The herald., 1898-04-17
The CAMPAIGN IN CUBA
WILL NOT WAIT ON CHANGE OF
SEASONS
SPANISH TROOPS WELL ARMED
But the Food Supply Is Small and
Can Easily Be Reduced
to Nothing
Associated Press Special Wire


NEW YORK, April 16.--A dispatch to
the Times from Washington says: 1t
Is expected that the forces that will be
used in Cuba will consist of cavalry, in
fantry and light artillery Heavy artil-
lery could hardly be used in the wet
season and besides it would not be neces-
sary in operations against the Spanish
Consul-General Lee, it is understood, ad-
vised the use of these branches Of the
service for the campaign in Cuba. He is
OF the opinion that the army can success
fully conduct operations in the island
during the wet weather If 1t has cavalry
and light batteries. Rapid-fire guns and
plenty of them will be depended on very
largely to do the fighting.
1t is reported by all observers of the
military methods of the Spaniards that
their infantry at once forms IL hollow
square upon the approach of cavalry
This military formation has been in
practice for century and the Span
iards have not learned any other way to
repel cavalry attacks. Military experts
say that an army so formed can be
decimated by rapid-fire guns and de-
stroyed If 1t does not soon break such
formation. The cavalry would be used
to force the Spaniards into position to
get them at bay as it were, and the in
fantry and light artillery will then at
tack with rapd-fire guns.
1t is said that the Spanish forces in
Cuba are poorly armed. They have a
fairly good rifle, the Mauser, but are
inadequately supplied with ammunition
and most of the troops being young boys
90 not know how to use their guns. In
=
tillery is their weakest point and they
cannot now supply the deficiency. Even
Havana Is defended by antiquated can
non with the exception Of the six fine
new Krupp guns which. however, have
been allowed to rust on their carriages
and the artillerists do not know anything
about their use.
At Matanzas they have four guns OF
the same kind-heavy 10 and 12-inch can
non-but there are no carriages for them
and they are perfectly useless. 1t is said
there is only one ordnance officer in the
army, Ordrineau, who understands the
handling Of such guns. General Lee, II
is understood, advised the War Depart
ment that few good regiments would
be sufficient for the first movements in
Cuba. He relies very strongly upon the
Gomez and General Garcia, which would
naturally be our allies in war. He re-
ports that the revolutionists have an ef-
fective army of forty thousand troops
which they could increase to 100, 900 al
most any time If the arms for them were
found.
Gomez has kept his army in the pres
ent number because it was too difficult
IN a q Ia rcya In, tho ry
after Its repeated devastation and be-
cause forty thousand men We're enough
to keep up the war and crush Spain
slowly. On the other hand the Spaniards
have, he says, not more than $4,000 to
$1,000 effective troops. If the revolutions
lists are armed and a small but well dis
ciplined and seasoned army from this
country is landed in the islands he
thinks the Spanish will have no chance
for successful resistance.
Another element in the war that Gen
eral Lee, it Is understood, commented on
Is that Spain's troops in Cuba are de-
pending upon this country for food sup
plies. The island can be entiMly shut
off from food by the action of the United
States. 1t Is estimated that Havana
would suffer as much as If it were ac-
tually besieged II we should prevent our
ships from carrying anything for the
Spaniards and the Spanish ships from
procuring supplies from our ports. Ha-
vana, 1t is said by Consuls and all who
have studied the condition Of affairs on
the island, is absolutely without food
1t Is said, indeed, that none Of the Span
ish armies has stores of provisions and
that Havana Is worse off than nNother
place. An attacking force that merely
contents itself with shutting off the food
supply would soon reduce them to sub
mission.
1t Is very probable that one Of the
plans Of the military authorities is to
make effective allies of the Cubans by
arming them and thus turning a good
fighting force of hundred thousand
men against the Spaniards. 1t Is said
that arrangements are already made
looking to this end and insuring the i'm
mediate and effective cooperation of the
American and Cuban forces.
The landing on the island would virtu-
ally be on the western end and on the
northern coast. While this would place
the army at considerable distance from
the Cuban forces under Gomez 1t has ad :
vantages that more than offset this ap-
parent separation of the allies. A union
could soon be effected and the reyolu-
tionists, freed from any restraint along
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