The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-23
WILL RESIST FEEBLY
SPANISH TROOPS ARE DISCOURAGED,
SAYS A CUBAN INSuRGENT.

HI Fed and Harshiy Treated. They Have
Little Incentive TO Fight-Have No Con-
ndence In Their Omcsrs-Many surren-
der In Hopes OF Better Treatment.
"No one need worry much over the
fate Of the soldiers connected with the
expedition which the United States
have just sent to Cuba, " said a member
of the insurgent army who Is in New
York ON business connected with the
junta, in speaking of the conditions as
they exist at present IN the island.
1.-THE troops, " he continued, ''may be
subjected to some annoyance at first by
attacks ON their outposts, but unless l
am very much mistaken the main body
Of the army will not be attacked. When
tho men reach any Of the fortified towns,
however, conditions will be different.
In those places the Spaniards will prob
ably pat up o feeble resistance. 1t will
be feeble, however, for, despite the best
endeavors of the officers in command,
the men in the ranks will not offer any
thing more than a mere nominal opposi-
ton to the advance of the American
column.
"The Generalization existing in the
Spanish ranks cannot be overestimated.
The Spanish officers realize now a fact
that has been evident to us for a long
time. and that Is that their men are not
to be depended upon. The troops which
came over from Spain at the beginning
of the instruction were full Of enthusi-
asm and as a result the early conflicts
between the Spaniards and the insur-
gents were much hotter and attended
with more serious results than they are
today.
"The Spanish soldiers soon awoke to
the incompetency and the corrupt meth
DDS Of their ~superiors, and that, COM
bined with the lack of food and pay.
has destroyed their confidence.
"The common soldiers now realize
that the stories circulated among the
privates and noncommissioned officers
in regard to American cruelty to pris-
oners are false. The soldiers have learn
ed from ono source or another that their
companions who have been 80 fortunate
as to fall into American hands are well
cared for and happy. The result will be
hat the United States government will
scarcely be able to furnish guards
enough to look out for their Spanish
prisoners after the troops have got well
under way.
IAN incident occurred q few days
previous to my leaving our army which
goes to show how strong the feeling Of
the soldiers in the Spanish army has be-
come against their superiors. One Of the
sentries on guard near the headquarters
Of General Garcia brought five Spanish
prisoners into camp who had approach
ed him under a flag Of truce and given
themselves up.
General Garcia was not in camp,
but his subordinates questioned the
men, who said that they belonged TO q
regiment stationed in o nearby town.
They had not had any pay since they
landed in Cuba two years previously,
and of late had received scarcely enough
food to keep body and soul together. In
addition, they said they were treated
meroilessly by their superiors. The men
wound up by saying that they preferred
to surrender voluntarily to us rather
than be killed for the benefit Of people
who treated them with such scant con-
sideration.
"The Spanish officers have awakened,
now that it is too late, to the gravity
of the situation, and in their efforts to
rouse their men infict upon them the
severest discipline. Every one who was
in Havana or any Of the other large
Cuban cities at the outbreak Of the revo-
luton will remember the Incidence dis
played by the officers in command Of
the Spanish forces. The news Of the de-
parture Of our bands for the interior
awakened scarcely any interest among
Spanish army men, who continued to
sip their absinthe and coffee in front Of
the cafe, oblivious to the fact that bands
of Cuban sympathizers were forming
right in the city OF Havana itself.
"At the outbreak of the war I have
known the same. train which conveyed
q regiment 81 Spanish soldiers to re-
lieve q garrison in the interior to carry
30 insurgents, who made no special effort
to conceal their identity beyond merely
nlulng tnelr weapons II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
"The success Of our forces has been in
great measure due to this Incidence on
the part Of the officers in command of
the Spanish forces, and from the very
beginning Of the war up to the actual
breaking out Of hostilities between the
United States and the home government
they have never seemed to regard the
uprising in Cuba as anything serious
Now it is different. however. and the
officers will undoubtedly do everything
in their power to resist the s~ubjugation
of their army by the Americans. 1t is
too late, though, for they cannot rely on
their men. New York Evening Sun.
Vacant Chair For the Volunteer Classmate.
The class day exercises Of the senior
class Of the Cleveland High school wcre