Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-16

no uncommon sight to see soldiers beg
ging ON the streets, as they have not
received cent OF pay in six months.
The mounted police OF Habana are
very much in evidence. They are
DISTINGUISHED by suits of dark
blue denim, with crimson bands
around the hats and down the trousers
legs. They generally hunt in couples"
so to say-two at every street crossing,
at the door of every public house, at
frequent intervals around the plaza.
patrolnng every nook and corner
around the city. 1t is they who de-
mand who goes there" as you pass
Along the streets, and who insist upon
examining all questionable Choking
packages and bundles. They do much
of the spying. too, which leads to ar
rests and deportatons, and the specta-
Gle of blue denim soldier on horse
back peering into a window or listen
ing at keyhole is quite too frequent
for safety.
The Spanish classes In Havana be-
lieve that war with the United States
Is imminent and are preparing for it.
Notwithstanding their excessive polite
ness. they would enjoy tearing Ameri-
cans limb from limb. but are temporar-
lily held in check by the authorities,
whom they trust implicitly. Prema-
ture indulgence In anti-American DEM
constructions would be bad policy In
deed; but what the army and the pop
ulace would do. in the first wild par
oxysms OF rage. in case war Is de-
clarcd and the restraint removed, can
only be guessed by remembering what
enraged Spaniards have done in the
past. The national character has not
changed much since Cortez toasted the
feet of his prisoner of war-Guatomot-
Gin, and Plzarro strangled the last OF
the 1ncas. and the pious Conhquista-
dores Of the West indies amused them
selves by seeing their dogs tear de-
fenseless Indians in pieces. The Gu
ban planters In remote places-each of
whom has been compelled to feed and
pay hundred or more Spanish SOL
dlers for alleged protection" expect
that If worse comes to worst. these
suited and tyranized over them for
three long years. will celebrate their
retreat by burning the place II not
numbering the proprietor. About as
little is known In Havana of the move
ments of the insurgent army as of the
doings in the United States, Suppose
Congress were to declare war early In
April; Gomez. whose headquarters are
now in Santa Clara province. would
learn 1t within week; but another
week or ten days would elapse before
all the insurgent camps. scattered over
nine-tenths of the island, would be in
formed. Meanwhile Spain would have
plenty of time to recruit her gaVisoned
towns and the mobs to have their way
in the cities. For some time past Co.
mez has been disposing his men SO as
to take the earliest possible advantage
of any action of the United States in
Cuba's favor. There is a 200 miles
stretch of barren country between
Santa Clara province and Habana. in
which no army could find subsistence:
Gomez is no mean general. He moves
'ssmoo cup lu5Li oul usuM ~ ssoIo
o. paIpdsLd eau s,u5SInsuI 9Vl ana
his men like the pawns on checker
board, after careful elaboration. For
weeks he has been moving small de-
tachments toward Habana, and thous-
ands of them are already safely
slowed away in the mountains within
co miles Of US. They are now strong
enough to forage on the zones of cult
walton close to the fortified towns, and
are SO numerous that the Spaniards
dare not risk an stack. The Weyler
| trocha to tine west Of the cepital Is
| practically abandoned. and the rebels
| in the province OF Pinar del Rio will
have no trouble in crossing 1t. They
could easily make a junction with the
forces in the east inside of week.
From any housetop in Habana. one
may see insurgent campfires In the
nearby hills and their frequent raids
upon railway trains and small bodies
of Spanish soldiers speak well for their
courage. FANNIE Is WAhD.