The Portland daily press., 1898-05-13
SPANS TROOPS AND OURs.
Contrast in Military Methods in the
Field.

Field.
ING oohi fusion at the Captain Generals
o"ce IN Havana When the Present
Nevo luton Started-Tbe CAIN, .t o,r
lamp at Present-A Study of
the Generals.
tampa Fla, May ls..-areat is the
inference between Spanish and American
'hiiCary methods. A little recapitulation
VIII snow 1t. On the morning of Fsbru.
ary - 1880, there was great excitement
anu disorder in Havana at the Palace of
the Captain General of Cuba. News had
oeen received of a conspiracy throughout
'he is@ho against the Spanish govern
menu ana OF the uprising of a small band
u hoo more than forty men in Havana
province under Manuel Garcia, of the
presence at Matanzas Of another band
composed OF fifty men under Betancourt
and also that Bartolome Maso had taken
one Held near Manzanillo, Santiago de
Cupa' with about two hundred followers.
IL was the beginning of the present reyo~
| luton.
Inc Captain General, Don Emilio
oaiieJa lsasi, said by the Spaniards to
nave been hero and great military
commander during the civil wars in
spain, was hewildered that morning. The
news caused him to prepare decree de-
clarlng the island in a stage of siege,
which ne published in the evening, to
plan military campaign against the
reVolutlonists; to frame a truce to propose
to them, under promise that Spain would
grant to Cuba ample and fair reforms.
lie summoned to the palace junta of
spanish authorities, committee of Au-
Economists, the Colonies of volunteers,
and many of his personal friends. His
desk and two tables near by were covered
With maps of the six provinces, reports
from the governors Of all the important
oltles, and with many other papers of
every kind. He sought advice from every
body, and everybody, from the officers of
volunteers to tie most ignorant Havana
shopkeepers, explained in loud voices,
gestlculatine, putting, and splitting on
the marble floor, plans of their own.
| Nothing practical was done, of course, for
many long days, and the revolution grew
stronger. Two months after the Spanish
Cabinet of Canovas recalled Calleja, and
appointed Martinez Campos Captain
Genral of Cuba.
Martinez Campos landed and was re-
ceiyed by the Spaniards as a savior. He
was the general that pacified Cuba in
1878 and ended the civil war in Spain in
favor of Don Alfonso XII. He was said to
be military genius and man of extra
ordinary luck. He made some twenty
| trips around the island, always leaving
Havana unexpectedly. He was defeated
at Peralejo, and on December "a, 1895, he
entered the capital pursued by the
triumphant forces Of Gen. Gomez, who,
with few arms and little ammunition,
had marched from east to west at the
rear of the Spanish columns.
| Martinez Campos, as soon as he reached
Havana that day, summoned another
| junta and, with tears in his eyes, con-
| fessed to all that he had been defeated.
| The confusion was tremendous The first
idea of the Spaniards was to stand by
him, the second to kick him out. The
volunteers made great demonstration in
| his honor, and two days later compelled
him to resign. Troops marched through
the streets without order or concert. AS
in the times Of Calljea, every man tried
to have the army adopt his individual
| plans. Martinez Campos left in disgrace
| and Weyler replaced him.
| "A witness of those scenes of disorder
and incapacity cannot fail to observe the
| contrast between them and the calm orde
of things prevailing now at Tampa at
the headquarters OF the American army
that within few days will probably in
wade the island of Cuba. Everything is
/ done here quietly and well. Judging only
by appearances, no one could imagine
that in the big hotel here, where so many
beautiful women gather in the evening,
surrounded by handsome officers, and
listen to the music of fine military bands,
such serious thing as the invasion of a
foreign land is actually being planned.
Gen. Shafter does not make show as
a Spanish general would, pretending that
he is too busy to talk to anybody and
keeping around him regiment of officers
running here and there with messages in
their hands. A foreigner, used to the
noise and hustle of the Latin races, has
to ask here who the general is to find
him. And yet, that man, with simple
and severe uniform. contrasting so much
| with the gorgeous dress of Spanish
general, is polite to all who approach him
and of modest demeanor; that man has
studied inch by inch the map of Cuba, as
Blanco has never done, and Is ready to
strike decisive blow against Spain with
| UAS iuupIo'uGulodl pISClSlOu VI q CAl6SS
PLAYER moving his men on the chess
board.
That same strange simplicity also i'm
presses the foreigner who has travelled in
Spain W zen he first visits the war depart
menu building at Washington. The alb.
sence OF soldiers at the war headquarters
of nation engaged in war is great con-
trast to the hundreds of seutinels that
you find every whsre ut the Ministerio de
la Guerra, in Madrid Gen. Miles,
dressed as civilian. politely receiving
you at his office, after you send him your
card, makes remarkable contrast to the
Spanish Ministrio, dressed in gala uni
form, who detgns to receive foreigner,
after making him wait a couple of hours.
surrounded by armed soldiers. Spain
with all this fuss, considers herself a
great military nation; and yet she has
lost all her wars while this plain, mat
| ter of-fact nation has never been defeated
Il