New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-18
NEW
niards.

iards e percentage OF Nolored TO white mas Dee"
readily diminishing for more than nifty years.
and is not now over - per cent OF the TOTAL
In fact the number Of colored people has peep
actually diminishing for nearly that Time Inc
Cuban farmer and laborer is by nature peace
able kindly, gay. hospitable. lighthearted ana
improvident.
There is a provcrb among the Cubans that
Spanish bulls cannot he bred in Cuba, that 49,
that the Cubans. though they are OF spanish
blood are less excitabe and q 1uieter tenn
permanent Many Cubans whom l met spoke III
strong terms against bullnghts; that II was
brutal institution. introduced and NANNY pat
ronized by the Spaniards. One thing that was
new 10 me was to learn the superiority OF the
well-to-do Cuban over the Spaniard In the mat
ter Of education Among those IN good c'rcu'''-
stances there can be no doubt that the Cuoa"
is far superior in this respect. And the reason
of it Ia easy to see They have been educated
in England. France or this country. while the
Standard has had such education as his own
country furnished.
'.The Negro-The colored people seem 10 De
by nature quite the equal mentally and physi-
cally OF tie race in this country Certainly
nhysicaly they are by far the larger ana
stronger race on the island. There Is little or
M rare pre,udice and this has doubtless been
greatly 10 their advantage Eighty-hve years ago
there were one-half as many free negroes as
slaves. and this proportion was slowly increas-
ing until emancipation.
THE SPANISH ARMY
"The Military SltuatIon--It IL said that there
are about sixty thousand Spanish soldiers now
in Cuba fit for duty out Of over two hundred
thrr0
have died. been Sent home sick. or are In the
hospitals and some have been killed, notwi'h-
standing the official reports. They are con-
scripts. many Of them very young. and general
" small men. One hundred and thirty pounds
Is a fair estimate Of their average weight. Ihey
are quiet and obedient. and II we'll drilled and
led 7 believe would fight fairly We'll. out
not at all equal to our men. Much more
would depend on the leadership than with us.
The officer must lead well, and be one In whom
they have confidence: and this applies to both
sides alike As I saw no drills or regular forma-
ton INQUIRED about them Of many persons,
and was informed that they had never seen a
drill.
"I saw perhaps ten thousand Spanish troops,
hut not a piece Of artillery, nor a tent. They
live in barracks In the towns and are seldom
ont FOR more than day, returning TO town at
night.
THEIR TACTICS IN BATTLE.
"rbev have little or no equipment Of supply
trains or for a field campaign such as we nave.
Their cavalry horses scrubby little native
ponies weighing not over eight hundred pounds,
tough and hardy. but for the most part In
wretched condition. reminding one OF the mounts
of Don Quixote and his squire. Some OF the
officers, however, have good horses. mostly
American. I think. On both sides cavalry Is con-
sidered the favorite and the dangerous fighting
arm.
THE tactics OF the Spanish. as described to me
by an eyewitness and participant in some OF
their battles are for the infantry when threat
ened by insurgent cavalry to form hollow
square and fire away ad libitum and without
ceasing until time to march back to town. 1t
does not seem TO have entered the minds of
either side that good infantry force can take
care Of itself and repuse everywhere an equal
number OF cavalry. and there are everywhere
positions where cavalry would be at a disad-
vantage
INsURGENT ARMY 5000 STRONG.
Having called on Governor and Captain Cen
eral Blanco and received his courteous call in
return. could not with proprety seek COM
muncaton with insurgents l had plenty OF Of
fers Of safe conduct to Gomez's camp. and was
told that II l would write him answer would
be returned safely within ten days at most.
saw several who had visited the insurgent
camps. and was sought out by an insurgent field
officer. who gave me the best information
ceived as to the insurgent force. His statements
were moderate. and ! credibly informed
that he was entirely reliable He claimed that
the Cubans had about thirty thousand now In
the field some in every province. but mostly In
the two Eastern provinces and Eastern Santa
Clara, and this statement was corroborated
from other good sources.
They have force all the time in Havana
Province itself organized as four small brgades
and operating in small bands. Ruiz was taken
tried and sho; within about a mile and a half of
the railroad and bout fifteen miles out OF Ha-
yana on the road to Matanzas. a road more
travelled than any and which I went over four
times.
WELL ARMED. BUT LITTLE AMMUNITION
"Arangurer was killed about three miles the
other side OF the road. and about the same dis
tance. fifteen twenty miles from Havana
They were well armed. but very poorly supplied
with ammunition. They are not allowed to
carry many cartridges sometimes not more
than one or two. The infantry especially are
poorly clad. Two small squads Of prisoners
which saw. however, one of half dozen In
the streets of Havana and one of three on the
cars, were better clothes THAI the Spanish sol
diers. Each OF these prisoners. though SUR
rounded by guards. was bound by the arms and
wrists by cords. and they were Ali tied together
by cord running along the line specimen Of
the amenities Of their warfare. About one-thrd
Of the Cuban army are coloreG. mostly in the in
fantry. as the cavalry furnished their own
horses. This field officer. an American from a
Southern State spoke in the highest terms OF
the conduct OF these coored soldiers saying that
they were as good fighters and had more endur- |
ancc than the whites, could keep up with :he
cavalry on a long march AMI come in fresh at