The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-22
AN ESTIMATE OF THE CUBANs.
(Mr. Lows Washington Letter t O Boston

The confidential reports received at the
War Department show that Gen. Shafter
and his principal officers have no CONT
dene in the Cubans, and place absolutely
no reliance in them. The reports init
mate that before long there may be Sc
rious clash between our troops and the
Cubans, and that instead of the latter
posing as our allies, we may be compelled
to turn our arms against them.
In diSpa hes from the1seat of war, I
pointed out how the real Cuban differed
from the ideal as he was painted by fer.
vid orators in Congress and his partisans
in the press. The Cubans may be very
brave when forced to fight alone, but
certainly our troops have seen no evil
dences of this bravery. The Cubans
have done practically no fighting, and
alone and unaided our troops have van
quished the Spaniards. Not only have
the Cubans refused to fight, but they
have shown their worthlessness as guides,
and have absolutely refused to do manual
labor Of any kind. In fact, to sum up
in half dozen words, they have been of
no use to the United States in the pres
ent struggle, and. on the contrary. have
been drag and tax upon our rations.
1t is evident from the reports which
have reached Washington that the Gu
bans are intensely angry because after the
surrender of Santiago the city was not
turned over to them. They fully expect-
ed that it would be delivered into their
possession and that they would be per.
m1tted to exercise the control of affairs.
Everybody who has been in Cuba since
the commencement of the war knows
what would have happened. The city
would have been turned over to loot and
private property would have been appro-
priated precisely as was tho case at Ri
Caney after the Spanish surrender.
The Cubans are no respecters of persons
or sex, and had Garoia's unkempt horde
been turned loose in Santiago there would
without doubt have been more horrible
scenes enacted. Until Spanish control
has ceased to exist on the island the
United States will tie compelled to main.
tain a strong military force, not only ia
operate against the Spaniards, but to pre-.
serve order among the Cubans.
Consequently it will be necessary to
keep in and out the city of Santiago and
the province of that name several thou.
sanu troops, and if military necessity re-
quires that the seasoned regulars now I'm
der the command of Gen. Shafter he
withdrawn, to be sent to Porto Rico and
| elsewhere, their place will undoubtedly
be taken by volunteers, whose presence
Will deter the Cubans from committing
any overt act
The Cubans, like their late foes, the
| Spaniards, have wholesome respect for
our soldiers, and know that 1t is not safe
to take too many liberties. believe I do
| none of our gallant men an injustice
when say that, given their choice, they
would rather fight the Cubans than the
Spaniards. For tho latter, at any rate,
have the respect which one brave man
always has for another, and the fightfne
qualities of the Spaniards have won the
| n dmiration of our men. But the Cuban
SO far as seen up to the present time has
no quality which appeals to Americans.