The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-25
TAKING OF HAVANA
WILL BE A PICNIC
Large Majority Of Its Population Is Hos.
tile 10 Spain.
REAL CONDITION IN CUBAN CAPITAL
Gen. BIanco Not Supported by the
Spirit That Resisted the British In
I762-.Eiements Anxious for Ameri-
Gun success.-1he Hollowness OF
Recent Patriotic Demonstrations.

ture of Havana by an American army
acting in combination with an Ameri-
can fleet is comparatively easy task
from military point of view. Descrip-
tions have already been printed of the
weakness of the old-style fortif1cations
of the seaport and of it's i'll placed bat
teries, If, according to modern mill
tary science, the defence is more for
midable than the attack, this rule is
not applicable to Havana, AS a mill
tary factor Havana belongs still to the
eighteenth century. In 1852 she could
oppose a gallant resistance to Lord
Albemarle's wooden vessels and his 49,
600 troops. In 1893 she has no resources
to resist an American squadron of bat
tleships, monitors and cruisers and an
army of 100000 American soldiers
But other very important reasons
exist for believing that Havana will
quickly surrender in this war. Now,
as in ancient times, the degree of re-
sistance which a city can oppose to
foreign attack depends entirely on the
character, patriotism ard unity of the
population inside its gates. The guns
and the forts are nothing without the
men, and the men that manage the
guns and garrison the forts must be
backed by the enthusiasm and deter
mination of all the inhabitants.
IN YEARS GONE BY.
Such was the case in 1862, when HaV-
ana resisted during two months the
British; and the heroic death OF Don
Luis de ValaZco the governor OF Norro
castle. commanded the respect of even
the enemy. a day of suspension ol
hostilities was accorded by the English
sol, ~ h1n
been buried. and military honOrS were
paid to it by both armies. Havana was
then really the ever faithful city
as the Spanish king named it in reward
for it's uncompromising royalty. Men,
womcr. children stood until the last for
the flag Of Spain. Even after the
Spanish guns had ben silenced and the
CITY had been taken by force, they did
not Weld to the invader Neither threats
nor maCnanimitv could ahate their
Spanish spirit Cuban bands on the
outskirts of the city waged a savage
Guerrilla warfare on the British. The
neighboring town of Guanahacoa never
Welded to the enemy. Pepe Antonio
q countryman, led a band of guerrillas
around that town and wrought havoc
among the troops of Lord Alhemarle'
The British soldiers were poisoned by
the people. When the Cuhans coula
fight no more they resorted to assassin.
alton, The unconQuerable hostility OIL
the people was one of the first reasons
that finally compelled England, in 1865
ia turn Cuba over to the Spanish king
again in exchange for Florida
QUITE DIFFERENT NOW.
Now all the conditions are quite the
20 CT
sessions in South America she began tC
rule Cuba with an iron hand. The brave
and loval Cuban militia that fought SO
heroically against the foreign lnVau-
ers were gradually dispersed. Spanish
soldiers and Spanish officers took their
place. Early in this century Cuba be-
gan to long for freedom. The old love
for Spain turned to deep hatred for the
mother country. The Spaniard was nc
more considered by the Cuban as q
countryman, but as an enemy The
captains general represented Thereafter
oppression, wrong, and injustice. Cubar
martyrs were beheaded, garrOted, oi
sent to the gallows. After long series
of conspiracies Lopez raised. in 1880
for the first time the lone star flag, in
vaded the island twice. and finally was
overpowered, caught and executed IT
Havana. Since then war between Cuba
and Spain has gone on, The reNolu'
ton of 1868 lasted ten years. After the
truce Of Zanjon the Cuban flag wa:
lowered only temporarily. 1t was raised
up again in 1895, never to be conquered
by the Spanish troops. Not single
Cuban, no matter how peaceable ht
may be by temperament. can be called
n friend of Spain since the death o
Narciso Lopez All Cuhans hate thu
Spanish rule. and they all admire ant
love the United states.
BLANCO Is SAD.
A few days ago. when news of the
message of President Mckinley wa!
received in Havana, the Cuban non
combatant population began its exodus
to the United States. Captain Genera
Blanco uttered then with deep emotion
these graphic words to a member o
his cabinet:
1T is a bitter lesson for us. Wha
can We expect from a people that OF
the eve of a war with the foreigner fle,
TO the very land of the enemy?'
And he was right. a large majorit,
of the population of Havana is nov
hostile to Spain, in spite of the public
demonstrations of patriotism mad
llltIt uuIluS the ldSt leW Gays. IN
10000 or 10000 Spanish volunteers, gro
GERS and retail merchants, nearly all o
them single men and young, who wen
to Cuba as emigrants, lead those patri
otic parades and the rest follow them
not out of enthusiasm, but from fea
of being suspected as enemies Of Spail
and assassinated or put into prison.
THE AUTONOMISTS.
The small group of Cubans called Au
tonomists are among this class. TIL
failure Of the last Cuban revolution
from 1863 to 1878, and the constant poi
icy Of nOn-interference and c. enforce
ment of neutrality laws. followed 70
SO many years by the Washington ad
ministrations. convinced them that i
was folly to believe that the patriot
would ever win alone against the su
pcrior Spanish power or that the Unite,
States would ever lend a helping han,
10 them. They tried To obtain by peace
ful means what the patriots dcmande,
by force. Relieving also that their as
pirations could not be realized, they hav
accepted everything offered to them
no matter how meagre or farcical. Ru
that they are haters of Spain, ard tina
they do not inspire confidence even 4
the most liberal Spaniards, is in Cub
a well-known fact. All their prO
Spanish demonstrations they have ex
aggerated in order to win confdenc
which they do not deserve. Traitor