Manawatu Hearald. SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 1898. The Invasion of Cuba.

Manawatu Herald, 11 June 1898, Page 2

Manawatu Hearald. SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 1898. The Invasion of Cuba.

+ Thb Americans appear determined to rush to their own destruction, and have in the face of good advice to the contrary, landed a small force on Cuba, evidently in the near neighbourhood of Santiago de Cuba. Here, so it is related, as unfortum* tely the cablegrams we get are apparently written to order, they were joined by | 3000 insurgents. The other day the i cables told us that Lord Wolaely had advised that any force sent to Cuba must be large and well equiped, and the sending of a handful of 5000 men is how the advice is acted upon 1 The American Press is possibly fc answerable for this grave mistake as • they use rash and excited statements • until the populace insist on their representatives doing that which they must know is utterly foolhardy. To land any force to take the field, in [ any country, due regard is paid to the season of the year, but not so with this American invasion. All [ along the coast of the island the 3 shores are low and fever haunted, , the Yellow Jack playing sad havoc to those who are new to the climate, a . fact well-known from the terrible . losses sustained by the Spanish troops from this dreadful disease and that of ague. There is a watershed running along tho island which at the southeast end rises iuto moun* tainous heights, reaching 8000 feet. Here the climate is healthy and here is where the troops have been . landed. But the question comes as to what good such a handful of men . are going to do at the extreme end of the island in a mountainous district ? There is only the harbour and town of Santiago de Cuba to attack and the prospects of success do not seem hopeful without heavy ■ artillery which, at any rate at pre- ■ sent, they are in no position to get 1 infco position if they had ifc. The • rain falls, every month but the greatest rainfall is in the months of t May, June, and July, which pictures anything but a pleasant time for • raw troops to experience. Then we have the fact heralded as being. a satisfactory one that 8000 insurgents i bave joined the force. Ifc will pro bably be found that these gentry will not stand being placed under control after the time they have pleasantly spent as bandits of the mountains, and they will just as likely take provisions and ammunitions from the invaders as far as they can and then march off to attend to their own concerns. These insurgents are bnt very few, but have proved irrepressible simply from the nature of the country they occupy and from the disinclination of the Spaniards to exterminate them. The very small numbers of insurgents the Americans can expect assistance from, out of the whole population of the island which is computed at over a million I and a half, show how very little interest in the deposition of the Spaniards rule, really exists. Matters do not change quickly in Cuba, and to day it could be written as accurately as it was by Anthony Trollope in 1860 " but no Cuban will himself do anything to bring it about," that is, the transfer of Cuba to the United States. *« To wish is one thing ; to act is another. A man standing behind his counter may feel that his hand is restricted on every side, and his taxes alone unrestricted ; but he must havo other than HispanoCreole blood in hia veins if he do more than stand and feel. Indeed, wishing is too strong a word to be fairly applicable to his state of mind. He would be glad that Cuba should be American ; but he would prefer tbat he himself should lie in a dormant state while tbe dangerous transfer is going on." A small army of men located in a spot where they oan be of little use appears but a

waste of men and money, and it is likely they will be calmly ignored by tha Spanish troops who are using their strength to defend Havana and Ciet;fuegos, and this invasion (!) will be on a par with the late American nav.il tactics. ,

Ths second dance of the season will be held in the Public Hall on Wednesday. In a few weeks time Mr T. Easton will com aence the erection of a new wing to Mr James Robinson's residence. The new advertisement of Mr Loveday's stock, to which we referred in our last issu3, will be found to-day on the first page. Mc T. Easton haa finished Mr W. Barber's new house, and Mr Jenks has painted it. Mr Faston is now finishing the new School room for All Saints Churoh and has so far advanced with it that the building shows what a convenient place it will be. Mr Andrew Jonson is assisting him. Some day when our Borough Councillors have a few minutes to spare to matters affecting the welfare of the town but which is not immediately under their control, they may, perhaps, be induced to make their voice heard as to the urgent necessity there is for a shed on the wharf where the steamers discharge their general cargo. The Ranger had notice to pound stock off all roads, day and night. He was also recommended to travel on all roads. If he did he would certainly increase his fees. The ordinary meeting of the Borough Council last Monday was a very protracted one, lasting, including " smoke ohs " till midnight. This probably led to the resolution of Cr Fraser's being so summarily disposed of, and accounted for his letter in these columns in our last issue. The question *Was one deserving of more consideration than it got, as the flax drays are remarkably hard upon our roads. Everyone is entitled to the use of the roads, though everyone does not pay for making them, and a just adjustment of the bm\len between all parties is only what is fair. " A rogue of a husband," was the designation given by a member of the Benevolent Trustees yesterday, referring to the case of a hard working little woman whose husband leaves her to support herself and five children, says the Post. It is astonishwhat a number of " rogues of husbands " there are brought to light at meetings of the Benevolent Trustees, and the only pity is that tbey cannot be exposed to the public in their true colours. A large proportion of the cases that come before the Trustees each week would never be there at all but for " rogues of husbands " — too contemptible many of them are for anything but a sound horse-whipping. The proportion of cases of pure misfortune are not very large. Among the passengers by the R.M.S. Mariposa, which arrived at Auckland on Wednesday from San Francisco was Detective Maddern, in charge of Dr Orpen, who disappeared from tbat city some months ago, and has since been arrested at San Francisco, and extradited on a charge of being concerned in the death of a woman at Auckland through an unlawful operation. It is understood that arrangements had made at a private house, not one hundred miles from Marton, on Wednesday afternoon, 6ays the Advocate, for celebrating the marriage of a young couple. The wedding breakfast was laid out and the guests invited had assembled, but some time had elapsed before it became known that the bridegroom was missing. He did not put in an appearance. In fact, being met on the road, reminded that it was his wedding day and asked whether it was his intention of being present, he replied : " Not if I know it." Cabinet finally decided on Thursday that the buildings on the Mount Cook site should not be used as a goal. The Government have decided to give the lessees of the Brunner mines seven days' notice to resume operations, and to inform them that if they do not comply the Crown will exercise its right of reentry. A license has been granted for a new hotel at Mangaweka. We, the Otaki Mail, understand that Mr F. J. Stuckey, of Levin, intends to commence .poultry farming on an extensive scale. In addition to purchasing the entire lot of poultry (principally Brown Leghorns) and plant of the State Farm, this gentleman has been fortunate enough to acquire from Mr E. Hey wood, the famous breeder, of Auckland (who is leaving for the Old Country), seven prize birds, which arrived to order by the last mail. These birds are all of the Buff Cochin breed. Mr Webb, the Government auditor, has finished his examination of the Borough accounts, and has found everything satisfactory. He leaves by this afternoon's train for Wellington.