Evening star., 1898-12-15
AMERICAN FORCES IN CUBA.
Why an Army of $4,000 is Deemed
Necessary.

Necessary.
The communication from the Cuban
evacuation commission, consisting of Cen
erals Wade and Butler and Admiral Samp-
son, to AdJutant General Corbin represent
ing that $4,000 troops were needed in Cuba,
is as follows:
AS directed by your cable of the 18th in
stant, ] have the honor to furnish herewith
table showing my recommendations as to
the stations for United States troops with
number and kinds of troops at each on the
evacuation of Spain. The Spanish troops
now occupy fifty 1.-TWO garrsons counting
Havana and other cities as one station
ca b. 1t will be neither practicable nor ad-
VlSaDle to replace all of these garriSonS.
My recommendation is based on holding the
more important cities, seaports and rail
road centers, with sufficient force to oper-
ate in The vicinity and furnish small gar
rlsons al such other points as may become
necessary. This, ( believe, will be the best
disposition to make of our troops when they
arrive. Should this be approved the troops
at each station should be promptly furnish
ed when asked for by the evacuation COM
mission, so as to be at their stations in
time to relieve Spanish garrisons and pre-
vent occupation by insurgent troops con-
centrafed near most of the DESIGNATED
places. l consider the number Of troops
named in the accompanying table as the
smallest that should he in the island, not
including those now in the department of
santiago: In fixing this number l have been
governed by the following considera tions:
cuba is and for long time has been
really a military camp and governed by the
most arbitrary rule. Practically there is
no civil government or authority The
Spanish force consists of about 11S. 900 reg
ularS, 21 600 volunteers on duty and - oOa
volunteers armed but not on duty. The in
Surgents claim to have about 40 OO0 armed
men, making total of 221 900. Probably
the military evacuation by Spain will re-
move about 300 men. leaving considera-
bly,. more than that number who will be or
recently have been under arms to a great
extent living off the country MANY of
these men will. from necessity, If not from
choice, be without employment. Among
these men. well as those who have not
taken part in the late Spanish Cuban war
EXISTS race feuds and political frictions
Many of these people very ignorant;
few understand what Independence and lib
erty mean or have fixed ideas as to what
the future of their country will or should
be. 1t Will require tact and force to har-
monize the conflicting interests and insure
order If a large force occupies the island
as soon as Spain eVacuates it can. under
favorable conditions. be much reduced in
a few months. But it will be very unfor-
tunate to begin with small a force and
be obliged to increase it
The table of proposed stations of United
States troops submitted by Gen. Wade
shows total of $4,000 troops distributed
as follows: Province of Pinar del Rio, 1000:
province of Havana. "a. 900: province of
Matanzas, 10000; province of Santa Clara.
-lo,WD. province OF Puerto Principe 1000:
province of Santiago, 1000.
The towns at which the troops are TO he
stationed, with the numbers are as follows:
Guanojay, 1000 infantry; MarieI, loo in
fantry: Pinar del Rio, 1000 infantry: Ha-
vana, 1900 infantry and 1000 cavalry: Ma
tanzas, 1000 infantry and 1000 cavalry:
Cardenas, 1900 infantry: Cienfuegos, 1000
infantry and 1000 cavalry; Trinidad 1000
infantry: Sagua la Grande, 1,000 infantry:
Santa Clara, 1000 infantry: Piacetos, 1oo0
infantry: Cabarion and Remedies. 1000
infantry; Sancti Spirtus, 1000 infantry:
Nuevitas and Puerto Principe 900 nfan-
try and 1000 cavalry: Manzanilo, LOCO in
fantry
The total shows forty-five regiments of
infantry and five of cavalry. There is also
light artillery. as follows: Havana, four
batteries: MatanZas, two batteries; total
six batteries of 1900 men.