New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15

| prior ~ ~ explosive was placed there
| hor ~ the entrance Of the Maine into the her.
~ VI; II might have been done afterward Tine
| oho!ne was anchored to buoy by some little
| timns "a vessel swinging around that way some
| ciro, SIS III various places all around the
! 80 When she would swing off that way
nIv , me DOW next to the buoy and these boats
| p'!Ins ABOUT the harbor all the tina anvhodv
could go pretty we'll in front of her On a darL
issnt and drop one OF these submarine mines
~ 3oO pounds They have fingers. as It were
fineer III 1oat goes around 1t would touch the
| .ee'' mnich makes contact and expodes the
| ~ mat might have been done after the
Az a me sot IN there and not be discovered one
It Off the he" owing quietly in boat could drop
| thomrh az" S, stern OF the boat on a dark night
unough sigsbee had his patrols out. A boat
t Touiu not nave been noticed, because boats go
| mere always to late hour of the night The
| harbor IS full Of these little hoats ,,ine
"I.sns ABOUT 900 pounds. and suppose II would
| probah,v .bro shree men-one man to row and
| p'''""'y three or four to handle the mine
sPANIARDs PREFER ANNEXATION.
In reply to question from Senator Gray.
Ueherai Lee said that the Spanish population
Is not especially hostile toward the United
STATES his language being as follows:
/ DO not think they are now. They were.
But the Spanish portion are principally the
hTrcnahts commission merchants and shop
keepers. and all this agitation is affecting very
rLuTn their business A great many of them.
WINE they give expression to great loyalty are
tealIy annexationists. because they think
IL is the only way out Of the trouble They
| NouIu Hlucn prefer annexation the United
states 10 cuban Republic. fearing that dis
crlmination would be made against them in
some way, and would rather trust to the United
states than to the Cubans
Senator Gray-How as to the Cuban part of
| the population?
| General Lee-They are generally al, Tor Fro.
| Cuba ~ " -''e
Senator Cullom-What is the condition OF the
! reconcentrados out in tho country?
General Lee-Just bad as In General Wey-
/ hQc
supplies sent from the United States but that
/ has ceased now.
The Chairman-How about the Spanlards?
General Lee-General Blanco published a
| proclama ton resembling General VIEWERS bando
as they call it there but 1t has had no practical
erect. for In the first place these people have no
place 70 which to co. the houses have been
| there. and It takes them two months before
they can raise the first crop. In the next place
| they are afraid t. go out from the lines Of the
| town because the rowing bands OF Spanish
guerillas. as they are called. would Kill them.
so they stick right in at the edges Of towns Just
! like they did with nothing TO eat except what
they get from charity: the Spanish have
| nothing TO give
ARMIsTICE OF NO USE
| Senator Lodge-What does this cessation OF
hostilities spoken Of in the last few days
amount to-
General Lee-Nothing: practically nothing
the arnistice amounts to nothing.
Senator Daniel-Do you know the conditions
| OF Il?
nation. which said the queen Regent at the re-
quest OF His Holiness the Pope. had issued an
arnistiCe. but that is not worth the paper it Is
written on, because truce or armistice be-
tween two contending forces requires the CON
sent OF both before II be OF any practical
effect. and It will not have the consent OF the In
sursents.
Senator Lodge-what offer did he make to the
insurgents?
General Lee-This occurred Just about the time
l left. and do not know. | suppose he Just
relies upon that proclamation. He says the
various Spanish officers in different parts OF the
island wifi see that It goes into effect.
HOW THE CUBANs FIGHT
In response to an inquiry from Senator Frye
as 70 his reasons for saying that the insurgents
would pay no attention 10 the armistice. Gen
eral Lee said
! Because every attempt so far to make terms
or 70 make peace. or to buy the insurgents or
their leaders, has met with signal failure. ana
whatever may be said about old General Gomez
he is in my humble opinion. hehting that war IN
the only way II can be done-scattering his
troops out--because to concentrate would De 10
starve. having no commissary traln ana no way
10 get supplies. They come in sometimes FOR
the purpose OF making some little raih where
he thinks II will do something. but ne has given
orders 50 | have always been informed, not 10
Apht not 10 become engaged. not 10 lose their
cartridges: and sometimes when ne gets INTO
fight each man is ordered not to fire more imam
two cartridges. When General Ncyier was
there he went out after him sometimes. ana
they would move up column ana hre, ailI
sometimes flank the column. ana the spanish
soldiers would depoy and throw out skTmlSh-
e-s and the Cubans, Ike Indians. wOuld 60 lHto
the woods valleys and mountainsdes and scat
fer ont and wait until the Spanish troops were
gone The Spanish troops would counterInaich
and 90 back to town. three men HHed anu ten
or twelve wounded
BRIBERY MEANS DEATH
Senator Clark-You think the insurgents wouid
no. accept any such terms
General Lee-No sir do not think IT would
be safe for any Spanish officer 10 go out under
flag OF truce. They could not buy the insur-
gents Every time they went out 70 puy 'he'"
they Ghe insurgents) killed them
snnotor NIills-How much provisions have they
IN o'oro FOR the army? How long can they main
tain their forces there without bringing III ''o'e
provisions?
from hand to mouth the Spaniards and the cit'-
zeus in the town Of Havana also. maze s1ii'e
Inquiries on that point just before lei' M
have a good many barrels OF hour ana eoot
doal ~ rice and some potatoes. but not grea,
rany and A little lard; but everything mat inc
,ov.n Of Havana has received In the last FOUR
ar ave or six months has been from the Uhlted
c,a,es nv steamers from New-Iork. Ncw-Or-
leans and Tampa
Senator Mnls-Can they get no subsistence
from the island1
General Lee-NotnihB Hioio '''d'. 49, a,
floor Ondicatng). The way the Insurgents 40 -
this. They have little patches OF sweet potatoes
everything grows there very abundantiy In a
short tme-and Irish potatoes and fruits. Ihey
drive their pigs and cattle into the vaIrys anu
hrlsides and they use those ana scatter Out
That IL the reason why they all scatter out
great many are planting. The insurgents plant
crone IN many parts OF the island speaking
49,, a - arnnistlce they have not been interfered
win much since General Blanco came there;
win the exception Of the campaign or General
In he
or boan yn-v few military operations inaugu-