The herald., 1898-02-08

fers upon the part of the authorities for
the surrender of his command, where
upon Arangueren, acting under the in
structions of his general-in-chief, Max
imo Gomez, had Col. Ruiz and his two
men executed.
"In accordance with request made to
me by the Russian consul and other
friends of Col Ruiz, and with the knowl-
edge, consent and approval of Gen.
Blanco, l made an attempt to save the
life of the Spanish officer by sending to
him Mr.. Erensto Tosca as my represen-
tative with the following note:
HAVANA, Dec. &c. 1897.
"'Mr. Nestor Arangueren, My Dear Sir:
81 am informed that a Spanish officer
named Col. Joaquin Ruiz is your pris-
oner. l write to say that the said pris-
oner is a personal friend of mine and
has shown me kindness and courtesy
since my arrival in Havana. l there
fore request you as special favor to
me to release Col. Ruiz and to allow him
to return to this capital. The bearer of
this note, Mr.. Ernesto Tosca, is my per-
sonal representative and commend him
to you.
'(Signed) FITZHUGH LEE
II regret to say" continued Gen. Lee,
that my representative did not reach
the insurgent camp in time to deliver
said note before Col. Ruiz's execution,
which had taken place on the day of
Tosca's arrival.
ut now appears that Col Ruiz visited
the insurgent camp in his private or
unofficial capacity, and that with the
exception of one or two of the authori-
ties of the palace and possibly a few
others, no one knew of his errand or de-
parture. 1t would seem, therefore, that
he went into the insurgent camp in an
unofficial or private character. and not
under a flag of truce, or other official
protection of war, procedure always
hazardous to the life of anyone who at
tempts it."
Both these dispatches are addressed to
Assistant Secretary of State Day and not
to Secretary Sherman.
TREACHERY REWARDED
NEW YORK, Feb IA special to the
World from Tampa, Fla, says: Pho
Ramero, who betrayed Arangueren, has
been commissioned a lieutenant in the
Spanish army for that service.
PANDO IN PERIL
NEW YORK, Feb. IA dispatch to
the Tribune from Havana says the gov
ernment is looking for scapegoat. If
one is found, the hope seems to be that
Madrid will be satisfied awhile longer
and the present situation may continue
Nevertheless the prevailing view Is that
explanations cannot be made which
would satisfy So much was expected
from General Blanco's continuous trip
around the island and so little has come
hom it that the disappointment felt can
not be concealed. The Captain Cen
erals promise that this month would
bring peace seems to have been taken
literally in Spain. 1t was not so here.
The statement that Captain-General
Rlanco was on a tour of inspection, en-
gagged chiefly in visiting the hospitals.
does not satisfy the hopes that had been
entertained. The intransigeantes In Gu
ba may refrain from open demonstra-
tions of hostility. though they are be-
coming restless. What they will do can
not be predicted with certainty. But
they are not hesitating to spur the con-
servatives in Spain to action, and this
brings the government back to the ques-
tion of the scapegoat.
General Pando apparently thinks he
may be selected for that role. The Wey-
lerites are watching their chances and
General Seguro has returned to the
peninsula ready to condemn Pandos
plan of military operations in the east
ern part of the island. Many things pre-
vent them from publicly deriding the
hut thpY11 SalVpS
they show tendency to annoy the gov
ernment by demanding evidences of the
peace that is coming in. The sick SOL
diers who are brought from the eastern
provinces to Havana military hospitals
are not evidence of it. Their places will
be taken by the new recruits from the
peninsula.
The official explanation Is that General
Blanco was on tour of inspection
around the island. This might have
been construed into taking the field had
not expectations been raised of import
ant results by the palace. 1t was the
palace that gave the first hints of infiu-
entail insurgent presentations" and the
weakening of the insurrection to come
from the operations.
These are admitted facts, but Gen.
eral Pando will claim that this is be-
cause of the condition in which General
Weyler left the soldiers. A successful
campaign cannot be conducted with Il
starving army. Pando's talk to his
friends in the confidence Of friendship is
full of despair. The knowledge that he
may have to serve as the scapegoat is
possibly the cause of this. Instead of
talking of peace by the end of the month,
he talks of the long respected crisis be-
fore that time. He may be wrong. The
same talk has been heard before on the
part of high Spanish officials, but the
given period has passed without the
overturning they prophesied. The Hav-
ana intransigeantes looked for the first
movement in Spain when the inability of
autonomy and of military operations un-
der the direction of General Blanco to
enforce peace is realized in Spain. They
expect the Sagasta ministry will be
placed on the defensive. They are not
fully informed of what happened on the