The Portland daily press., 1898-04-07
WOULD FIGHT US TOO.
Cuban Juuta Wants No Interference By
Americans.

New York, April 6. The Cuban Junta
through its counsel Horatio S. Rubens,
made most important statement today.
1t declared in the most unequivocal Ian
guage that the Cuban army would reject
absolutely intervention by the United
States unless it should be accompanied by
a recognition Eof the independence OF the
Cuban republic.
If the United States persisted in inter-
vention without recognizing Cuban indie
pendence the Cuban government ana
military forces would refuse to cooperate,
and if United States troops should be sent
to Cuba upon the basis of intervention
without recognition, the Cuban army
would in the last resort turn Its arms
against the United States.
Mr.. Rubens said the declaration was
official.
After quoting from the address to the
people of the United States issued by Mr..
Palma, on March 18th, Mr.. Rubens says:
''Ip the face of the present proposal of
intervention without previous recognition
it is necessary for us to go step further
and say that we must and will regard
such Intervention as nothing less than
declaration of war by the United States
against the Cuban revolutionists. II in
teyention shall take place on that b isis
and the United States shall land an
armed force on Cuban soil, we shall treat
that force as an enemy.
IT do not mean to say that the Cuban
army will assemble on the coast to resist
the landing of federal troops, but that it
will remain in the interior refusing to 90.
operate, declining to acknowledge any
American authority, ignoring and reject
ing the Intervention to every possible ex-
tent. Should the United States troops
succeed in expelling the Spanish; should
the United States declare protsotorate
over the island, however, provisional or
tentative, seek to extend it's authority
over the government of Cuba and the
army of liberation, we would resist with
force of arms as bitterly and tenaciously
as we have fought the armies of Spain.
sit was l who. yesterday, from the
most trustworthy private sources of in
formation conveyed to the newspaper re-
porters the forecast OF the bur1en OF the
Presidents message-intervention with
out recognition of independence. The
forecast has been confirmed by subse
uuent public adviceS, and the accuracy of
any information in this particular should
give authority to the information, even
more important which l am now to
divulge. 1t has been in my possession for
.. L
my duty as an American citizen on the
one hand. and, on the other, as the legal
representative of the Cuban Junta; but
regard the time as now arrived when |
must make these facts known: have 1T
from a Spanish authority high in fnan-
cial circles that the whole course now
proposed by the President is In pursuance
of an understanding between Washington
and Madrid, the object of which is to
secure peace in Cuba through Cuban
acceptance of Spanish autonomy, without
the shedding of drop of American blood
or the expenditure of another dollar OF
American money.
sit has been agreed between Spain and
the United States that this government,
while declaring for intervention, shall re-
fuse to recognize the independence OF
Cubn. 1t is mutually hoped by the two
governments that the Cuhans will then
become convinced that the object Tor
W hich they have been fighting all these
raars-i dependence-cannot be obtained
q Id that they will accept per force. first
"a arInistice and, eventually autonomy
under the Spanish flag. A part Of the
programme is that Congress shall en-
power the President to intervene, but
shall not direct him to do so. The object
Of this will be to gain ample time IN
which to pursuade the Cubans to treat
directly with Spain. assert again that
this information is trustworthy. and 1t
explains what has seemed inexplioable-
the optimistic tone still observable among
no prominent officials is both at Wash
1 lgton and Madrid, despite the strong
sentiment for forcible intervention pre-
vaiIing both throughout the nation and
in Congress. Incidentally, also. it &C.
counts for tine tone of the stock market
both here and abroad, and the apparent
firmness of Spanish securities.
1.-THE Cubans are already fairly in.
formed of this entente. between the
Spanish and United States governments,
open rupture; and l speak with full au-
thority in saying that the Cubans in the
field can be relied upon to resist all over
lures for peace unaccompan1ed by COM
plete independence.
MIR. RUBENS TRIMS.
New York, April 16.-This evening
Mr.. Horatio S. Rubens, counsel to the
Cuban iunta, supplemented his lutheran
ces of this afternoon with this written
statement, over his sig nature:
1.-THE statement appearing over my
name In the evening papers was based on
the indications appearing that the OBJ
jeot Of the United States in refusing to
recognize the independence of Cuba
was to annex the island to the United
States. 1t was in view Of this fact that
L
ban army to resist. We would, of course,
welcome the American army to aid us in
achieving our independence.
GOMEZ CROSSES TROCHA.
Havana, via Key West, Fla, April g.
News was received here late Monday
night from reliable source that Gen.
Calixto Garcia, after desuluory fighting
with Gen. Pando and with 5000 men, had
reached the Mouron-J ucaro trocha.
Many of his men are cavalry. 1t is be-
lisved that by thisitime Gen. Garcia has
crossed the trocha in the vicinity of the
plantation San Nicolas, and been joined
by Gen. Maxine Gomez, and that the
combined forces. making fully 40OU men,
are now en- route for the provinces Of Ma
tan2as and Havana on the long threat
ened raid for which arrangements we're
made by the mission from Gen. Gomez
sent westward prior to the conference in
which the autonomists sought to induce
Gen. Garcia and other insurgent lead
ers to surrender.
GEN. HOOKER'S HOUSE BURNED.
Springfield. Mass, April 6.-The house
xx,l,o,a ffEfiOhtipO ToaD HoOkar vpas horr