The Indianapolis journal., 1898-12-01

sergeant and gave him a sound dressing
down for putting such stuff before soldiers.
BLANCO HAD FEW FRIENDS.
He IL Now Accused of Being Respon-
sibIe for Reverses in Cuba.
HAVANA, via Key West, Fla, Nov 80
The circumstances of Marshal Bancos de-
parture. particularly the clandestine nature
of his movements at an early hour this
morning, have furnished occasion for much
gossip and for bitter vituperation, as the
affair throws light upon his methods and
conduct during the entire period Of his
captain gencralship The oft-repeated state
ment that he was not popular among the
Spaniards in Cuba gets confirmation from
the fact that none of his -countrymen
prominent in civil, social or industrial cir
cles men whose loyalty to Spain is above
suspicion, went near him to say farewell.
At the palace and on board the steamer he
was met only by those whose official mill
tary duty it was TO pay tribute of respect
and courtesy to the ex-governor general Of
the island but no personal friends were
present to relieve the gloom and dullness of
his last hours in Cuba. This he appeared
to feel keenly, for he was morose and silent,
showing visible signs of his disappointment
and regret His only outburst of feeling
was when he embraced General Ruberte,
military governor of Cabanas, an old and
trusted friend and brother soldier. While
elasping the younger officer in his arms
Marshal Blanco seemed greatly affected.
The details of his slipping away from the
palace about midnight and going quietly on
board the VilIavcrde without blare of
trumpets and military honors and salutes
usual on such occasions, have already been
cabled to the Associated Press. Now that
he has gone tongues are loosened. He is
openly accused of weakness and lack of
character He is made responsible for the
reYerses of the campaign and the final re-
suit of the war, as the corrupt instrument
of the corrupt and unprincipled few who
rule the destinies of Spain. In support of
such charges it is pointed out that though
he had 10000 men at his disposal he with
held reinforcements from Santiago, and
that, while deceiving people by announce
ments that General Pando had left for the
eastern provinces at the head Of powerful
army, no such movement was even contem-
plated Pando instead leaving secretly for a
tour in Central America, ostensibly on a
diplomatic mission, the exact import of
which has never been actually explained.
Finally, his countrymen make him an
swerable Ior the destruction of Cervera' S
squadron, laying at his door a command
that Admiral Cervera should make q dash
out of Santiago haIbor. Cervera answered
that the loss of the fleet was inevitable and
asked authority to land all his guns, mount
them on the shore batteries, to man them
with marines, to abandon the vessels, to
make brilliant and possibly victorious re-
sistance by land, ana, as last resort if the
Americans took the city, to blow up the YES
sells, thus sparing the lives of officers and
crews, who, if the squadron were sent out,
would go to certain sacrifice. Blanco, il is
asserted, acting on his own authority, an
swered briefly and curtly by reiterating his
order to make a sally. His countrymen
here now wish to make him criminally re-
sponsible for the order that entailed this
tremendous loss of life. All this, of course
is given merely as gossip current in Span
ish circles here.
Last, and by no means least, in this list
of charges is Blanco's recent decree trans
ferTing all cases of prosecutions against
members of the volunteer and irregularly
mobilized forces from military to civil tri-
bunals. This has aroused the ire of the
Spanish population, and can be safely con-
ing of Blanco. BY the decree they claim
that their brothers are handed over for
judgment to their natural enemies, the
Cubans, most of the judges now sitting in
the island courts being Cubans There is
no doubt that this provision may yet give
rise to many serious troubles.
The Official Gazette. of Havana, the gov
ernment organ, to-day publishes the condi-
10, fIo
trail Railway, for whose construction bids
were asked by the Spanish government. Al
though technically correct, and in order as
matter of official routine. the publication
savors of the ludicrous, entailing as 1t does
the gratuitous cession to the concessionaires
OF lands, one-half of which were either ac-
quired by American conquest, as in the
province of Santiago. or occupied by Amer
ican troops after Spanish evacuation. Col.
Clous. secretary of the United States
evacuation commission, had just finished
reading the decree in the Official Gazette
this morning when Colonel Gianta. the
secretary of the Spanish commissioners, ar
rived at the Hotel Trocha lie protested
enorgetically against the publication of any
decree whereby the Spanish government ap-
peared TO cede lands belonging to the United
States Later he addressed an official note
of protest TO the Spanish commissioners
The American Society of the Daughters
of Jesus has taken charge of the unfortu-
nate women and children OF Guanabacoa,
where there has been a mortality of three
to four hundred month for some time
The United States evacuation commission
ers have also appointed two physicians to
report as TO the condition In the Guana-
bacoa cemetery. where the beggars and
paupers have been buried sometimes at the
rate of twelve or fourteen in the same
grave and then left uncovered as a prey to
buzzards. The close proximity of Guiana
bacoa TO Havana makes these conditions
all the more alarming
WILL BE BROUGHT HOME.