The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls | Page 5

Germany has agreed to give up
Kiao-Chou Bay for a coaling-station at Sam-Sah, which is on the coast
of China, facing Formosa, the island Japan secured from China in the
late war.
This report is also as yet unconfirmed, and so we must wait until next
week to know which is the correct one.
* * * * *
From the latest Cuban news, it would seem that the insurgents are
gaining a good many victories.
The leader of the Spanish forces, General Pando, was met by the
Cubans in a heavy engagement in Santa Clara province. The first
reports that reached us were that the Cubans had won the victory, and
General Pando had been killed.
This report was denied by the Spaniards, but nevertheless no news has
been received from this leader since the engagement.

The Spanish authorities are awaiting information with the deepest
anxiety. The idea is growing daily stronger that some disaster must
have overtaken him, and that he has been cut off from communication
with Havana; otherwise no one can account for the fact that no news of
any kind has been received from him.
In addition to this, the towns of Guisa and Canto el Embarcadero have
been captured by the Cubans. A force of Spanish guerillas, fifty strong,
have gone over to the insurgents, carrying with them arms, ammunition,
and a large sum of money. Gomez is busy in Santa Clara, organizing
his forces to make a strong stand against the Spanish troops.
As we told you, the Government has issued an order permitting the
grinding of the sugar-cane.
Gomez is determined to prevent this. In the Western provinces, the
rebels have divided themselves into small bands, and are burning such
cane-fields as the desolation of the war has left growing.
Gomez himself will destroy the fields of Santa Clara.
You probably remember the methods employed by the insurgents for
burning the cane at the beginning of the war.
They caught snakes, which are very plentiful in the swampy districts of
Cuba, and rubbing their bodies with kerosene, set fire to them, and then
threw them into the cane-fields.
The agonized reptiles, in their efforts to rub the burning oil from their
bodies, twined around the cane, twisted from stem to stem, and set the
fields on fire in a hundred places at once.
A big engagement is reported near Sancti Spiritus, and it is also said
that the rebels have hanged fifteen persons who have approached them
with proposals of Home Rule.
This does not look as if the island would soon be pacified.

* * * * *
The Government in Spain appears to be satisfied with the President's
Message, the substance of which you will find in this number of THE
GREAT ROUND WORLD.
You will see, when you look at it, that the President does not think it
wise to interfere for the present, but thinks it right to give Spain time to
try what Home Rule will do.
It is doubtful, however, whether the proposed reforms can be made
acceptable to the majority of the Cubans.
A fresh proclamation, signed by a number of the lesser Cuban chiefs,
has been issued. In it the insurgents state very decidedly that they are
fighting for liberty, and will have nothing but liberty from Spain. They
declare, in so many words, that their watchword is "Freedom or Death."
It is not going to be easy to pacify so determined a people.
The Havana volunteers are now giving the Government much trouble
and putting fresh obstacles in the way of the success of the reforms.
We spoke about this body of men at the time of Weyler's leave-taking,
and told you how opposed they were to showing kindness or mercy to
the Cubans, believing only in Weyler's cruel methods.
These volunteers are violently enraged against the proposed Home Rule,
and in addition have another grievance against the Government.
They have been in the habit of doing the kid-glove soldiering of the
island, mustering and parading in handsome uniforms; their heaviest
work has been to occasionally go on guard duty at the palace, where the
Captain-General lives, or at the bank.
General Blanco is anxious to suppress the revolution, and, wishing to
make use of every man who can carry arms, decided to put this idle
force into the field.

This the volunteers refused to submit to. It is said that they will mutiny
rather than undertake any useful duties.
Perhaps a little ashamed to state the true cause of their anger, they have
laid it all to the score of Home Rule, and declare that if Spain cannot
protect them they would rather submit to American government than be
ruled by Cubans.
The disaffected volunteers have declared their intention of wearing the
white badge of