Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-06
BY WILLIAM o. FULLER.

(copyrghted. 1891. by the Associated Press.
BOSTON, September (P).-Some-
where in the hills above Gibra in the
Province of Oriente. Cuba, are hidden
today 33 Foreign Legionnaires, many
of them said to be Americans and
World War veterans, men, who, Tor four
DAYS, held 5000 Cubans, loyal to Presi-
dent Machado, at bay.
1 was stopping at Holguin, about SO
kilometerS from Gibara on August II.
Just before the Foreign Legicnnaires'
slipped into the mountain-l locked town
aboard frieghter. For some years l
had been employed as a surveyor for
Cuban sugar company. but this year
was spending a Summer vacation with
American friends.
The island had been rife with revolt.
Throughout Cuba, people stood idly at
street corners waiting for guns to be
delivered that they might join the
actively engaged revolutionary forces.
Rumors had spread that the Cuban
gun beat Ell Barre had agreed to join
the revolutionists. On the heels OF
these reports came word that the BalreS
commander had backed out and in
formed the government Of the treachery
aboard his vessel.
Village Is Quiet.
The villages in Orientc were strangely
quiet on the morning of the attack on
Gibara. A manifesto had Just been
issued from Havana to the effect that
the fighting was over and everything
peaceful again.
Then, the storm broke withcut warn
ing. heard that small party OF revo-
lutioniStS was about to land at Glbara
and streaked for the village. From one
of the mountains behind the town
watched the fight
1t was IL o'clock when strange
freight boat appeared in the haroor OF
Gibara. Townspeople noticed the
awkward manipulation Of the craft as
she entered and suspicion was aroused.
number Of persons Hooked TO the
small wharf and one rural guard, there
were only four in the town, went cut to
the end of the dock to investigate.
Sweep Into Town.
The freighter pulled in to the wharf
and five men, in worn American Army
uniforms and steel helmets, jumped to
the wharf, shot the single rural guard
who opposed them, and swept into the
town.
The Foreign Legionnaires" each car
ried an automatic and hand macnlne
gun. The discipline of the rebels was
excellent. One covered the entrance 10
a tunnel through which the railroad
ran into the town, and another COW
cred a mountain pass, the only other
entrance to the little port. The other
three seized the post office, city hall
and telegraph Office, cutting of all COM
munication.
Meanwhile the boat had tied up and
the remainder of the 90 leglonnalreS
entered the town. Gerber Carlo, d.
rector of a Havana weekly, who was
forced to fee that city some months
before, leaped to barrel in the public
SQUARE and sounded a call to arms.
He made a flaming speech that finally
drew 513 men and boys Of the 1000
inhabitants into the rebel forces.
Arms Given Rebels.
Arms of the most modern type were
given the residents. The chief OF police
and his force joined the new rebels. All
went into the hills soon after the Tight
ing began, leaving the 33 in command
of the town. Spanish fortresses that
date back 200 years were Communicated
for gun mounts.
l firmly believe they could have held
on forever if lack of sleep hadn't over
come them. For four days 5000 SOL
diers, loyal to Machado. who had mean
while been ordered to Gibara, ham,
mered at the town. Airplanes few
overhead and dropped bombs One OF
the missiles struck a house in which
IS women and children had taken
refuge, and a woman and four chill
dren were killed.
Attempts were made by the legion
naires to rush armored trains, freight
cars heavily barricaded with steel,
through the tunnel, but the train
slipped off the track and the attempt
failed.
Flee to Mountains.
The sleep-weary 33. their boat having
left the harbor on the appearance OF
q loyal gunboat, took to the hills as
loyal forces flanked them and climbed
down through caverns and hidden
trails. The chief of police and his men
went with the 80 and today are in
hiding somewhere in the Businesses.
The loyal troops shot many rebels.
How many l couldn't say, but the
killed numbered scores.
One man. named Boiling, of Mexican
descent but an American citizen, had
been acting as a doctor with the rebel
troops He was slated to be executed
the day the loyalists took the town
over. An American official interviewed
and he was freed.
The surrounding country was getting
hot for we who had witnessed and at
tempted to send out news of the battle
and, under cover of darkness, I slipped
out of Holguin and shipped as a sea-
man aboard freighter at Antigua
loading sugar, landing today at Boston.