The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-05-01

the war, but they have not the means to
equip their regiments, and have been IN
formed that no one over 80 years Of age VIII
be allowed to join the regular army 1
have discussed the matter with General
Leiper, and he Is heartily In favor of the
plan, and will guarantee that with $4,000
or 10000 full regiment Of Cubans can be
raised in New York city alone-yes, or two,
IL need be-in one week.
Would starve Reconcentrados
"It is all very well to talk about simply
blockading Havana and starving the Span
iards into capitulation. but who would the
sufferers be? Probably the Spaniards In
trados. the very people whom the Ameri-
cans are supposed to be relieving. There
is now In Havana about one weeks supply
of food. The cattle upon which they de-
pend for meat are brought over from Me21i-
CO and slaughtered the same day they are
received. They have no cold storage facIi-
ties such as we have here, SO 1t Is impossi-
BILE to keep any large supply on hand. Al
ter this supply is used up they will doubt
less eat the horses, of which there cannot
be more than three or four thousand In the
city. This gives them another weeks sup
ply. They may then surrender, but 1t is
safe to wager that not a single reconcen-
trado will by that time be alive within
the walls. When food Is scarce 1t Is the
Spaniards who will eat, and not the poor
already slain by thousands through starva-
ton. Tt Is all nonsense to imagine that
the Spaniards will surrender before every
means of sustaining the siege Is exhausted
The Spaniard fights well behind store
wallis This Is the way he haffled Napoleon
IN Spain, and this has been his method OF
war from time immemorial.
mo. the only way to accomplish the
purpose for which the American feet Is
now lying of Havana. is to at once pour
men into Cuba, invest and take the cities
quickly from the land as well as from
the sea. and drive the Spanish army out
before the reconcentrados die Then let
the American forces CARR son the
towns, and let the American soldiers en-
camp outside the cities, living In light tents
and sleeping in hammocks. as suggested
by General Castillo, instead of on tire
ground, and there will be no trouble about
yellow fever. The Cubans living In this
country are immune from the fever, most
of them having had 1t In childhood, and
the officers could live in the more sani-
tary portions of the towns, where there
would be absolutely no danger of Infection
II proper attention is paid to clothing diet
and hygiene.
Let whisky Alone
zone thing I would state, and that is
that l consider an abstinence from alco-
holic beverages of any kind most essen
tial to health. 1t is too stimulating, and
although you Will hnd wine ana pranuy
on the table of nearly any house of any
pretension in Cuba, it should be severely
let alone by foreigner. Quinine taken In
the morning Is one of the best personalities
of malaria and still better one is arsenic,
although this latter would of course have
to be given by doctors and not carried
around by the men. Another important
thing is that all the men should be vacci-
mated before reaching the island, as small
pox has been prevalent there and this
would of course render them free from
contagion. If then, the men are vaccinat-
ed. will take quinine or arsenic, wear the
lightest clothing, preferably white, tan
shoes as near waterproof as possible. carry
a rubber coat or blanket, wear a canvas
hat let alcohol alone, avoid sleeping on
the ground, and keep as much in the open
country as possible, they will be as asfe
in Cuba as they would be in any of the
southern states.
'*'But it is absolutely necessary that
force of Cuban-Americans who speak both
the languages, should accompany the army
to act as Interpreters and scouts, clear
away with their machetes the underbrush
in the woods, and act as go-betweens in
connection with the American army and
the insurgents"