We spoke, a few weeks ago, of the port of Banes which the insurgents had secured in Santiago de Cuba. It is said that four cruisers and several gunboats have been ordered there to retake it from the Cubans.
Many people have criticised General Gomez for not gathering his forces together to fight one big battle which shall decide the war.
The General has written a letter explaining his reasons for fighting the war in the way he is doing.
He says that the Spanish force is so much larger and better armed than his own, that he could not hope to win a pitched battle.
It is his opinion that the only way to fight the Spaniards with success is constantly to worry them with small bodies of men, and waste the Spanish money in keeping up the army until finally they cannot continue the war any longer.
He feels sure of success in the end.
General Miles, of the United States army, has made a trip to Sandy Hook, to look at a new method of defence that has just been designed for our coast-line.
This consists of a concrete wall twenty feet thick, against which is a huge embankment of sand.
This invention is intended to protect our forts from the terrible shot fired by the modern guns. As we told you the other day, these guns fire heavy shot which will pierce through such strong walls that the old methods of defence are of little use.