Show THE WAR IN CUBA cubans have the best of the situation Situ aion alon death and disease have reduced the spanish forces until the insurgents have a borce equal in Fight lne strength to the troops or blanco new york nov 16 A dispatch to the world fromi rom Havana says gen blanco has entered upon an almost hope IesH task the present cabin catian situation ie is such uial that it seems impossible to effect the reforms and accomplish com with suavity what the greatest army in the history of the colonial wara wars has failed to accomplish spain s present policy Is announced to bo be one of ot combined conciliation arl force it appear appears to toe be as some spanish journals have called it lt a suicidal policy the peculiar pecullar and not generally understood conditions ot of bo the cuban et ruggle now make any conciliatory move a direct play into ane bands hands ot of the insurgents ini urgent this is particularly true of the proclamation of november letb which commands civil and military authorities to aid in protecting the edgar sugar properties in grinding cane to adequately protect the sugar estates likely to operate general blanco will have to practically close the operations against the insurgents lie ile baa has not enough men to do both things most of the plantations were worked last year for short periods all paid their guards and most ot of them paid the cubans as well those planters ers who did not tribute were forced to double or treble their guards only about 20 per cent ol 01 the sugar a plantations of cuba that operated two years ago have in au a chinery modern enough or cana cane in good enough condition to warrant grinding at the present sugar gen bianco blanco will have to furril burnich fur nich eb estimated moderately at least 12 menor mentor guards to each of forty four plantations these soldiers must come from forsee forles now operating against the insurgents it is not likely that gen bianco blanco has forgotten the lesson of the invasion and will take the regular troops I 1 from t ard duty in the towns to allow vo teer garrisons garr isona the opportunity of surrendering to the enemy the laree large number of cubans forced by hunger bunger into volunteer uniforms makes each such surrendering more probable now than before more than half of the rural population has disappeared having been murdered by weyler and bis his supporters the same men are much noro more directly accountable for or the inhuman manner ia in which their splendidly brave soldiers have been underfed under ted and for As nearly as can be conservatively computed from official figures little more than half uro are left alive and what ut of the peasant lads lade spain sent to cuba the spares figures are died in hospital hospitals killed and died on an the field geld sent hack back to spain as inutile how dow in hospitals total of this enormous number it is improbable probable m thai that more than met death or disability from coban bullets even during the real fighting ot of the invasion and the a six r thereafter general macco estimated that more 4 than spanish soldiers had bad fallen in battle that was in august IM 1896 since then very little fighting baa has been done 1 it if gen blanco follows up bis his proclamation and guards sugar making this year he will not have lave more than men available tor for service against the ansur bonts of tile troops at bis his corn com mahd are guarding towns about the same dumber number are looking after railroads and trochee these cannot very well be drawn upon or the well urbanized zed rebels of cuba can awood down in a il second invasion and thy ra railroads it r oa d owl will ai again be torn up t the best beet inform informed ed cubans admit that disease ani an starvation stai have reduced the rebel army of able bodied men I 1 from frow to the real figure probably is nearer sull stilt these are ro more than beneral B canua anco will bavo to sand against them and they are vastly better armad and have fifty time sinora experience than when they uie baffled tho thi successive efforts eff oita oits of 1 1 with twice tint number oft Verr taking one ond province fit rf amu t a 4 t vaa |