The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-17


soldiers were left dead on the field.
With the splendid booty secured by nm
Maceo completed the arming OF his
patriots.
From April to October Gomez sue
cessfully carried the war through Puer-
to Principe province and laid his plans
for the invasion of the west. On oct.
22 Maceo. having received orders IRON
Gomez. who was appointed COM
mander-in-chief of the army, IN sep
TENDER. by the assembly of representa-
tives. started for the east with 1000 OF
his men.
The action was sharp and decisive.
Martinez Campos behaved bravery,
leading one of his wings in a charge
against Gomez, but Maceo, falling on
the Spanish, won the day for Cuba
and compelled Martinez Campos to re-
tire. The captain general hurriedly en-
tered Havana making preparations TO
defend the city. and he confessed his
defeat to the astonished Spanish vol
unteers and residents of the capital.
on the night of Dec. q the captain
general made that avowal. A rev Gays
later the rabid Spaniards of the city
compelled him to tender his resignation
| To Madrid. They demanded from Cano-
vas a captain general. framed In the ola
| iron cast OF the Spanish conquerors, not
to fight battles and risk his life on the
field. but to exterminate the native
population. In their belief, women,
children, every one born in Cuba,
should be held responsible for the sit
uation. They did not like a soldier with
q gallant career and personal courage.
They wanted an executioner. CanoVas
satisfied them and appointed Don Val,
eriano Weyler y Nicolau TO succeed
Martinez Campos.
Weyler early showed his sanguinary
spirit and plans of murder. Prisoners
of war and innocent persons unJustiy
charged with aiding the rebellion were
shot every day in Havana. The most
summary court martial preceded the
executions as a mere formanty. In
other cases the victims were murdered
in cold blood in their dungeons or
thrown alive into the sea during the
night at the entrance of the harbor to
feed the sharks. The horrors of the
council of blood under Alva look pale
when with the crimes or
Weyler. In the country his troops had
orders to outrage women and 10 XIII
every n~on-combatant without regard to
age. In the cities he appointed as IN
spectors of police the most
murderers n thieves from the Span
ish penal colonies in Africa.
In a short time more tina 100. 900
persons emigrated from Cuba panic
stricken. He intended to destroy the
country and to exterminate the natives.
Seeing that the executions in the forts
were too slow a method n that the
destruction wrought by his columns
was not enough to uin the island, he
conceived one of the most monstrous
crimes ever committed against human
ity. On Feb. l6. 1896. he issued his two
famous DEGREES of concentration. by
them every una being in the coun-
try districts was compelled to leave his
home, after IL had been destroyed by
the Spanish columns. and go to oi
the fortified towns under the vigilance
of the Spanish soldiery. With the
homes of the commentaries their cul'
tivated lands were to be devastated anc
around the towns where they had u
live not a piece Of bread was 10 p'
given to them. In this manner undel
pretext of a military operation, haif {
million people. most of them womer
and children, were condemned to di'
from hunger.
From the date of those DEGREES unit
November. 1896. 10000 people wer
murdered thus in Cuba. Since Novem
Der. as a result II Weyler's
orders. the number has been increase
to 400. 900. What monster in history eve
did so much against humanity ana CIV
ilization2 Nero. Ca,igula. Tam@riant
T~orquemada. Alva. when compared VIII
Weyler. appear mild ard humans !
p~oltroon. beside being an assassin. n
never offered battle to the Cuban q
took the field to light. In his Tim
Spain sent 200. 900 soldiers tn Cuba. II
. kept them inactive guarding the troch
from Mariel TO Mdiara In Pinaf del X
province or from uca TO Moron :
Puerto Principe. At other times frof
; his palace in Havana. following on
D map the imaginary positions OF his en-
! mics. he ordered his column to max
combined movements h a always re
I suited in defeats.
a One instance of the stupidity an