The record-union., 1898-05-27

NEW YORK, May 26-Tomas Es-
trada Palma, the representative of the
Cuban Republic in New York, has just
received the first copy of Las Villas"
the war bulletin which is published by
authority of General Gomez at the
headquarters of the Cuban army. 1t
contains the official news and move
ments of the army of liberation, and is
an interesting publication. Printed,
of course, in Spanish, it comprises three
columns on two sides of sheet about
1Ox14 inches. The paper has a green
ish tint, the type is set up and printed
at General Gomezs headquarters
under his direction. The first number
under date of May 10, 1898, is desig-
mated as Supplement A" and con-
tains a half column account of the bat
tie of Manila. which conveyed for the
first time to the soldiers of the Cuban
army the facts concerning Rear Ad-
miral Dewey's victory in the Philip
pines. Besides the official notices and
orders issued to the army, the paper
contains q lengthy address issued to
the Cuban army and the people by
General Gomez, in which he says:
Il, Maximo Gomez communicating
chief of the Cuban army, take this op-
portunity through the medium of Las
Villas which hereafter will be pub
lished once each week at the head
quarters of the army of liberation, to
communicate with those of my com
mand and our people.
In view of the adoption of the Con-
stitution of the Republic of Cuba and.
the armed intervention of the United
States in our behalf to aid US in OBJ
tanning our independence, which soon
will be recognized by all the world, 1
desire to make known that hereafter
our soldiers no longer shall be known
as insurgents, but soldiers of the regu-
lar army of the republic.
Il hereby direct that there shall be
issued each week a war bulletin. which
shall be published at the general head
quarters of the army, and shall begin
with this issue on the 10th day of
May, to be known as Las Villas. 1t
will be circulated under the direction
and by the authority of the staff Off
GERS of the army, and in it will be
published all circulars, orders and Off
cial notes of the War Department, as
Well as information which our army
and our people may desire to know
concerning our progress and our allies,
the United States.
Il take this occasion to remind each
Cuban in service that he now has a
country recognized for which he must
fight with all honor and glory. He is
now Cuban soldier and not an in
surgent, and will respect the rules of
civilized warfare. | will order pun
ished any chief officer or private who
fails to respect the rights of our pris-
oners of war, and such prisoners will
be treated with respect to their rank
and according to the rules of civilized
countries and the constitutional army.
Our soldiers will conduct themselves
in such manner as to gain for them
selves the good offices of our brethren
of the United States, and for this rea-
son it is my wish that the army of
Cuba may exhibit model discipline
/ desire to impress upon you that we
will not continue this war which so
Yaiiantly has been kept up for. the past
three years, with the idea of revenge.
We are fighting for liberty and indepen-
dence, and not for revenge, and II wish
to call your attention to the fact that
the history of the world shows that loss
of blood has always been the price of
liberty
Notwithstanding we must ever re-
member our dead martyrs to the cause
of Cuban freedom, and fight the good
fight, and it will not be long before
every Spanish soldier shall have left our
soil. We have had to contend against
most cruel enemy, one which has
known not honor, and it's methods of
warfare have been most barbarous, and
every act of Spain has shown the thirst
for blood and desire to trample down
and annihilate the people of Cuba. l
do not desire that our army shall en-
ulate their example, but | would prefer
that our methods of war be those of
civilized nations that we may show to
the enemy that those whom they are
fighting are more honora BILE than them
selves.
In recent proclamation by General
Blanco he made the statement that it
now was the duty of all Spaniards to
die for their honor in the war against
the United States. Spain does not know
the meaning of honor her definition of
the word is nothing but cruelty. Span
ish soldiers have never been known to
oAC AoA AloIAOI cACGpC Nutii lnCS were
opposed as ten to one. Their idea of
honor has been to assassinate defense
less women and children, whose pro-
tecto~s are now fighting for freedom In
our own army. Their idea of honor has
been to rob, to plunder. They die for
honor, drinking, gambling and commit
ting crimes against humanity and
society, but now they will die before
American and Cuban arms.
/ take this opportunity to speak thus
to our people and our army that they
may be encouraged. and know that we
now have noble allies who will aid us
in our fight for freedom, which long has
been deserved, and which we can now
see will be a reality at no distant day
shall also from time to time ~ Las
Villas communicate with you in the
same manner"