The Portland daily press., 1898-08-08
OFFICIAL CABLEGRAM.
To the General Commanding and thu
Mipietor of War.
(July 10, 1898. J

To the General Commanding and the
Minister of War:
Although confined to my bed by serious
illness and acute pain I am SO much
affected by the sufferings of the troops
that think I should communicate5 with
Your Exoellenoy and the Minister OF War
explaining the real condition OF affairs.
The possessions of the enemy, very near
the squares of our district, show to plain
sight the earth works built up.
Our weakened troops, large proper
ton sick, are not sent to tine hospitals, as
it is necessary to keep them in che
trenches.
Stock is without food or forage.
In the heavy rain storms the rain falls
for twenty hours without stopping, in
the bitches of the trenches: the soldiers
have no shelter, and have nothing to eat
but rice, and cannot change or wash their
clothes
Losses are considerable, chiefs and
officers dead, wounded and sick deprive
our forces of necessary direction in
critical moments.
In these conditions it is impossible to
break through as to attempt it would
diminish our contingent third part by
the men who could not go ana it would
be lessened also by losses which would be
occasioned by the enemy, resulting final
" in sure defeat, without accomplish
ing, as Your Excellency desires, the sal !.
walton of our wasted battalions.
To escape under the protection of the
division from Holguin it is necessary that
they should come and break the enemy's
lines. 1t would take them eight days to
come, and they ought to bring with them
q great quantity of rationS, which they
will not be able to transport.
The solui fatally imposes itself; sur
render is inevitable, and we can only pro-
long the agony. Sacrifice is useless, which
the enemy understands, they perceive our
condition and have we'll established the
investment, thsy will use up our strength
without affecting their own, as was done
yesterday. cannonading US on shore from
such an elevation that we wers unable to
see their batteries, and by sea from the
squadron which has perfect ranges and
bombards the city by sections with
mathematical precision.
Santiago de Cuba is not Corona,
walled city, piece of the territory of the
metropolis, defended hand.to hand by its
children without distinction old men,
women and children, who encouraged,
aided and hazzarded their own lives,
moved by the sacred idea of independence
and with the hope off help they might re-
ceive.
Here is solitude; total emigration of
the population, insular as we'll as penin-
ouA0A ahOaANAAb5 oAO P0UAlo o1liOlAAo "AoA>
rare exceptions.
The clergy only remains. which now
pretends to go out with their flock to
the front. These defenders do not now
begin campaign full of enthusiasm and
energy, but come having struggled three
years against climate, privations and
fatigues. and it presents itself in these
sad conditions when they already have
not vigor of mind or physical force nor
means to regain them.
The ideal is lacking to them, for they
are defending the property of t hose that
abandon 1t in their presence and that
have allied themselves with the American
forces
The Honor of Arms has it's limits, and
I appeal to the Judgment of the govern
ment and the entire nation if their suffer-
ing troops have not upheld it satisfactory
ly many times since the 18th OF May,
when they suffered the first cannonade.,
II it is necessary that some one should
be sacrificed for reasons that am unac-
quainted with, or if there is some. one
needed to assume the responsibility OF
the result, foreseen and announced by me
in different kilograms, offer myself law"
fully at the altar Of my country Tor 1ne
one and for the other, and | will charge
myself with the authority for the act OF
consulting to surrender. for my mouesu
reputation Is of little value while trea6lng
of National interests. LINARES