The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-09-08
PEACE OVERTURES ARE
 BLOCKED BY GUERRA
REFUSES TO ENTER INTO ANY ARRANGEMENT FOR AN
 AIMISTICE.

His Answer to the GOvsrnment's An
 nouncement of Its Readiness to Grant
 Ten-Day Armistice is the Blowing
 Up of Two BridGes--In Connection
 With Guerra's Attitude it is NOtice-
 able That Liberals Have Grown More
 Independent.
 Havana, Sept. 7.--All peace overtures are blocked by the refusal of Pino Guerra, the insurgent leader in Pinar del Rio province, to enter into any ar rangement for an armistice. Guerra's answer to the governments announce ment of it's readiness to grant ten-day armistiee is the blowing up of two bridges on the Western railway, the cutting of railway communication be- yond Pnar del Rio city and an attack on San Juan de Martinez. It is believ- ed here tonight that San Juan de Mar tinez is in the hands of the insurgents and that the garrison, containing 100 new recruits fand a small force Q mounted rural guards, has been defeat ed or captured.
 The fact that other leaders of the in- surrection are willing to agree to an armistice can have little effect so long as Guerra is determined to prosecute the war, and there is slight doubt in any quarter that Guerra can control the situation in his region His force is reported by all those who have visited him recently as ranging from 5000 to 1 1, 900 men, all of them well mounted and some of them well and others indiffer- ently armed The government force 1 opposed to him, which is under com mand of Colonel Avalos, comprises about LOGO men. It was reinforced at 1 o'clock this evening by Lieutenant 1 Colonel Clews with 150 men and three machine guns from Havana. Colonel Avalos' force, with the exception of small attachments left at San Juan de Martinez and San Luis, is at Pinar del Rio city, but is without means of trans portation to go to the relief of San Juan de Martinez Not more than 400 of them arc mounted.
 General Menocal said tonight that ] Guerrero had evidently not been in- formed that the government had actu-, ally, although informally granted an armistice, adding that a second com mittee had been sent to him, but could not reach him before tomorrow. The fact is, however, that Guerrera refuses point blank to. accept an armistice ex- cept on condition that the last presi- dental and congressional elections shall be annulled That the government should consent to this Is out of the question, and so tonight every pros pect points to the continuance of the war.
 In connection with Guerrera's atti- tude 1t is noticeable that the liberals have grown more independent. They say that on accountof the governments surveillance and prosecutions they will no longer hold meetings, and that it is useless to consider peace under the circumstances
 All regard the blowing up of an Eng fish company's railroad bridge as se- rious matter, and likely to invite in ternational action by Great Britain, or at least an Interrogation of the govern ment at Washington by Great Britain as to whether the former intends to intervene to end war conditions ill Cuba.
 The conditions in Havana province outside the city, while better than those in Pinar del Rio province, are not en- couraging. Americans who have visit ed the camps of Colonel Guas, near San Antnio de los Ramos, and those of Colonel Asbert, in the southern part of Havana province, have found them to be always peopled by several hundred men. all of them possessed of good horses. but usually indifferently arm ed. Around Guanajay and Artemisa are many rural guards, but all the towns in that region are in wholesome fear of the insurgents.
 The situation in Santa Clara prov ince is worse, particularly in respect of the insurgent strength, although 1t is believed the armistice is respected There have been many assertions from the rural guards to the insurgent side
 Isoynaz del Castillo, who now signs himself general-in-chief of the insur- gents in Havana province, has issued an order to his followers to respect the armistice as proposed.
 Most of the Havana veterans speak with much gravity of the disparity ir numbers of the government troops as compared with the insurgents, and ot the fact that while great many of the ing disciplined forces, the former are latter are veterans and expert in avoid. made up of youths unused to hardships and thus far largely unmounted. It k generally acknowledged that up to the present time the insurreetionists, es. peeially in Pinar del Rio province, art in greater numbers, better equipped armed, mounted and fed than was Maxine Gomez's command in it's best fighting days Government officials full. , ly appreciate the gravity of the situa- ) tion but are still hopeful that the news l of the ten day armistice announced by ' the government to-day will have tho effect, when it reaches the enemy ot : causing a cessation of hostilities unti all concerned shall have obtained ar : actual understanding of the peace pro. s posals.