The San Francisco call., 1898-03-17
Copyrighted, 1sss by James Gordon Bennett.

HAVANA, March 16.-The Spanish merchants of Havana, who few days ago were discussing the advisability of getting up a petition to be submitted to Captain General Blanco, in which would be set forth the hopeless out look for trade and commerce and the future of the island If the desultory warfare of the last three years, with it's accompanying starvation and de- pression, is continued, have experl- enced a sudden change of heart They are now for war with the United States. The attitude is not due to the fires of patriotism. but chiefly to a desire that solution of the dark situation shall be reached speedily, and their belief that war with the United States would mean quick finish. It is argued that though Spain must be humiliated frugal patriots would be recompensed by the establish ment of a stable government and the increased security of life and property.
 This attitude of the merchants is a reflection of the feeling on all sides that an end of some kind must come soon. The general anxiety and dissatisfaction
  States will intervene, in which case even the most loyal here would soon become reconciled to a result which they regard as inevitable and at the same time promising for their inter- ests. The situation on the island IS one of sorrow and desolation, and the busiest men in it are the makers of collins, the diggers of graves and the wan priests who say masses for the dead.
 General Lee, three months after he came to Cuba, wrote report Tor PreS- ident Cleveland in which he said Spain could not uuen the instruction and the insurgents could not expel the Spanish forces from the island, and he thought, therefore, there was nothing to expect but a prolonged struggle, both hopeless and barbarous. He said yesterday that if he had to write that report again to-day he would not change it by dotting an 'i' or crossing a It.
 Representative Smith of Michigan, member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. who, with Representative Cum mings and Senators Thurston and Gall
  ba. said yesterday he was satisfied rom what he had seen that Spain could nev- CT regain her sovereignty over the lS- land. nor could the insurgents win un- aided. More surprising was his asser- rion that many of. the autonomlst oIll- cials whom he met are really III sym pathy with the insurgents, which Iac,' he thinks, causes the indifference mo- ticeable among Spanish officers and soldiers outside of Havana. Messrs. Smith and Cummings, while coming here on a train from Sagua, attracted the attention of the soldiers, who left the car. refusing to ride with Ameri- cans, and said they should be in the cattle car.
 The general feeling. MT. Smith said, was that the only hope for the island was interfence by some strong outside power.
 Secretary General Congosto arrived at the Hotel Ingleterra last evening in great excitement, seeking the British Consul, Alexander Collin, to ascertain what that official knew about the story of England's expressed determination to stand by the United States through thick and thin. Congosto had heard from a source which he believed, ap- parently, was reliable, that the Prince of Wales had said the United States would be perfectly justified in interfer- ing to prevent further bloodshed. and that in so doing it would have the moral support of England, and the aid 1l or6 cho oHya tc show the need of them. It happened that while Congosto was telling this story a man from Washington was de- Scribing the recent visit of Ambassador Pauncefote and the Japanese Minister to the State Department, and the gos- sip following that because of what had been learned regarding the attitude of the United States in relation to the Eastern question England and Japan had agreed to uphold Americans in the anticipated struggle with Spain.
 Consul Collin was highly amused at Congosto's story and told 1t to General Lee.
 Congosto said English flags were fly ing in New York, the bands there were playing English airs and the the dIeTS were pTOQuclnS ENSllSIl pldyS. General Lee, like the British Consul, laughed at the story, not thinking it likely that the Prince of Wales had said anything, or that much weight would be attached to it if he did. The source of the story was not disclosed by Congosto
 I am in position to state that the insurgent leaders have again demon strated their superior knowledge of military strategy and have outwitted their opponents. frustrating the exten- sive movement of troops under General Pando and those operating directly un- der orders of General Blanco, which was intended to crush General Gomez and his allies. General Pando had pre- pared combined operations against Gomez, to be inaugurated on March 10. Three columns were to attack him sim ultaneously, Jiminez Castellanos from Puerto Principe. Pando from Santa Cruz del Sur. and Salcedo from the Ju- caro Trocha. Knowledge of the intend ed attack reached Gomez, who promptly replied with a counter move ment that rendered futile all the Span