The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 1898. THE FIGHTING IN CUBA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 148, 25 June 1898, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 1898. THE FIGHTING IN CUBA.

For tlio caußO that Ir.ckf. ansistanco, For tha v/rant; that needs rcsiataaco, For tho futuro ir. tho distance, And tho seed that —o cr-ii do.

While Ihe landing of (leneral Shaffer's. I'uree mi the shores of Cuba may not herald ihe decision of the 'war on a military instead of on a naval basis it will, for tin- lime being' at least, Inin.sfer Ihe interest of onlookers in ihe simple from the sea v. the laud. Front Ihe poinl of view of a men- onlooker—that is the spectacular point, of view the war as carried on by the two navies has been rather a tedious all.iii. With the exception of tlie destruction of the Spanish squadron by Admiral "Dewey at Manila, of which we think the Americans have made a great deal too much, Ihe operations of Ihe two Powers have been singularly wantingin any element of brilliancy. Of course the policy pursued by tlie Spaniards ol avoiding tlie ono my bus been one important cause of the uneventful character <>l Ihe campaign; but, another cause was undoubtedly the w.p re pa redness of the Americans, -•.viclenllytho lal ti.r are almost as tired a.s we are of Ihe long delay thai has occurred in coming- to a decisive meeting with the enemy. The Fabian policy pursued by Spain which is daily augmenting the sum of her national bankruptcy, must. _ils.o tell on the healthy treasury of the I'nited States: but much more detrimental to the latter than any financial loss she may incur is Ihe disorganisation of her whole internal a (Tail's which Ihe war must, occasion while il lasts. While we cannot see bow it can possibly be to the advantage of Spain to postpone a decisive meeting, it is clearly to the advantage of America to have the thing' over and done as .soon as possible.

The attempts of the Cnltotl States navy to force conclusions with Spain on the .sea Inning emlcd in a kind of dead lock, the Aiue.rienii autliorilieis have apparently determined lo try and bring- matters to a crisis in Cuba itself. The decision recently arrived at. to postpone the invasion of the island till the autumn has, we judge, been altered, and as soon as General Sliafler has made good his position on the southern shore of t ln» island ihe American troops now concentrated to the number of sonic seventy thousand on the mainland will join their compatriots, l.uf before the present American force is so reinforced Ihe great probability is thai they will not lie allowed to bold their ground unmolested. According to our cablegrams, the invading force has already met. with resistance, and although Ihe Americans, with the help of their Cuban allies and the guns from Admiral Sampson's ships drove buck the opposing Spaniards, still it is not to be anticipated that they will find it equally easy to advance further into the country. As we said the other day, I heir presence must be the signal for a. descent of flu. Spaniards in force on Ihe neighbourhood of Santiago, and il should be Ihe object of (he latter to engage their foe before he is further strengthened by troops from America. 11 is scarcely to be anticipated that General Shaffer will advance very far until he is reinforced, for the Spaniards are apparently too strongly entrenched and present in too large numbers for him to venture any distance from his base, of operations which is under cover of the squadron's guns. Vet their warlike i enthusiasm and contempt for -the ■ Spaniards may induce the Americans to transgress the bounds of prudence and to court a battle even with the force at their disposal.

The result of such an encounter it would be of course impossible to predict; but it is calculated to give us grounds for a fair estimate of the relative fighting merits ofjthe American and Spanish soldier. Of the martial qualities of the first, at an earlier stage of their history, the battles of the Civil War—the most bloody in .modern history—bear sufficient witness; aud Aye do not for a moment suppose that the American has degenerated since that time or is likely to meet a Spaniard with a less determined front than he. opposed to his own countrymen. The Spaniard will certainly not have the advantage over his American opponent in point of courage or daring. In point of drill it is possible be may be sup-

evior, and the fact that he is more familiar with the country and .inured to the climate certainly tells in his favour. On. the other hand, the Spanish army in Cuba i.s in most respects in a deplorable condition. Up to the present time the position and the surroundings of the soldiers in Cuba have no. been of a kind to fit them mentally or physically for the battlefield. When 'they arrived in the island they were full, of life and strength and courage, and anxious to go to the front and distinguish themselves. But, a.s a writer on Cuba points out, there is no opportunity for their male ing a mark. For months and months they have been kept moving forward and backward, 'running after an enemy they can never catch, but' who, when they are tired out, weakened by privations, and in places where they cannot deploy and defend themselves, suddenly appears, rushes upon them, cuts theni into pieces and disappears again!' These men, in mosi cases have not been paid for months, they have been without proper food' or clothes, and have been living amid lilth in the most insanitary quarters. What spirit, one naturally asks, can such men have for fight aud what chance against the well-fed highspirited Americans, who, like Britons, will not accept anything of Fate but victory, cost' what it may. It would seem that, the result, of this struggle is a foregone conclusion. But ihe Spaniards have sufficient obstinacy and pride not 1o entertain thai view and we may expect that there will be some severe fight ing before they are. convincd of the hopelessness ol! the conflict.