The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-18

whom ! met spoke in strong terms against
bulIhghting. that il was a brutal-institu-
| ton, introduced and mainly patronized
| by the Spaniards.
"One thing that was new to me. was 10
| learn the superiority OF the well-to-do
| Cuban over the Spaniard in the matter OF
| education. Among those in good circum-
| stances there can be no doubt that the
| Cuban is far superior in this respect. And
the reason OF lis easy to see. They have
been educated in England. France or
this country, while the Spaniard has such
| education as his own country furnishes.
THE NEGRO.
The colored people, seem 10 me by ma
ture quite the equal mentally and phys
ically of the race in this country. Certain
| ~ physically. they are by far the larger
and stronger on the island. There is
little or no race prejudice. and this has
| doubtless been greatly TO their advantage.
| Eighty-five years ago there were one-half
| as many free negroes as slaves. and this
proportion was slowly increasing until
emancipation.
| THE MILITARY SITUATION.
cit is said there are about $1,000 Spanish
soldiers now in Cuba fit for duty, out Of
over 200. 900 that have been sent there The
rest have died, been sent home sick, and
| in the hospitals, and some have been
killed. notwithstanding the official reports.
| They are conscripts, many Of them very
| young and general small men. One hun
bred and thirty pounds is a fair estimate
| OF their average weight. They are quiet
and obedent. and if well drilled and led.
1 believe would fight fairly well, but not
| at all equal TO our men. Much more would
depend on the leadership than with us
The officer must lead well. and be one
in whom they have confidence. and this
applies to both alike. AS I saw no drills
or regular formation. I inquired about
them of many people and was informed
that they had never seen a drill ! saw
perhaps 10000 Spanish troops. but not a
piece of artillery nor tent. They live
in barracks in the towns and are seldom
sent out for more than day, returning
to town at night.
''They have little or no equipment for
| supply trains or for field campaign such
as we have. Their cavalry horses are
scrubby little native ponies. weighing not
over 500 pounds. tough and hardy. but for
| the most part in wretched condition. re-
rninding one of the mounts Of Don Quix-
| ote and his squire Some Of the officers,
however, have good horses. mostly Amer
lean. I think on ooth sides cavalry is
considered the favorite and the danger
Gus fighting arm.
'sThe tactics of the Spanish as described
to me by an eye witness and participant,
in some of their battles is for the infan-
try. when threatened by insurgent cav
airy. 10 form a hollow square and FIRE
/ away ad libitum and without ceasing I'M
til time 10 march back 10 town. II does
not seem TO have entered the minds Of
either side that a good infantry force can
/ take care of itself and repulse everywhere
! an equal number of cavalry. and there are
| everywhere positions where cavalry would
be at a disadvantage
COULD HAVE SEEN GOMEZ.
Having called on Governor and Cap
tain General Blanco and received his cour-
| teous call in return I could not with pro-
! priety seek communication with the in
| surgents l had plenty OF offers OF safe
| conduct TO Gomez camp. and was told
that II / would write him. an answer
at most. I saw several who had visited
the insurgent camps and was sought out
/ by an insurgent field officer who gave me
| the best information received as 70 the
/ insurgent force. His statements were
| moderate and I was credibiy Informed
that he was reliable. He claimed that the
/ Cubans had about 20 0O0 men now in the
/ field. some in every province but mostly
in the two eastern provinces and eastern
/ Santa Clara. and this statement was cor
roborated from other sources
They have force all the time In Ha-
vana province itself. organized as four
Z small brlgades and operating tn small
bands. Ruiz was taken. tried and shot
I within about a mile and a half 81 the
railroad. and about fifteen miles out %
] Havana on the road TO Matanzas. tire
road more Travelled than any other and
which I went over four times Arrangue-
rem was killed abou; three miles 10 the
other side OF the road. and about the
1 same distance. fifteen or twenty miles
/ from Havana.
/ THE INsURGENT EQUIPMENT.
( 'sTbey were xeil armed. but very poorly
SUPPLIED with ammunition. They are not
allowed 20 carry many cartridges. some
/ times not more than one or two. The
infantry are poorly clad Two sna4l
I squads OF prisoners which I saw. how
ever. cna Of half a6ozeu IN the streets
Of Havana and one e ;nTGs on the cars
we're better clothed than the Spanish
solder. Each Of these prisoners. though
surrounded BY guards. Vas boaad ~ ~
arms and wrists b. cords, and they wsFs
III fjsd together by a cord running along
ne line. specimen q the amenities q
( ;nelr warfare
/ .Abou, oue-thlra q ;hs Cuban army are
( eo,o-sd mostly n the infantry. as the
I ~avzIrx furnish the!g ozn horses 4 fed
oeHcer. Al American from southern
STATE. spoke IN the highest terms q ihs
( conduct of these coiorsd soldiers. that
they we're a. good fighters ard aza noEs
/ endurance than ire whites. could KEEP
z. xltn the cava.ry o. . long aa4rch. ard
core u fresh At aIzsL
-HE POLITICAL SITUATIONS.
TIE dividing lines sefzesa parties are
Ire most stTsiEh. ard clear eEt fhzs saTs
ever cone - ny knoslsdFs. Ths d5vis-
lon - o8r W5r vas - 70 means - clearly
ssans1 =; - ne CuEzn azzsass spssssrt-
&. ln practically the satiTs Css4n pogGla-
.lsa On oza SIDE AID LIZ Epaalss army
ard ire Spanish cltlzsns % fhs o;Asr. !
Do Mt c5g1t ;ne apsouozaistr - Kris 1lg1s-
to- as hey are - far goo IzrczssderaaFs