The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-04-17
THR ATTACK IN CUBA.
Some of the Plans Expected Of
the American Army.
GEN, LEE GIVES HIS OPINION.
Tie says Cavalry. Infantry and Light AZ.
iillery Are All That Are Needed.
Conner and Garcia Are Expect
ed to Help In the War.

The Times from Washington saws:
IL Is expected that the force that win
be used In Cuba will consist Of cavalry,
infantry and light artillery. Heavy ar.
tilery could hardly be used in the wet
season. and besides, il would not be nee.
essary In operations against the Span.
iards. Consul General Lee, IL is under.
stood, advised the use Of these branches
OF the service for the campaign in Cuba.
He Is Of the opinion that the army can
successfully conduct operations in the
island during the wet weather II II has
cavalry and light batteries. Rapid fire
guns and plenty Of them, viii he de.
pended on very largely to do the fight.
ing.
II is reported by all tbservers u the
military methods Of the spaniarls that
their infantry at once forms hollow
square upon the approach Of cavalry.
This military formation has been in
practice for century. The spaniaris
have not learned any other TO repel cav.
airy attacks. Military experts say that
when an army Is 30 formed IL can he
deolimated by rapid fre guns and de.
stroyed II u does not soon break its
formation. The cavalry will bo used to
force the spaniards into position. to get
them at lay, as Il were, and the infantry
and light artillery viii then attack with |
rapidhn guns.
IL IS said that the Spanish forces in |
Cuba are poorly armed. They have a
fairly good rife, the Mauser, but are in.
adequately supplied with ammunition,
and most Of the troops being Young
boys do not know how 10 use their
guns. In rapid fire guns they are very
deficient. Artillery Is their weakest
point and they cannot now supply the
deficiency Even Havana Is defended
by antiquaied cannon, with the excep.
tion OF six new Rrupp guns. which,
however, have been allowed 20 rust on
their carriages, and the artillerists do
not know anything about their use.
At Maianzas they have four guns Of
,he same hnd-heavy 10 and l2.inrh
cannon--but there arc no carriages for
them and they are perfectly useless.
Il Is said there is only one ordnance OF.
hcer Of the army -Oririncau who un.
dersiands the handling Of such guns.
General Lee, it is understood, advised
the war department that a few good reg.
iments would be sufficient for the first
movements in Cuba He relic. very
strongly upon the efficiency of the army
under Generals Gomez and Garria.
which would naturally be our allies in
war. He reports that the rvoiutionist.
have an effective army Of 1000 trcous.
which they could increase 20 lO0. coo AZ
most any time II the arms for them
wero found. Gomez has kept his army
at It's present number hecause IL was too
difficult 70 maintain large army in
that country, after It's repeated deyasta.
tioH, and because 4O,0OO men were
enough to keep mp the war and crush
Spain slowly. On the other hand. the
Smniaris have, he says, not more than
b5, goo to 60,OO0 effective troops. II the
revolutionists were armed and an army
from this country Is landed on the is.
land he thinks the Spanish will have no
chance for successful resistance.
Another element in the war that Gen.
Lee, II Is understood, commented ON. il
that SPANS troops in Cuba are depcnd.
ing upon this country for food supplies.
The island can bo entirely shut on from
food by the action Of the United States
IL is estimated that Havana would suffer
Is much as If It were actually besieged
4 we should prevent our ships from car.
wing anything for the Smniards and
he Spanish ships from securing sun.
plies from our ports. Havana, IL i said
'y all who have studied the condition Of
Ifairs on the island, is absolutely with.
'ut food. II is said, indeed, that mono
II the Spanish armies has any stores in
he city and Havana is worse OF than
my other place. An attacking force
hat merely contents itself with shut.
ing OH the food supply would soon re.
luce them to submission.
IL Is very probable that one Of the
,laus Of the military authorities is 10
make effective allies Of the Cuhans by
'rming them and thus getting good
orcc Of 10000 men against the span.
ards. IL Is said Arrangements arr al.
cady made looking to this end aud in.
uring the immediate and effective ca.
'pcmtion Of the American aud Cuban
orces
The landing on 'ha island would yir.
ually be ON the western end on tho
lorthern coast While this would place
he army at considerable distance
rom the Cuban forces under Gomez. IL
las advantages that more than Offset the
pparont separation OF the allies A
Inion could soon he effected and the rev.
,utionists, freed from any restraint
long the military lines in the east.
would soon sweep ON Havana province
nd unite with the Americans. The
eet would also aid In the junction Of :,
he forces at any place that would bo '
Ixed upon for such union.
Warships Pass ~. Thomas.
Island OF st. Thomas, West Indies.
'pril l6,-The report Is current herr
hat five warships passed this island on
'iiday To the northwari. They me- said (
have been going in westerly direc. =
on