Evening star., 1898-02-04
Blanco's Cuban Policy Has About
eliminated in Disaster.
SUGGESTS NAPOLEON AND Russia
The Commanders Health is Good,
but His Army Moribund.
SIGNIFICANCE OF EXPLOSIONS
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.


The captain general comes back from the
eastern provinces with that news. During
the retreat from Moscow the people of
France received word that their brothers
were perishing by the thousands in the
SHOWS of Russia, out the bulletins always
closed with the intelligence that the health
Of Napoleon was good.
The people of Spain receive a similar
message today. In the province of San
tiago the soldiers are perishing by the
hundreds in the over-crowded hospitals and
in the field. The insurgents have driven
the troops back into ths few ruins where
the flag Of Spain yet floats from the forts
along the Cauto, where Gen. Pando for
three months has been vainly trying to
force passage. The fevers are thinning
the ranks infinitely faster than Calixto
Garcia's artillery.
The health of the Spanish soldiers in
Cuba is very bad. The health of the rem
nant of the recoDcentradoes is also bad,
but Spains viceroy, Captain General Blan-
CO, is in good health. 1t may be that the
statement of Blancos satisfactory physical
condition is meant to provide against a sea
voyage for his health.
When the volunteers put Captain General
Dulce on shipboard during the ten years
war the latter's health was bad. He was
a victim Of nervous prostration.
Gen. ParradO's Warning.
In Blancos absence, Acting Captain Gen
eral Parade has again warned the officers
of the volunteers that disloyalty will be
sternly punished, and they have again pro-
tested their loyalty. 1t is not thought the
intransigientes have in mind any purpose
of forcibly ousting Blanco. They profess to
be satisfied with his speech at ManZanillo,
in which he promised peace by the end of
the present month. February is a short
month, and they may well wait its closing
days before making their demonstration.
The moderate intransigientes believe in
waiting for Madrid to act. They will put
in the hands of the conservatives and the
Weylerites in Spain the fullest details of
the failure of Blanco's mission. Their de
mand will be for the recall Of the captain
general. on the grounds that autonomy has
failed to secure peace, when proffered with
gold in one hand and the bayonet in the
other.
The disappointment Of the Sagasta min
istry must be keen. In spite of warnings
Sagasta and Morut had apparently deluded
the people of Spain into the belief that
their policy was weakening the insurrec-
tion. They builded high hopes on Blanco's
trip to the eastern provinces. In Novem-
in December, Calixto Garcia was the man.
Extent of Rabis Influence.
If Jany Rabi was to be the means Of un-
dermining the revolution his detection
would not have meant as much as the de-
scrtion of Gomez or Calixto Garcia, yet it
would have been a real blow. His influ-
ence with the men who bear arms in the
eastern provinces is great Rabi is ma
tive of the natives. 1t is said that the In
dian blood in his veins is tinctured with
no foreign mixture. 1t is as pure as that
which flowed in the veins of his ancestor
when Columbus first saw this, the most
beautiful land that eyes ever beheid
Natural military genius has overcome the
defect OF ignorance and lack of training.
He is unquestionably one of the ablest
generals in the insurgent army. Spain has
not gold enough to buy him. He spared the
emissaries who first came to him, because
they were coerced into coming; later ones
who undertook the mission of bribery vol
unfairly he is believed to have hung His
answer to the final and desperate attempt
OF the Spanish authorities TO win him was
to drive the defeated troops under Cen
eral Luque back to Holgun. That answer
ought to satisfy the Sagasta ministry that
the life of the insurrection cannot be sap
ped by the bribery of its chiefs. 1t salts
1eS the Spanish classes in Havana. They
had been foolish enough to think there
might be some prospect Of tolling Rabi
with money and promises of honors under
the standard of Spain, but now they know
better. They wonder what the next move
will be, and they think the wisest thing
would be for Premier Sagasta to ask an
accounting of stewardship from Blanco
That, they say, would save trouble here
Meaning Of the Bomb Explosions.
The bombs which are exploding in Ha-
Vana occasionally are taken to mean dis
approval of Blanco's policy. 1ney are more
likely to reflect individual dissatisfaction
with the administration under autonomy.
Sunday night at midnight the bomb which
was exploded at the house of Senior AL
varez, the former mayor, shook the whole
city. Many of the inhabitants thought the
guns OF the Maine were belching an un-
friendly salute. From the hotel balcony 1
watched the signs of excitement They
were marked. The authorities themselves
were apprehensive. Civil Governor Bruzon,
General Arolas, military governor of the
province, and other officials were quick to
reach the scene. A few nights previous,
when small bomb had been exploded in
the neighborhood, I had driven out there
and received the assurance of the man in
whose yard the bomb exploded that it must
have been a mistake, because he had no
enemies. The mistake must have been in
the place Senior Alvarez. the former al
calde has some enemies. The troublesome
reflection is that somebody in Havana is
making dynamite bombs which when ex-
ploded are powerful enough to shake the
whole city. If they should be used for a
political demonstration 1t would prove un-
comfortable. Captain General Blanco is a
stole, and reflections of this kind NAV not
disturb him, SO far as the signs at the
palace may be received. The failure of his
mission to the eastern provinces will work
no change in the plans Of the government.
Fresh promises will be made to keep the
deluded people of Spain pacif1ed. Renewed
efforts will be put forth to hold or the
United States until the summer season,
when yellow fever will be a stronger guard
along the coasts of Cuba than a double
fleet of warships or a defensive army of
800 900 Spanish soldiers.
The News IL Suppressed.
In the meantime imagine the people of
the United States may be concerning them
selves with some things happening down
here. though. II they are, 1t would be as
easy to learn 1t in the heart OF Africa as In
Havana. The censorship keeps the news
out, yet they may be thinking of the mas
sacre Of the Sarsa family In the hills of
Tapaste. when the fifteen hundred Spanish
troops succeeded in suSrrising and killing
Aranguren. For the principals In this trag-
edy Of the revolution the last once has
been performed. The body OF Col. Joaquin
RUIZ was dug up from under the mango
trees where the insurgents had buried It,
brought to Havana and inferred In the
Columbus cemetery. Notwithstanding the
strict watch kept. the grave Of Aranguren
was found covered with flowers. The same