The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-05-26
CLOSE VIEW OF CUBA.
OBSERVATIONS OF A RECENT RESI-
DENT or THE ISLAND.
Mr.. Wiifrid SKATES Description OF spsiu's
soldiers-Farcical Nature OF the spanish
Campaign-The Guerriiias and the Ia

. Cnmpatgu-Ihe Gucrrillas and the HI
surgents-spaniards' ideas of America.
Mr.. Wilfrid Skaife, who has resided
for many years in Cuba, has returned tc
his home III Montreal. having left Ha-
vana ON the last steamer before the
blockade set IN Mr. skate has been
connected, i'll the position of technical
expert, with a large sugar estate operst-
ed by American capitalists and employ
ing over thousand men. in the district
of Santa Clara. He knows the Cubans,
understands the political situation and
is able to throw much light ON the pres,
ent situation in the island. Speaking of
the resistance the Americans are likely
TO meet ON landing, Mr., Skate said:
"What must be understood is that
the Spanish soldier is brave man, who
will stand up and be shot without finch
ing, and who will die in his tracks
without ever asking the wherefore. He
has, moreover, modern weapon in his
hands, but he does not know how TO fire
it. There are still large numbers of
| Spanish soldiers who fire with the
breech of the gun in the hollow of the
arm. The Spanish soldier is not drilled
He sits idle-he has sat idly for years
around the little forts which the Span
ish authorities have built in every place
all over the island which they have &C.
cupied His officers are, for the most
part utterly indifferent as to his condi-
ton as fighting machine. He dawdles
about; he knows nothing of military
science The officers are lazy and in
competent, for the most part, exerting
no initiative, caring for nothing, killing
the time. Then, again, the Spanish
army in Cuba has little or no artillery.
What the Americans will have to face
will be numerous, brave, but undisci-
plined body of men who will simply be
moved down by the machine guns.
They will stand, they will be killed,
but they will be overwhelmed by
small force led by an energetic COM
mander.
"A small body Of cavalry, properly
led, would at any time during the last
three years have swept the insurgents
out Of existence. But the idea of those
who were in supreme control was not
to put the rebellion down, but to keep
it going in order that they might make
fortune out of the business. The Span
ish soldier was ready to fight all the
time. But he was not allowed to move.
or if he moved ut all this was the way
of it: The Spanish got word that there
was band of insurgents in such "a
place. A column of troops, numbering |
perhaps 1000 or 1000, would be put |
III motion There was no provision for |
more than the days march. The insur- |
gents would be reached, they would be |
engaged, they would retire The troops |
would set tire to the hospital-we knew |
what was done with the wounded, but |
we did not say much about it-and then
they would return to the little fort they |
had left. When they were gone, the
insurgents would reappear in the same
place Understand, this was all on foot
Had there ut any time during the past
three years been strong cavalry force,
well led, it would have only been neces-
sary to say TO the officer in command,
Bring in Gomez, and Gomez would
have been brought in. The whole bust
ness was simply farcical.
The country, as l have said, was
studded with little forts, and into these
forts were put small garrisons, and here
the troops remained and nothing was
done. OF course there were always the
guerrillas. and they were the choicest
scoundrels on the top of the earth. The
guerrillas are composed of negroes Gu
bans and natives of the Canary islands
They are the scum of Cuba. Under the
direction of the Spaniards they were
formed into rowing bands TO cut off the
insurgents and generally to ravage the
country. The latter part of their duty
they carried out in the most effectual
They have simply galloped
about, numbering all they could meet
with. They set fire to the houses of in.
nocent people. They murdered the limo
cent people themselves if they made the
least resistance. They ravaged the coun-
try.
"At the same time there is little to |
choose between the insurgents and the
guerrillas. The former blow up trains,
set fire to tobacco and sugar plantations,
use dynamite which had been sent by
the junta in New York for the most
purposes Indeed, upon the
estate with which / was connected
1t was found necessary to organize a
regiment of soldiers to protect alike the
property and the men from the violence
of the insurgents 1t was favorite pas
time of the latter to come upon peace.
able Cinnamon working upon the estates
and murder them. They cut the heads
of ten Cinnamon in this manner TO my
OWN knowledge This was done to make
'he situation appear desperate-to prove
hat SO long as the Spaniards remained q
N power there would be nothing but 4,
upon the island AS for the
Jubans themselves Mr. Skate said that
hey almost to a man sympathize with
he insurgents, Of whom, at the present
not more than 5, 900 could take
'he field THE Cubans are a peaceable
people, Woodworking, Industrious They
lcsire to be allowed To live i'm peace.