The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-15
NOT MUCH OF 4 GOVERNMENT

The government by autonomy is not 4
success. To be sure, in all the provinces
which we visited the Governors had beer
appointed under the new plan. and these
Governors have appointed the Alcaldes
or mayors, Of the towns. Their author.
ity, however. is not disputed. because
there is nobody over whom to rule except
the starving women and children who
are kept there. The men have all join
cd the insurgents. Right here / want Ia
say that the insurgent cause is com
handing the sympathy and support OF
the best Cuban people. The sons OF
the once rich planters have gone to join
the army"
Which has the best force, Spain OF
Cuba e
THE Spanish soldier is slight in stat
IRE, weighing about 100 pounds, and
looks like a boy. The insurgents are
better fed. better clothed ana better
hoised. They lack arms. using their
machetes as weapons. Rifles are not
common. The military operations. how
ever, are not Of the nature of which we
are accustomed. / was told of one en-
gagement by a Consul. The insurgents
had appeared on the hills outside of a
town, and about 1000 Spanish soldiers
We're ordered ont to meet them. They
advanced to some distance from the in
surgents. and there halted. The Consul
asked the Spanish officer why he did
not attack the enemy. Because they
have a couple of thousand men hidden
in the hills was the officers cautious
reply. Presently, however, the fnsur-
gents themselves charged, and the Span
ish officer, after ordering his men to
form hollow square, retreated behind
tree and from that safe point watched
the brief fight. Several Spanish soldiers
We're killed, but the insurgents escaped
without loss. A glowing report was
made by the Spanish officer and he was
decorated for his valiant action
IN A STATE OF DEVASTATION.
This warfare" continued Col. Park
er, has reduced the island to a state of
devastation. On our trip to Sagua we
saw only two sugar plantations grinding
cane. All the others had been burned.
This is the condition of the entire island.
The Insurgents are in practical control
| outside of the cities. Gomez comes and
goes as he pleases. The provinces of
Puerto Principe and Santiago are the
strongholds Of the insurgents and are
likely to remain SUCH | do not believe
that the Spanish can ever control the
island. The presentadOs-th Cubans
who go over to the autonomist cause
are generally men who are in disfavor
with Gomez or who have Il grievance.
They are very few"
How long can such a state of
things cOntinue?
Indefinitely. The Spanish do not
want to end the war, because the sol
diers, who have to serve certain num-
Der Of years, are credited with consid-
cradle extra time for every year they
serve i'll Cuba, and they are perfectly
content to stay there, rather than go
in the army at home. This is especially
the case with the volunteers. Those
are clerks and other business men, who
volunteer to serve if called upon, but
who in the mean time go about their
business like private citizens. Their en-
listment, however, counts on their army
service, and they make mp for their lack
of fighting by doing large amount of
talking"
Col. Parker says that American senti-
metn runs high among the Cubans. sever
al of them expressing the hope TO him
that the time would soon come when