Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1906-08-31
ALL EYES ON
PINAR DEL. RIO
ON ABILITY OF GUERRA TO CAP
TURE DEPENDS OUTCOME.
MANY UNDER LEADERSHIP
Artillerymen, Volunteers and Rural
Guards Constitute the Government
Force in the City Of Pinar Del
Rio.

r8 s.S.+e~At
Havana. Unofficial advices rece1v-
ed from the western part of the prov
ince of Pinar del Rio are to the effect
that the insurgent forces now coneen-
trating west Of San Juan de Martinez
are far more formidable than had been
supposed and also are better supplied
for campaign. A prominent resident of
Havana whose word is beyond ques-
tion and who has just returned from
a three days. visit to San Luis and
San Juan de Martinez, informed the
Associated Press that Pine Guerra S
following in Pinar del Rio now is from
$500 to 1000 men. He said that he
is abundantly sRpplied with every pos
,sible necessity. The behavior of his
forces is excellent.
All the tobacco plantations owned
by Americans and American proper
ties are being placed under the Amer
lean flag and are not molested. He de-
clared that fully a hundred rural
guards had deserted the insurgents
and that practically all Cubans in
western Cuba were sympathizers with
the movement.
A report has been received here
from Santiago that Gen. Jesus Rabi
with 1000 veterans will come to the
Vuelta Abajo to help put down the
insurrection.
The governments extra expenses
since August 10, have been $270,000.
The critics Of the government pri-
vately ridicule the plans of the gov
ernment to bring rapid fire guns to
the island, asserting that the expert,
ences Of the Spaniards with these
guns in Cuba proved their uselessness
in the field. They will be Of value, how
ever, for the country and highways.
The government has bought 1000
horses for the army.
The government cabled to Gen. Rius
Rvere, minister to Central and South
American countries, to return imme-
diately to Cuba.
The reported arrest Of Orets Fer
rera is denied, but 1t is admitted THAT
he is under surveillance.
More troops will be forwarded to
the western districts.
There is grave doubt if the force Of
government troops now at San Juan
de Martinez would be able to with
stand an attack by the forces of Pine
Guerra.
All eyes in Cuba are turned toward
the provincial capital of Pinar del
Rio, for upon the ability of Pinor
Guerra, to capture that city depends
it is believed here, the outcome Of the
insurrection. The occupation by the
insurgents of the towns southwest
ward of Pinar del Rio is considered
to be only preliminary to a movement
on Pinar del Rio. A serious question
is whether the populations of the cap
tured towns and that of the thickly
settled and marvelously rich Vuelta
Abajo tobacco region surrounding
them will join Guerra Is forces. If they
do, the insurgent leader will approach
Pinar del Rio in overwhelming force.
The outcome depends on the loyalty
or disloyalty of the people. 1t is un-
deniable that Guerra is gathering
hundreds Of veterans and others under
his leadership, and it is impossible to
estimate the sincerity Of the people
in Pinar del Rio, who have been look
ed upon as likely to support the gov
ernment. A detachment Of $50 Cuban
artillerymen from Havana have reach
ed Pinar del Rio, where they will CO.
operate with the rural guards and vol
unteers. These artillerymen, however,
can only act as infantry, as they have
not been trained to use field guns. A
hospital corps and other details are
following the artillerymen to Pinar
del Rio in readiness for what is ex-
pected to be short and decisive cam
paign.
The province of Havana is quiet.
Considerable sympathy is develop
ing in Havana for General Gomez
who is commonly believed to be too
broad-minded patriot to mix him
self up in revolutionary schemes. The
government force in the city of Pima.
del Rio consists of $50 artillerymen,
300 volunteers and 200 rural guards.
Reports from thee ountry districts
say that the people generally have
been Influenced by the liberal leaders
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