Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-07-22
Daily, One Year $500, in Advance
Daily, -Four Months 81 90. in Advance
Weekly, One Year S1.oo, I'm Advance
THE SITUATION IN CUBA.


whatever bitter fate the times hay
in store for her, the plight In whicI
she finds herself would be indeet
pitiable. With her treasury empty
and her credit at the point of extinc
tion; with two of her fleets sunk ant
the other, forlorn hope, doomed u
absolutely certain destruction anC
wandering aimlessly back and fortl
through the Suez canal; with hel
armies In Cuba, Porto Rico and th,
Philippines cut off from succor
doomed to sure defeat and capture
with the home government totteriDG
over the volcano Of revolution, unable
to make war, but afraid ito make
peace; she is suffering some measure
of retribution for the crimes she has
committed.
The position of the Spanish army
in Cuba becomes more desperate with
every passing day. They can receive
no supplies of ammunition or of food.
An effective blockade by land and
sea leaves them no alternative but to
surrender or starve. They no not
hold.enough.land to raise food for their
own needs. aud any crops they might
put In away from their Notifications,
would be destroyed by the the Cubans.
Cuba has never raised her own bread
but has depended on flour from this
country. No grain was ever raised or
wheat ground on the island. With
starvation as the imminent result OF
inactivity, with no means of retreat,
the Spanish army grows weaker every
day, while their old enemies, the
Cubans, are bei,g constantly
strengthened by supplies Of food,
arms and ammunition from the
United States, So 1t seems that the
Spanish cause 10 Cuba is hopeless,
even with no offensive operations on
our part, except close blockade.
Yet the army and especially Blanco,
opposes any thought Of peace and
adheres with fanatical zeal TO a de-
termination to fight TO the bitter end.
WHAT they expect to accomplish
passes the comprehension Of an Anglo
Saxon. We may admire their courage
but cannot, by any possible:charity,t find
an excuse for their lack OF Judgment.
Perhaps, however, a partial explains
tion of Blanco's unreasoning tenaclty
may ,be found Ia tue rumors of
the fate that awaits Admiral MOntejo,
for surrenderiug to Dewey after his
ships were sunk aud his land batteries
sllenced. He is TO he court martialed
aud shot on his return To Spain. And
1t Is said that Admiral Cervera ex-
poets TO meet the same treatment.
Nothing could more clearly demon
strate the benlghted barbarlsm of tre
Spanish nation.
Further IL is more than probable
that the rank aud file OF the Spanish
armies are kept In the same state OF
dense ignorance as are the common
people of Spain; that they believe
that IL they surrender TO our troops
they would be mercllessly butche'edi
wonldreceive thekame treat~ent that
they themselves have heen In the hab-
st of according tc The Cubans. They
undoubtedly are made TO believe that
they mS5 as well starye or die fight
ing as TO surrender and he shot down
afterward. 1t is said that the vol.
unteers in the Spanish army are more
desperately determined 10 fight Till
the last than are the regulars; that
the making OF peace would be giving
the Cubans license TO visit On their
heads fearful retrlbutlon for their
crimes, There would be much
reason In this II they we're
to be left at the Cuban's mercy,
for the volunteers have conducted
themselves toward the Cuban people
even more like bloodthIrsty iends
incarnate than the regulars. They
have taken particular delight In cold
blooded bntcherles OF helpless prison
ers. women and children; and Il would
be asking too much OF human nature
toexpect the Cubans 10 forego an op
portunity 10 mete out to the lnhuman
deYils something OF the treatment
that they haye given 10 the Cubans.
Even the deYout Christian may recog-
nlze the fact that a fearful retTibu-
tion Is due for the monstrous ia.
EQUITIES OF Spanish rule in Cuba. aud
that there might be justice IN the AL.
mighty uslng the Cubans as an in-