The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-17

HAVANA'S PEOPLE FOR US.
The Taking of the City Com p aratively
Easy Task.
(New York Sun

There can be little doubt that the cap
ture of Havana by IN American army
acting in combination with an American
fleet is a comparatively easy task from a
military point of view. Descriptions have
already been printed of the weakness of
the old-style Notifications of that seaport
and of its ill-placed batteries. If, accord
ing to modern military science the de-.
fence is more formidable than the attack,
this rule is not applicable 20 Havana. AS
a military factor Havana belongs still to
the eighteenth century. In 1862 she could
oppose gallant resistance to Lord Alder
marle's wooden vessels and his $4,000
English troops. In 1898 she has no re.
sources to resist an American squadron of
battleships, monitors and cruisers and an
army of 100, 900 American soldiers.
But other very important reasons exist
for believing that Havana will quickly
surrender in this war. Now, as in an
Gent times the degree of resistance
which city can oppose to foreign at
tack depends entirely on the character,
patriotism and 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 enthusi-
asm and determination of all the inhabi.
tants.
Such was the case in 1862, when Ha-
vana resisted during two months the
British; ana the heroic death of Don
Luis de Velazco, the governor of Moro
castle, commanded the respect of even the
enemy. A day of suspension of hostilities
was accorded by the English until the
body of that brave soldier had been
buried, and military honors were paid to
it by both armies. Havana was then
really the 'sever faithful city, as the
Spanish king named it in reward for it's
uncompromising loyalty. Men, women,
children stood until the last for the flag
of Spain. Even after the Spanish guns
had been silenced and the city bad been
taken by force, they did not yield to the
invader. Neither threats nor magnanim-
ity could abate their Spanish spirits.
Cuban bands on the outskirts of the city
waged savage guerrilla warfare on the
British. The neighboring town of Guam
abacoa never yielded to the enemy.
Pope Antonio. a countryman, led %
band of guerrillas around that town and
wrought havoc among the troops of
Lord Albermarle. The British soldiers
were poisoned by the people. When the
Cubans could fight no more they resorted
to assassination. The uncomfortable
hostility of the people was one of the rea-
sons that finally compelled England in
1868. to turn over Cuba to the Snanish
king in exchange for Florida
Now all the conditions are quite the re-
verse. After Spain lost it's vast noss es
sions in South America she began r. 1 r1Io
Cuba with an iron hand. The br ru1e
and loyal Cuban militia that fonght s so
heroically against the foreign inyaio so
were gradually dispersed. Spanish soiIiers
and Spanish officers took their niaces
Early in this century Cuba hegan 'o TO-
long for freedom. The old love fog w. Snai w
turned to deep hatred for the mo fbfr
country. The Spaniard was NO more o coz
sidered by the Cuban as country man
but as an enemy. The CAPTAINS. Sen rai
represented thereafter oppression, Wron@