Evening star., 1898-07-15
A TALK WITH GEN. GARCIA.
He Tells of the Position of Spanish
Troops in Cuba.

IToOps IN SuDa
Off Santiago de Cuba, July 13. via Port
Antonio, Jamaica, July IA correspond
ent of the Associated Press recently had
an interview with General Garcia. Garcia
appears a man of fifty-eight years, with
an impressive presence. large, swarthy
skinned, gray haired. with faring military
mustache a pleasant smile and graceful
ways. He touched his broad Panama IN
acknowledgment of the salute and spoke
in broken English:
Il am a little tired" said he. I'VE have
had a hard struggle" and his worn jean
suit and muddy top boots, with a single
antiquated brass spur on the right one,
showed this.
THE enemy entrenched him.elf in San
tiago in very good shape" he continued,
because, naturally, the place is one of the
best in the world for that purpose"
Gould the troops outside of the city or
at other points have made junction with
them at any timer was asked.
Decidedly not said General Garcia
Pando was completely cut off. See these"
and he pointed to the tracing cloth map
before him with finger trembling with
excited energy.
"Pando, who amounts to nothing as a
general anyway" 0his with a hoarse laugh
of defiance), was at Manzanillo with near
IL 1900 troops. That is the point at which
the river Cauto empties into the sea. In
its ravines toward Santiago we had men
who held him back. but the elements did
even more. He could not come over the
hills during the rainy season, which is
now on in the interior even worse than
on the seacoast. The coast was his only
hope and there he would have had to
brave the fire of your ships. Behind him
he had yellow fever in its worst shape"
Where the Troops Are.
Where else in eastern Cuba are the
Spanish troops?"
Back at Holguin, on the north coast"
said the general. once more pointing to the
map Between them and Santiago is an
almost impossible range of mountains. In
the passes are machetes and Cubans, and,
thanks to the United States, there are now
rifles and ammunition.
Gen. Loque has 10000 troops at Hol-
guin, but they are being reduced in num-
Der very rapidly. The records show that
the deaths III the Spanish army in Cuba
have been close to 10000 year. There will
be double that number this year, to say
nothing of the loss caused by the arrival
of the American troops and the war.
mean that from yellow fever and the in
surgent warfare their numbers have al
ready been reduced very greatly. Death
stares them in the face and they know it.
l would not be surprised to see one-half of
them lay down their arms and join us at
the first opportunity. The disaffection is
particularly strong among the home guards,
and but for the presence of the imported
soldiery they would come out of the cities
and surrender now. The United States
navy has done wonderful work"
The correspondent also talked with
Garcias surgeon Col. Valiente, who also
spoke good English
There is no great danger of yellow fever
along the southern coast" he said. "The
fever district is along the Cauto river val
ley, where Pando and his 1000 Spaniards
are. The fever along the coast during the
rainy season is a mere malarial fever, cas-
lily prevented by the free use of Quinine.
We have never found it very bad even in
the interior when we have plenty of that
drug. We know that the Spanish are en-
tirely out of drugs and they must be suf-
fering terribly Our spies in the cities have
been unable to secure any quinine for q
number of weeks at any price, and We
know that the army surgeons seized the
small supply in the drug stores of San
tiago.'