The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-08-21
FOREIGNERS ON THE war
French Vice Consul and Others
at Santiago.
SKATERS TACTICS BAD
His Orders to Attack San Juan Hill
at Noon Unwise-The Bravery of
Mistakes Mude by the Commits
sary-AbOut the Insurgents.
lFrom the View York Times

A party of foreigners who had been in
Guantanamo during the war, and some of
whom had seen the fight before Santiago,
were assembled yesterday in the Cafe
Martin comparing notes. They had hur-
ried away from Cuba, they said, partly
on business, but mainly for a change of
scene and a change of diet. They had
eaten stale dogs meat with the blacklist
and modest kind of bread, and their
stomachs were out of gear.
Among the party was NJ. LIE Febur the
French vice consul al Guantanamo. The
members of the party had just enjoyed
breakfast that French chefs know how 10
prepare, and they were now slipping coffee
and smacking large-sized Hayanas. The
conversation led TO the date when the
American squadron began bombaIding
the Playa Este at the entry TO the bay of
Caimanera.
Gen Pareja, of the Spanish army, they
said, arrived there simultaneously with
British Vice Consul Brooks and NJ. lie Fee
bur The Spanish officers who hitherto
had been under the impression that the
United States had no feet to speak of
and no good gunners, were simply aston
ished at the accurate fire of the Ameri-
can gunners and the splendid warships
while on the other hand the Spanish ar
tillery officers did not seem to understand
their business.
Seeing that the American fire was so
precise, the speaker continued, Gen.
Pareja ordered the regiment of engineers
to supply all the soldiers with torches so
as to set fire to Caimanera from four
sides should the Americans lombard that
place also. The Americans, however
never directed their guns at any resi-
dences, but only on the forts at Cayo
TT
batteries at the former place. When the
British and French vice consuls learned
Of Gen. Pareja's orders they warned him
that if the sugar factories near Guam
tanamo, which belonged to EngEshmen
and Frenchmen, were destroyed that
might lead to complications between
Spain and England and France. There
upon Gen. Pareja declared that he had
never given orders to burn Caimanera.
The speakers continued:
THE Americans landed and encamped
at Playa Este, and several days later
they were attacked by the Spaniards,
under command of Commandant Milla
The rapid-firing guns of the Americans
completely demoralized the Spanish SOL
diers, who were already half starved and
half naked. They were completely rout-
ed, running away in all directions.
"Commandant Milla, however, pub
lished in the local paper that he had de-
feated the American troops and had COM
PEELED them to retire. The Spaniards be-
came terrified when they saw how the
American shells tore up the ground. The
poor fellows were half dead with hun
ger, and all that they had to seat were
few sardines of poor quality and a lit
tie maize. Sometimes they were without
food or drink, but they never mutinied
nor grumbled. The officers, from the
corporal up to the general made money
| out of the rations that should have been
| given to the men. The outbreak of the
| revolution in Cuba was a godsend to
them, and many made fortunes in two
years. In the cities, the higher officers
compelled the gambling houses to pay
them fabulous sums to permit them to
carry on their business. Some of these
gamblers paid as much as 500 to $500 in
gold per day.
1.-THE common soldiers, on the other
hand, have had no money at all and have
not been paid for a year. All that they
have in the way of clothes is chambra,
or waistcoat, trousers, and straw hat
made of yarey, a kind of plant. The pri-
vate who has such thing as a shirt is
seldom seen.
1.-The general opinion of the land own
ers in Cuba, including the sugar and