Middletown transcript., 1898-09-03
ATTITUDE OF CUBANS
GENERAL NuNEz STATES HOW THEY
FEEL TOWARD US.

Els Explanation OF the Situation ON the Is
land-Patriots Lack Discipline, He Says.
Insurgents Carry on Guerrilla warfare.
The Result Of Years of Fighting.
Much has been written and said
about the trouble between the Cuban
soldiers under General Garcia and the
American troops commanded by Gen.
eral Shafter. Some of the opinions ex-
pressed have carried weight, because
they were uttered by men who were in
a position to speak with authority on
the one side or the other. The majority
Of those who have aired their views,
however, have discussed a subject on
which they were not well informed. It
may be that they will derive profit from
a statement of the true condition Of
affairs in Cuba by General Emilio
Nunez, who recently returned to the
United States from that island.
General Nunez was sent on a mission
to General Gomez in Santa Clara prov
ince, Cuba, by the war department last
June with force of $50 Oubans and
30 men of the Tenth United States cav
airy. He successfully accomplished his
mission and is now awaiting orders
from Washington before returning to
Cuba.
General Nunez does not attach much
Importance to the stories of i'll feeling
between the Americans and Cubans in
Santiago province, but at the same
time he cannot help showing that they
are annoying to him. His diplomatic
relations with the United States gov
ernment prevent him from talking as
freely and frankly ON the subject as he
would otherwise do, but nevertheless
what he does feel privileged to say is to
the point and will explain. the true stu
alton.
"There is a difference between the |
temperament Of the native Cubans and |
the native Americans" said General |
Nunez. "I think, in the first place, that |
the reports are greatly exaggerated and
that whatever animosity may exist |
arises from a misunderstanding.
The Cuban insurgent is not dis
ciplined soldier. He is not trained like |
the American soldier, and he fights diff
The Cuban soldiers are almost
guerrillas. It is not possible
to take them in a compact body and
throw them up against mass of Span
ish troops with any success.
This is the result Of three genera
tions of the mode of war that has pre-
vailed in Cuba to free it from the thrall
Of Spanish rule. The Cuban, therefore,
does not fight like his American COM
panion in arms. He cannot be utilized
for the performance Of the same kind of
duty, and have no doubt that there
have been cases of infraction Of disci-
pline among them.
"The Cubans have fought for years
for their liberty, and I do not believe
that the average American appreciates
The sentiment that has grown up among
them. ], for one, however, could never
revolt against the au-
thority or the aims of the American
government in the disposition of the is
and Of Cuba. No matter what form of
government may be set up after Spanish
:ule is annihilated in Cuba, annexation
to the United States is the islands des-
5iny. said at the time of Lawyer Ru-
oens' declaration in New York that the
Juban leaders stood committed to the
policy of Intervention by the United
States. We wanted armed intervention,
ct come what might after that.
0CuhQ aaY1 nouoT oil =, k1o-
relations to the United
States. A tariff against tobacco would
lose American ports to one of her great
ources of wealth. A restrictive tariff
N sugar would pauperize her people.
Her trade with Europe would not sup
'ort them.
"The truth is the reports Of infrac-
ion OF discipline on the part of the Gu
ans and their animosity toward Amer
cans have been grossly exaggerated,
olored and magniied.
Possibly nine-tenths of the people of
he United States find themselves under
distinct impression that this country
ntered upon war of conquest. Now,
hat to some extent accounts for the
ointment among the Cubans. The idea
las spread to them, more particularly
mong the unintelligent classes, that
he United States army has been sent to
uba to conquer and capture the land of
neir nativity where they have fought so
lany years for freedom. New York
ournal.