The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-18
DelayCosts
--Cubans-
ManyLives

The officers at headquarters in Tampa
are all studying maps of Cuba. They
have the United States war department
map, which, next to the official map
made by the Spanish war department,
is the most complete map Of ths island
ever made. Brigadier General Ludlow,
the chief of engineers ON the staff OF
General Shafter, 10 studying the prov
ince of Havana. He had long talk the
other day with Colonel Baldermo
Acosta.
Acosta is a native Of Havana and has
lived there all his life. Eight months
ago, after he had received his twenty
fourth wound from Mauser bullet, he
came away to be patched mp Colonel
Acosta explained to General Ludlow the
lay of every square mile Of ground in
the province. He found very little new
that he could tell the general, and when
he left him he remarked to a New York
Sun correspondent that he didn't un-
derstand how General Ludlow Sould
know so much about place just from
maps and books. 1t may be added here
that every province in the island is as
well known to some one officer OF the
army of invasion as Is Havana province
to General Ludlow. Guides will be
handy when the army gets there, but
they will not be absolutely necessary.
There is no doubt that the fighting
that is to be done in Cuba will be done
chiefly in the province Of Havana.
The following interview held a few
days ago with General Nunez. who is
to command one of the Cuban regi-
ments, is therefore interesting:
1.-The Cuban military problem may
be regarded from two points Of view,
One is that which looks to the effective
ness of the Cuban army acting alone il
provided with arms ammunition,
horses, provisions and artillery. The
other regards the action Of the American
nation using all the elements of power
it possesses and taking the position to
which it is entitled as leading power
ON this hemisphere. That the Cubans,
acting alone, can eventually triumph,
have not the least doubt, but must add
that such q triumph could not be
achieved for q long time and would en-
tail the sacrifice of many thousand lives
Of pacifcoa The American people,
moved by sentiments of humanity, have
resolved upon the only course by which
the population Of the island may be
saved.
"A war short and decisive is at once
the most humane and the least practical
BILE measure Havana ought to be the
objective point Of the army and navy of
the United States The capital Is the
brain and the heart of the Spaniards in
Cuba, and when Havana surrenders all
of Spanish rule in the island will fall
with il. The United States army is un-
doubtedly superior to that of Spain, but
its superiority Is most manifest in the
artillery. The Spaniards do not under
stand this arm Of the service, which is
undoubtedly the most powerful in war.
Indeed it can DO said without exaggcr-
alton that they are without artillery.
We must necessarily come to the con-
clusion that the field Of operation
should be such as is suitable to the en-
ployment Of field artillery.
~ don't know in the island OF Cuba
any region better adapted to the use OF
artillery than that lying to the west
ward of Havana, between that city and
Guanajay. Here there are places which
remain regularly hard during the sum-
mer rains. The fields formerly in culti-
walton lying on each side OF the road
form a good theater Of operations. On
the hills adjacent intrenchments can be
readily made Unlike other parts of the
island, there are no swamps here and
but few bitches, and the surroundings
are healthful.
"In my capacity as military man l
would not criticise the plans OF the ad-
ministration, but as Cuban / can Ia
ment delays that are costing Cuba thou
sands of lives daily, the unfortunate
victims Of starvation. Our forces in the
western part Of the island are suffering
from the effects Of the blockade more
severely perhaps than the Spaniards.
They are compelled by the necessity Of
self preservation to refuse to those who
migrate from the cities in search Of food
share Of the miserable and scanty food
which may be gathered in the country
districts
"If we do not soon get to the rescue,
hunger will destroy the Cuban popula-
tion from one end Of the island to the
other. While we wait the Spanish army
in the cities confscates to its own use
all stores in private hands, and when it
begins really TO suffer from the effects
of the blockade there will only be left
alive those armed Cubans who are able
to contend with the Spaniards for the
remnants of the food supply.
"If we maintain the present policy
long enough, the Spaniards will be COM
pelled to surrender themselves because
of famine, but on entering the cities
which they have held we will find them
cemeteries only, and our triumph will
be Of such nature that no other land
will ever care to repeat IT, Immediate
and decisive action Is what the Ameri-
cans and American people desire, and
NE Cubans give them our profound
gratitude for the generous sentiments