The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-05-29

SucCeSSluIly TeSlStcQ INC IOrCeS OIL spain,
100000 strong. They have maintained their
food supply, scarce as that has been at
times, obtained clothing, though too scanty
for comfort, and partially supplied their
men with arms and ammunition, at what
cost all of America knows. A U. S. SEN
ator said that every rifle had cost them
5000, and millions have been spent by our
government in coast patrol, to keep sup
plies from reaching them at any cost.
Your paper of May 18th furnishes this:
May 14th, 1896, 400 Spaniards were killed
by the forces of Gen. Gomez.
NOV. 18th Gen. Maceo with 1900 men de-
feated $500 Spanish troops near Santa
Clara.
Dec. 23d Gen. Gomez with 1000 men met
and repulsed Gen. Campos with 10000
troops.
april 18th, 1896, Gen. Maceo crossed the
trocha with 5000 men, and drove back the
Spaniards.
''July 9th-11th, Gen. Gomez wins the bat
tie Of Najasa, after 50 hours continuous
fighting.''
Nor have the results Of more recent en-
gagements given cause for lack of faith in
their ability.
And how have they gained what they
have? Poorly fed, scantily clothed, often
going into battle with single cartridge,
and when that had been fired meeting the
Spanish rifle with only the machete in
their hands.
Where on the face or the earth can you
find a parallel to their struggle for free
dom, and that, too, when their mothers
sisters, wives and children were being
starved to death or suffering an even worse
fate at the hands of Spanish soldiers? His
tory can furnish no example to be conf
pared to this in patriotism or in persecu-
ton.
What have they promised? General
Gomez promises that, armed and supplied
he will drive the Spaniards from Havana
In six months. Vice President Capote says
that General Garcia can gather II 900 troops
at Santiago to protect an American land
ing. Rodriguez, with Is. 900 troops. is ready
to assist in an immediate assault on Ha-
vana. General Gomezs forces can reach
that city In two weeks. An insurgent force
recently waited 10 days at an appointed.
place for an American relief expedition
that never came.
And what has our government promised
the insurgents? More than a month ago
congress directed that all the land and
. naval forces of the nation, if need be, should
be employed to drive the spaniards from
Cuba and Cuban waters. The president of
these United States gave Spain just three
days in which to withdraw her forces from
Cuba. But the Spaniards are still there.
Money has been voted without stint, sold
iers and volunteers gathered, transports
chartered and loaded, the State of Texas,
with the Red Cross workers, has waited for
weeks with supplies for the starving re-
ronrentrados and Stili thew wait and ctiIl
the starving Cubans die, carried out of the
cities by the carloads OF left lying I'M
buried where they fell. From time to time
we are told that the relief expedition will
sail for Cuba in few days, and again and
again one pretext or another is offered for
the delay.
A morning paper says that one regi-
ment of Cuban volunteers has gone. 1t also
contains the report of Senior Castro, who
says that the insurgents are in dire dis
tress, trying to subsist on pepper wood and
palm buds and that famine prevails every
where in Cuba. That is one result of the
peaceful blockade. 1t looks very much as
though our government was going to finish
what the Spaniards began, and sweep the
last of the Cubans from the face of the
earth.
Unless relief reaches the insurgents soon,
1t will be truly an impossiblity for them
to cooperate successfully with our troops,
should they ever be sent. Dead men cannot
fight and starving skeletons can make but
feeble show. Ten thousand revolutionists
have died in the last four months, and of
General Gomezs men only 20 900 are in a
healthy condition
He left his Businesses In the hills. where
his. scattered forces could moro easily OBJ
tain subsistence, and brought them near
Havana to cooperate with the American
forces which our government more than a
month ago promised to send to their re-
lief A month seems little time to us--it
Is much to starving thousands who are
waiting for bread.
Gen. Gomez, in his pitiful plea of May
9TH. asks first, food, then clothing, then
United States troops.
In the name Of God. is 1t not time that
some of the promises made by our govern
mcnt were kept and the Cubans furnished
with the necessities, for the want of which
they are dying?
1t is not the people of this nation who
are at fault. Their hearts bursting
with sympathy, while powerless to give re-
lief. Whether this Is sentiment only, or
sentiment with n purpose, may be judged
by statement made by Gen. Miles, saying
that he had letters and kilograms repre-
senting 600 persons, importunng that
they be enlisted at once for service IN
Cuba. Gen. Alger himself says that
should an emergency call go forth tomor-
row, 1o,000,000 men would respond before
the sun went down. Petitions and pray
Frs without number have been sent to con-
yress and TO the president, urging that