The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-05
RdtheDtiC News
Regarding Cuba

III of letters from Cuba written af-
II ter personal inquiry by the chief
of its Washington bureau, Mr.. 4.
j. Gibson In the first letter Mr.. Gibson
showed the crippled condition of the
spanish army, reduced in less than three
years from 100000 to 51,500 effective regu-
lars. He also stated that the Spanish
take no prisoners of war and maintain
no hospitals or prison camps for cap
tured Cubans, putting all their captiyes
al once to the sword. In the second let
| ter he considers the autonomy proposi.
| tlon and gives the substance OF witnessed
interviews. first with the members of the
new Autonomist council. of which Senor
Jose Galvez is president; second with
nVe leading Spaniards, Conservatives
who are opposed to autonomy; and last
| ly, with twelve leading citizens, Cubans
and Spaniards chosen to represent the
| drift of unofficial and what in this coun-
| try we should call non-partisan opinion
| These interviews were taken in the pres
| ence of Congressman King of Utah, who
is in Cuba on u mission of investigation,
| and were secured by letters of introduce
tion from Consul General Lee.
| %
| The Autonomists spoke through Secre-
tary Congosto, formerly Spanish consul
| at Philadelphia, whom Mr.. Gibson de-
| scribes as the brains of the Blanco re-
| giine. Secretary Congosto said the cleo
| tions under autonomy would be held in
six weeks or so, after the Spanish Of
| ficials had made ready the registration
| lists. Then he would return to Philadel-
phia, being positive that peace would re-
suit in due course of time. At the con-
| ference with Senor GalveZ and his asso-
| ciates of the autonomy cabinet" they
| expressed freely their belief that auto
nomy will be a success. They said that
the scheme went beyond anything asked
| of Spain in the way of autonomy before
the war began. That fact and the fur
ther one that the leading offices would
| be filled by men formerly trusted by the
Cubans, they believed, would win over
those now opposed to the plan. If once
in working order they said that 40 per
cent. of the insurgents, who are whites
would accept the new order of things
and cease to fight. This would leave the
remainder of the insurgents without lead
ers, and that would end the war. But
they admitted that the success of the
plan would depend on its acceptance by
40 per cent. of the insurgents.
| O.
At the conference with the Spanish
leaders who accept the Marquis de
Apezteguia as their chief thev also ex-
pressed themselves freely and frankly.
In the first place, they declared that
Galvez and his associates did not repre-
sent the Cubans. The representative Gu
bans they said, We're either fighting in
the Cuban army or they are in exile.
There are no Cuban leaders in Havana
these Spaniards assert. "Galvez is an old
man and penniless," said one of The
opahlards, "and the temptation of a sal
airy OF SS0OO and place of high honor
has led him to surrender to Congosto,s
plahulshments. One of the other cabinet
oncefs mas accepted q 10000 bribe One
or two of them are honestly nisIed Rut
amey represent no one except themselves
Inc Cupans repudiate able-bodied men
I hn s.l.
take the insurgent side" That oninior
; was expressed by the other Spaniards
at the conference, and by Individual on.
bans; hence Mr.. Gibson was forced tr
believe that the new cabinet officers are
without following.
, o.
Mr.. Gibson at this point saws. "T oar
hardly write patiently about the mons
| trous crime of the century the killinp
| by starvation of about 100000 Cubans, ant
, will so into that in another letter.
| have seen within the last tWentv-fo,,
hours the most horrible sights of nv If'
! IN the places where these reconcentrado,
= are in the last stages of starvation Tw,
OF them died last night on the publi,
square, in front of the hotel where / an
staying-the most public place in the city
$ | | mention this i'm passing merely to SHOW
8 that this awful work of killing off th
Cubans by starvation is still in progress
But the Cubans outside of the insurgen
e ranks, are nearly all dead" "If Weyle
a had remained in control another year,
remarked DIR. Drummer, of the Unite,
States Marine Hospital Service, in con
versation with Mr. Gibson on Christina
II Day, "he would have exterminated al
= of the Cubans not inside the lines o
g the insurgents" These facts go TO show
. i'm Mr.. Gibson's opinion, that so far a
II representing the Cubans are concerned
the new cabinet counts for nothing. Tn
Spaniards at the conference said furthe
q that they based their opposition TO tn
scheme of autonomy on the ground tina
If il is a genuine offer 1t will place tn
K control of the island in the hands of tn
= colored men and insurgents, and II tn
offer is not genuine, the result will be
new rebellion and worse condition o
things than exists today They preferre
5 annexation TO the United States to eithe
c horn of the autonomy dilemma.
As representing the insurgent point q
u view Mr.. Gibson says: 81 was shown to
!" day by a prominent man letters write
d from a large number of insuTgent camps
It signed by all the officers at each camI
"a asserting that under no circumstance
~ would they accept anything short of IN
20 dependence. Senor Galvez could not pre-
d duce one scrap of evidence TO indicat
Il even promise OF deserton from the Gu