The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-06
RIDICULED BY PANDO
TERRIBLE SCORING OF UNITED
STATES ARMY BY THE sPANIARD.
DenOunces Shafter as Incompetent
and Then BIames SnRasta for the
American VictOry-A Bitter Talk.

NEW YORK. Aug. 4.-After dinner Gen.
eral Pando received newspaper men, speak
ing to them through an interpreter. Asked
to express his views of the war in general.
the general replied with gesture of deri-
SIGN: Why. there has been no war There
are 100000 soldiers in Cuba who have not
seen an American soldier. My opinion is
General Pando continued. that the Spanish
and American soldiers were simply in
weighed into war by the politicians of the
two countries. The politicians made fools
of the soldiers"
General Pando, who is second in command
of the Spanish forces in Cuba, gave his
views on the war with great frankness. He
said he was in the United States during
the war a spy, and had no trouble going
around.
4 in Mobile" he said. "and in
Florida. l saw the embarkation. 1 studied
the military tactics of the Americans.
saw the army got together without or
| der There was no system. Generals
were without authority. the soldiers were
not soldiers; they did not know how to
obey. 1 walked among them. 1 watched
them as they worked.
Il sent from here the information that
my government desired" continued Pam
do. Il told them of the incompetency of
American soldiers. The army of the United
States is Ineffective. almost worthless. The
American navy is powerful and grand. It's
officers are competent, its ships perfect and
its sailors excellent but not so with the
land troops The troops in Cuba alene
could have vanquished the entire American
army"
THE war is not over" General Pando
declared 1T has not even commenced.
There was no 1t was only a skirmish.
There are 100000 Spanish soldiers in Cuba
who have never seen an American uniform.
The history of Santiago is beyond be-
lief. 1t was a monumental piece of stu
pidity. The Americans were already
| quered. General Skaters campaign was
| fun of mistakes. He showed himself unfit
to command even regiment He lacks the
| intelligence. He does not know the alpha
bet of war. The Cubans gave him the lead
ing hand that took him to Santiago. With
out them an American foot would never
have been set in Cuba. Even the Amer
| leans know that.
The conditiop of the American army was
lost. Their health was gone. If Cervera
had remained in Santiago a day longer the
! United States soldiers would have been
| forced back. Men were dying. There was
| no corps Sanitaire. a competent one does
not exist in the United States. The men
| uI1 not KNOW now 10 construct a camp. the
! officers did not know how to for it,
they lacked Instructions They had not
| been learned in the business of The
men rebelled against discipline, the Quality
| OF trained soldier, the only thing that can
! save an army
I'VE could easily have held Santiago two
| weeks. 1t was the supreme folly of Sagas-
! Ia an old man, seventy years, in his dotage.
II was his supremest and his final folly.
| His senility was fatal The Americans
| should raise statue to Sagasta He has
made them a present of Porto Rico of the
Ladrones, OF the Philippines. perhaps-God
| knOWS-Cuba The Americans will take it.
! too, after q while
| Two weeks after the war had been de-
clared proposed to Spain to come to New
| York and offer to the Cuban junta the free
| dom and absolute independence of the ISL
and. Spain was ready to grant the Cubans
! sole control. 1t was not too late. But Sa-
| gasta would not hear Again ii was his fol-
| ~. He would not let me come: 1t was
| grand nation. beautiful Spain, made hideous
| by politicians without scruple, ministers
| without ability"
| Asked if he believed that General Toral
| should be courtmartialed. General Pando re-
| Piled: Il believe that in the regular course
! of events. considering what has happened,
| he will be-
Asked to explain the story which has been
fled from Cuba with $4,000, 900 francs, Gen.
! Pando replied: when / get back to my
| country, / will get what is of more value
to me than the amount of money you mem
! TONED, the respect of my fellow country
| men,.
In response to the question of his destina-
| ton General Pando replied that he was on
| his way to Madrid. He wished to get there.
| he said. as quickly as possible, in order 10
| attend the meeting Of the Cortes. He would
not go TO Paris, he thought Asked if he
| thought the Cubans could govern them
selves General Pando said that he thought
| thew could.