The National tribune., 1903-06-25
THE AMERICAN
SPANISH WAR.
Continued from first pase.)

that this action may have made bad ims
preston upon him, but 1 don't care, be-
cause If can do so, | shall leave the sery-
ice when this war is finished. l have been
left here to receive and send telegrams and
to look after the spy service which | have
established. or. had better say, am estab-
iiShing here, because. until very little
while ago. l was not permitted to do as
pleased We have had bad luck because
| they have captured our two best spies, one
in Washington. who hanged himseif-or
else they did it for hm-nnd the other day
before yesterday in Tampa. The Amer
| leans are showing the most extraordinary
vigilance. / do not wish to remain here
without taking an active part in the war.
and | desire duty in which can take the
| initiative and do something. l shall be ex-
| trernely gratifed to have ship in order TO
run the blockade or a torpedo boat How
| ever. If there is no other remedy, would
go perfectly willingly on board large
| ship. am very sorry that the war finds
| me SO low in rank, for it offers opportuni-
ties for any one who wishes to work and
| to risk himself. | cannot believe that Don
! PasQuale could be in Santiago, as reported
| by the American press. He entered it on
the 18th, and if he had gone Immediately
to Havana he would have met only two
monitors in front of it. | make it out that
/ he entered that place only to coal, and for
the moral effect it would produce in Spain.
Suppose he went out Friday. the 10Th. il
he had gone to the Nor.h and through the
Providence Channel, he would have passed
into Havana right under the noses OF the
Americans, who had only small cruisers;
/ for Schley was ut sea on the night OF
| Thursday, Sampson on that OF Friday,
and on that of Sunday, the 22d, he took
the lower channel for the East. and on
Wednesday turned back toward Havana.
Schley's squadron has been reinforced by
the Iowa. and Simpsons by the Oregon.
| believe that in war one has to tempt for
tune. If it had not been because Sampson
was afraid that Don Pasquale might go to
Havana and that Schley would not be
there, or our confidence is well grounded
that he found himself very short of am
munition after the bombsrdment through
the stealing in the Ordnance Department,
the fact remains that it was logical for
him to remain near Santiago and Cienfu-
egos, and, if he could not prevent the en-
trance of our squadron, to shut it up, and
thus close its campaign, as those people
over there already believe it closed. But
| cannot believe such stupid thing pos
sib,e. l suppose that he went to the South
or Porto Rico, and that he had ordered n
cruiser or two there to cover the Terror
and that he will appear at San Juan the
9th or 2Sth. He VIII coal there and will
rest a day or two and will then return to
delay and annoy them and delay the in
vasion. The Nizcaya and the 0quendo at
least need to go into drydock. l tele-
graphed to Don PasQuale on the morning
Of the Doth when l knew he was in San
tiago, saying that the SQuadr0nS Were at
Key West. He did not answer me. That
afternoon there came another telegram
from Madrid saying he had left Santiago.
continued sending messages to Gen.
Blanco in respect to all movements, and
now, so far as 1 know, Don Pasqusie has
arrived at Porto Rico, where shall try to
| ha chn har
, set out for Martinique or Havana, having
, a hours advantage, he would have ar
. rived before now. l am very much afraid
lest they attack Porto Rico by sea and
|, land and put off the attack on Havana.
They are not going to do more than try to
take the latter, and they think then, if
they destroy our fleet, of taking the war
into Spain with Havana already in their
power. They have no confidence in their
army, but they have in their navy, and
they are afraid Of our army and yellow
fever, because if the men should begin to
die in Cuba there would be a tremendous
row, as they are not like our people. Any
way, we shall see when there is news of
, the fleet. l expect it tomorrow. With
them cleaning their hulls at the Keys. we
should be able to CLEAN something in three
, days at Porto Rico. Each day that passes
, is worse for US on account Of the almost
total lack Of preparation. II the Cadiz
, squadron is to come to lombard Boston,
Portland and Long Island, they can do it
now, but after few months it will be too
late. l think. if we are to have any success
in this matter, it will be through treating
, for peace by yielding Cuba and having
them recognize the debt. If we do not do
this soon. it will be too late and We shall
lose Cuba and Porto Rico and all that this
. war has cost us, and in addition we shall
, be charged with the Cuban debt for which
our Treasury is responsible. There is no
doubt here that we cannot continue this
, war. in which we have nothing to gain,
, and may lose our three colonies and be
ruined for 80 years. In the matter of
money there is no patriotism here. Proof
, is given by the bank which ought to have
bought gold. although al Il premium of 100
per cent, and issued notes against it in the
same or a slightly greater quantity. With
one hundred and fifty millions it has made
thirteen hundred mil ions. This is the mo-
ment of the year at which, instead of re-
turning % or "a per cent, it returns only
f II or l.. As regards its buying gold, ex-
change has gone down. and If in buying
: four hundred millions it issues five hundred
millions, paying six hundred or seven hun
dred, inasmuch as the state subscribeS at
the rate of ; per cent, tn S would repre-
sent 10 the bank an interest of about ) per-
7 cent, and its dividend would have gona
a down very little. The hank is the natl n,
anu WITH llle HIlloH IL HIS SiU"u ny
offering paper money. which it did not
have in its treasury, and by getting inter-
. est on that which it really never had given
out. But. whatever the bank does, no.
body dare object except those who have no
money in their pants if they should call
q for it.
! Il have written to the Minister, but l did
not give him so much news of the fleets rs
to you because. had other things TO speak
of. If you should see him you might give
him some news. We shall see when they
o relieve me and send some one here to work
/ and not amuse himself. 1 can imagine
; your anxiety for Francisco and the rest, an
anxiety that.we share. Their terrible ships
, do not go as fast as ours by perhaps two
, and 4 half miles. AS for the monitors,
they do not count for much: they can be
used only to lombard in smooth sea. and
! besides cannot 90 fast, and carry very lit
tie coal. They have delayed Sampson the
a whole voyage.
MY regards to Raphael and his daugh-
, ters, and you know how much your kns-
man and subordinate loves you.
ramon CARRANZA.
81 should be glad to have you write me
your opinions. You know how much ap-
+ preciate them. If the squadron is in Cuba,
they are going to destroy its wretched for
) tifica ton and sink 4 couple Of steamers in