The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-05-26
COMETS PAPER.
Official Organ of the Republic Issued
From Camp.

New York, May 26.-Tomas Estrada
Palma, the representative of the Cuban
republic in New York, has just received
the first copy of Las Villas, the war
bulletin which is published by author
ity of General Gomez at the head
quarters of the Cuban army. 1t con-
tains the official news and movements
of the army of liberation. Printed, of
course, in Spanish, it comprises three
columns on two sides of a sheet about
ten by fourteen inches. The type is
set up and it is printed at General Go
meZ's headquarters under his direction.
The first number, under date of May
10, 1898, is designated as supplement
A" and contains a half column account
of the battle of Manila, which conveyed
for the first time to the soldiers of the
Cuban army the facts concerning Rear
Admiral Dewey's magnificent victory in
the Philippines.
Besides the official notices and orders
issued by the army the paper contains
lengthy address issued to the army
and people by General Gomez, in which
he says:
I, Mazimo Gomez, commander-in-
chief of the Cuban army, take this OPP
portunity through the medium of Las
Villas, which hereafter will be published
once each week at the headquarters of
the army of liberation, to communicate
with those of my command and our peo-
pie. In view of the adoption of the
constitution of the republic of Cuba
and the armed intervention of the Unit
tanning our independence, which soon
will be recognized by all the world, 1
desire to make known that hereafter
our soldiers no longer shall be known
ular army of the republic.
Il hereby direct that there shall be is
sued each week a war bulletin, which
shall be published at the general head
quarters of the army, and shall begin
with this issue on the tenth day of May
to be known as Las Villas. 1t will be
circulated under the direction and by
the authority of the staff officers of the
army and in it will be published all cir
culars, orders and official notes of the
war department as we'll as information
which our army and our people may de-
sire to know concerning our progress
and our allies, the United States.
''I take this occasion to remind each
Cuban in service that he now has a
country recognized for which he must
fight with all honor and glory. He is
now a Cuban soldier, and not an insur-
gent and will respect the rules of civil
lized warfare I will order punished
any chief officer or private who fails to
respect the rights of our prisoners of
war and such prisoners will be treated
with respect to their ranks and ac-
cording to the rules of civilized cOun-
tries and the constitutional army.
Our soldiers will conduct themselves
in such a manner as to gain for them
selves the good offices of our brethren
of the United States and for this reason
it is my wish that the army of Cuba
may exhibit model discipline. I desire
to impress upon you that we will not
continue this war, which so calamity
has been kept up for the past three
years, with the idea of revenge. We are
fighting for liberty and independence
and not for revenge, and I would call
your attention to the fact that the his
tory of the world shows that loss OF
blood has always been the price of lib
erty.
Notwithstanding. we must ever re-
our dead martyrs to the cause
of Cuban freedom, and fight the good
fight, and it will not be long before ev-
cry Spanish soldier shall have left our
soil We have had to contend against
a most cruel enemy. one which has
known not honor and its methods of
have been most barbarous and
every act of Spain has shown the thirst
for blood and desire to trample down |
and annihilate the people of Cuba.
do not desire that our army shall emu |
late their example, but I would prefer |
that our methods of war be those of |
civilized nations, that we may show to |
the enemy that those whom they are !
lighting are more honorable than them |
selves"