,. This is the
weapon in common use among the insur-
gents. They prefer it to the Mauser in
spite of the latter's repeating property.
GOmez's Immediate Command.
"Gomez's immediate command consists of
bodyguard of $50 cavalry and 10 infan-
try, under command of Major Joseph Des-
rampes. Desrampes is an American from
New Orleans and a good artillerist This
force of $500 is oil that are in fighting
shape just at present, but If there We're
arms and equipments 1t could he swelled
to probably 10000. Gomez told me he
wanted 10000 guns to equip an army large
enough to drive the Spanish from the is
land. He wants long Remingtons or Spring
felds Tor the infantry and carbines of the
same character for the cavalry
believe If arms are sent to Cuba for
the insurgents they would better be Spring
i1eid rifles, of which our government has a
large quantity in its arsenals 1t is a sim
pie and effective gun. The Cubans are not
accustomed to nor have they the experience
ana facilities to care for complicated re-
peating weapons. Twenty thousand ma
chets-weapons of wonderful effectiveness
IN CUBAN hands-are also needed
A willy Old Man.
OF tho political aspirations of Gomez NJ
s. merford says:
Homez is willy old man. and. 7 think
rot without future political aspirations i'm
the government which will be formed at the
c!ose OIL the Wa. He does not want the
United States to land an army in Cuba OK
cept II be regiment of artillery to Generate
IN conjunction with him. Gomez Inor-s
that an American army will defeaf Eia,,n,
take Havana I'd practically end the w.
"itfln a month after it lands on Cuban
SOL; he also knows that the assistance he
cculd aHord in such a campaign womb h.,
uiilnDortant AMI insignificant eycant a..
an adviser regarding the country to the
commanders ~ III
He realizes that the insurgents would
CUT out a sorry figure in the rand onara-
lions sure to follow an American invasion
uflesS months pass while they are bc;,,e,
armed ard drilled into military habits other
r nan lhose OF sIerillas. Knowing al this
Gomez does not want to DE robbed of The
cfedit of defeating Spain and ending. the
war. lie does not wish history to record
the fact that he had to have assistance ia
crush Blanco ard free Cuba
in d party which left Gomez's nan,,, ,
rev days before | did was William n
smith We came into Key West together
smith is the bearer of sealed communion
IONS from Gomez to Gonzales ouesada r
Estrada Palma, President Mckinley and
General Miles In these letters Come
urges the President and General Miles no
- attempt to land any United States iroot4
III tupd curing the summer. Stain. that
great loss OF life from disease world re-
sun. GCmeZ also assures the President
mat IL provided with arms and food. in co.
operation with 4 blockade he can easil--
defeat BlGnco and take Havana without a
slESie American exposing his life 10 the
r;iNases of yellow fever and smallpox.
G"mez's Elan Would BE :: Mistake
suppose these communications will be
regarded at Washington as entitled to great
consideration. In my opinion policy based
on these recommendations of Gomez will
rise like ghost to confront the American
people afterward If Gomez really believes
that he can deal with Blanco and end the
war he is mistaken. True, with the, active
s3 mpathy and support of the United States
ana the assistance of the fleet there is no
DOUBT that he can eventually win. But l
hrmly believe that such a warfare would
not be ended year from now
II VIII be months, even under the most
favorable conditions, before Gomez can put
an army in the field capable of meeting
blanco In open battle and defeating him
Even the veterans of Gomez's and Garcia's
diVlslofs are not good soldiers, as Ameri-
cans reckon soldiers. They are good suer-
illas, but have no knowledge of real mill
tary service. Neither have their officers. |
do not believe the insurgents can in any
numbers successfully attack fortified
town, such as MatanZaS or Havana In the
open field the Spanish will defeat them.
Not Ready to Fight in Open Field.
Because the insurgents in small num-
bers have been able to continue an unedAl
conflict for years has led many reople to be-
lieve they can easily defeat the Spaniards
if armed. Perhaps they might if drilled for
six months, for it must be remembered
that, with the exception of few thousand
ROW actually under arms, any forrnida BILE
Cuban army must be composed of COMPARE
lively raw recruits, of infinitely less mill
tary training and knowledge than the aver
age American volunteer BY American vol
unteers do not mean National Guardsmen
They march out of their armories better
soldiers than Gomez can produce even with
our assistance, in three years.
Il do not say this to disparage the Gu
bans l have espoused their cause and an
preciate fully the wonderful sacrifices they
nave made for liberty But the question of
ending this war is no longer a matter of
sentiment, and only facts should be consid-
ersd. Blanco will never be defeated unless
United States troops enter Cuba and do the
job. The alternative to decisive action of
this kind is a prolongation of the war for
months and months. This means The star
walton Of thousands of women and children.
All the island now occupied by the Span
iards is under military rule, and the stores
are not permitted to sell any food TO the
people. All Is reserved for the soldiers
Little Danger From the Climate.
Now, about climatic danger. The great
er part OF such talk is nonsense 1 believe
mortality from disease in an American
army in Cuba in any season will be less
than among the Cubans. 1 say this after
seven years residence on the island and
mora than year with the Insurgents. The
heat IN Cuba now and for two months to
come Is not nearly SO severe as GUNNER
heat in majority of the states, Danger