The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-18
MAY SOON RoUT sPANIARDs.
BlancO's Troops Will Not Stand Long
Before Trained Americans.

MAY SOON ROUT SPANIARDs.
BlancO's Troops Will Not Stand Long
Before Trained Americans
WASHINGTON, June 17.-Army officers
who have been reading the recent news
from Cuba are discussing with great conf
dence the prospect of an early encounter of
the United States troops with those of
spain. The superiority manifested by the
United States marines at Guantanamo in
f1ghting the soldiers of Pando's army con-
firms some opinions that had been formed
upon reports given by General Lee and
other observers of the Spanish soldiers. The
information of the War Department is that
three different classes of fighting men will
be met by the forces of the United States.
The most annoying and the least numerous
are the guerrillas, composed almost ex-
clusively of an outcast class of blacks fit
for prison if they have not just been re-
leased to do duty in the service of the coun-
try that released them. They are not like
ly to give or to look for quarter and may
be expected to be guilty of atrocities to the
dead or to prisoners in battle. They never
hight in bodies, but scatter in the bush and
have some craft of the woods and the trail
Another sort of soldier to be looked for is
the volunteer. He is Cuban attached to
Spain, and he dislikes the insurgents in
tensely and will fight stubbornly but with
out great military skill. These are not
looked for in great numbers at the east of
the island, but in and about Havana they
are numerous and well equipped. They
nave better notions of drill than the regu-
lars, but they are not inclined to get up
early in the morning and fight.
From such information as the army has
the third class, made up of the Spanish
regulars will be the most numerous and the
least to be feared. They have not been well
cared for by Spain, they have no such disci-
pline and drill as the men of the United
States army, they do not know what it is
to march long distances; insufficient food
has reduced their ability for energetic work,
they have no hostility to the Cubans, and
they will fight because they cannot choose
to do otherwise.
Some Of the officers of the army who have
been looking into the conditions of the
United States forces say they will not be
surprised to hear that the subiugation of
the Spaniards in Cuba will turn out to be
very much such task as the army of the
United States undertook in the Mexican
war, when the progress toward the City of
Mexico was scarcely obstructed None of
the Spanish soldiers has ever been in any
thing like battle They have been beset
by small insurgent bands when they could
not avoid them, and they have sometimes
discharged their Mauser rifles into the
brush in the hope that there was something
to hit. The experience of meeting with
armed forces that will not run when at
tackled will be an entire novelty to them.
If five hundred marines could penetrate
five miles into the enemy's country with
such success as was met at Guantanamo,
army men and navy men, too, believe that
the regiments of the army will soon demon
strate their fitness to do UP" the Spaniards
in conflict. To the marines the experience
they have been having was new Not one
in ten of them has ever had anything ex-
cept barrack experience, varied by duty on
board ship in piping times of peace The
infantry and cavalry of the army have had
some fighting experience. They have learned
on the plains some lessons about tackling
foes who skulk and run and who indulge in
ambushes.
For many reasons merely suggested here
army officers look for interesting reports
as soon as General Shafter's men get ashore
and are afforded chance to use their Krag-
Jorgensen rifles. IT, said one of them.
there is any Spanish force to be found in
the open or in the bush our infantrymen
and dismounted cavalry will find and fight
them with good appetite, regardless of the
weather. Only those who have come in con-
tact with the regulars of the plains know
anything about them. Unless Blanco and
Pando have been concealing the good quail
ties of their fighting men and thus have
deceived us to lead us on. it is my opinion
that in the first engagement our troops will
make it plain that i'll an open field or even
protected by works the men of the United
States force will outmatch them. Our men
will prove so superior that we will wonder
very soon why Shafter wanted as many as
1900 troops to capture Santiago and clean
out the east end of the island"