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[Illustration:  The great round world And what is going on in it.]

    Vol. 1 March 4, 1897.  No. 17

The news from Cuba is not very encouraging.

The reforms promised by Spain are not believed in by the Cubans, and the fighting is going on as fiercely as ever.

General Gomez, who is the head of the insurgent army, declares that Cuba will never accept anything from Spain but absolute freedom.

When he took command of the Cuban army, Gomez made this a condition of his acceptance.  He did this because, years ago, when Cuba was fighting Spain, the Spaniards offered all the reforms the people asked for, and promised them everything they desired.

The Cubans believed Spain, and laid down their arms, only to find that they had been deceived and cheated.  Spain did not keep her word, and probably never had any intention of doing so.

General Gomez does not mean to give her the chance of deceiving Cuba twice.

The Cuban leader has issued orders to the sugar planters, forbidding them to grind their cane, and threatening to burn their plantations if they attempt to disobey him.  He promises the planters a speedy ending to the war, and says he is absolutely sure of the final triumph of the Cuban arms.

In the mean while, he has slipped past General Weyler, who is marching over the country, declaring it pacified.

The truth of the matter is, that in the so-called pacified country, which lies between Weyler and Havana, the entire insurgent army is assembled and at work.

In this very district that General Weyler declares to be so quiet, the rebels are using dynamite with deadly success.  They are placing bombs on the railroad tracks, and trains are being blown up almost daily, killing many Spanish soldiers.

News of encounters between the enemies is constantly being brought in.  Every day some small fight occurs that does little for the cause, but shows that the Cubans are still unconquered.

General Gomez had a long talk with the representative of one of our most reliable newspapers, and told him that he has over forty thousand soldiers fighting for freedom, but that unfortunately he has not enough guns or ammunition for more than half the number.  He says that nearly every soldier carries a machete, which is a weapon in use among Spanish Americans.  It is half knife, half cleaver, and is carried by the peasants for general use upon the plantations.  It makes a formidable weapon, but is, of course, not so valuable as a rifle would be.

General Gomez said that if his men were only well armed, he would give battle to Weyler, and would without doubt beat him.  He declared that he could raise seventy-five thousand men in a month, if he only had the means of arming them.

He spoke in a most determined way about the proposed reforms, and repeated that he would take nothing from Spain but freedom.  He went on to say that the hatred of Spain was now so strong in Cuban hearts, that were the revolution to fail, he was sure that a large majority of Cubans would leave their homes, and go and live in a foreign country, rather than continue under the hated rule of Spain.