The times., 1898-08-02
REPORT OF GEN. LINAREs.
The Spanish Generals View of the
Situation before Surrcndering

Guantanamo. Province of Santiago de
Cuba. July 25.-An official report of Gen.
l-inares TO the Madrid government. trans
mitted on July 10. is full of pathos, as 1t
tells of Spaniards thousands of miles
from home, striving 10 defend property
which the owners have deserted. The re-
port sent by cable on July 13 was ad-
dressed 20 the minister of marine 1t
was translated for the press by Commo-
dore Schley. The text in full is as fol-
lows:
Official cablegram, July u, 1898, to the
minister of war from the general-in-chief
of the division of Santiago de Cuba: AL
though confined to my bed by great
weakness and in much pain, the situation
of the long-suffering troops here occu-
pies my mind TO such an extent that l
deem it my duty 10 address your excel
lency that the state of affairs may be ex-
planned.
'Enemy's lines very near the town on
account of the nature of the ground; our
lines are in full view from them. Troops
weak: sick in considerable proportion not
sent to hospitals owing to the necessity
for keeping them in the intrenchments.
Horses and mules without the usual al
lowance of forage. In the midst of the
wet season, with twenty hours daily fall
of rain in the trenches. which are simply
bitches dug in the ground without any
permanent shelter for the men. The men
have nothing but rice to eat and no means
of changing or drying their clothing. Con-
siderable losses; field officers and COM
pany officers killed. wounded sick de-
prive the troops of necessary orders in
critical moments.
Under these circumstances 1t is i'm
possible to fight our way out, because in
attempting to do so our force would be
lacking one-third of the men, who could
not leave, and we would be weakened
besides. by casualties caused by the en-
emy, resulting finally in a veritable dis
aster without saving our diminished bat
talions. In order TO get out, protected by
the Holguin division. it will be necessary
for them to come and break the enemy's
lines in one place. SO that my forces may
break through in another both acting in
conjunction. For this operation the Ho-
guin division will require eight days and
will have to bring a large amount of ra-
tions, which it is impossible to transport.
1.-THE solution of the question is omi-
nously imposed upon Us. Surrender is in
evitable, and we can only succeed in pro-
longing the agony. The sacrifice is use
less, and the enemy understands this.
They see our lines and theirs being well
established close up. they tire out our
men without exposing themselves. Yes
terday they cannonaded US on land with
such an elevation that we were unable to
see their batteries, and from the sea by
the squadron, which had perfect range
and bombarded the town in sections with
mathematical precision.
1.-The complete exodus of the inhabi-
tants, insular as we'll as peninsular, in
cludes the occupants of the public Off
ces, with few exceptions. There only re-
main the clergy, and they started today
to leave the town, with the archbishop at
their head.
'The defenders here cannot now begin
a campaign full of enthusiasm and en-
ergy. They came here three years ago.
struggling against the climate privations
and fatigue. and now they are placed in
these sad circumstances, where they have
no food, no physical force and no means
of recuperating. They are defending the
property of those that have abandoned 1t
and of those that now are being fed by
the American forces.
The honor of arms has its limits and
l appeal to the opinion of the whole ma
ton as to whether these long-suffering
troops have not kept 1T safely many times
since May is, when they were subjected