He throws the whole blame of the disaster on the river stations, and
declares that if they had only answered his appeal, Las Tunas might have
been saved.

As a matter of fact, the insurgents had been so active in the
neighborhood of the Canto River that the garrisons had all been
abandoned, and the messages from Las Tunas were never received.

The fall of Las Tunas has made the fate of Holguin, Bayamo, and Jiguani
very uncertain. These are other towns which Spain still holds in "Free
Cuba." The Spaniards fear that they too will soon fall into the hands of
the insurgents. It is rumored that Garcia has already sent an expedition
against Holguin.

Reports have reached us that a president has been elected for Cuba. The
reports, however, do not agree, and it is therefore impossible to make
any decided statement about the matter.

One telegram states that General Bartolome Maso has been elected, while
another, on equally good authority, says that the new Cuban president is
Señor Domingo Mendez Capote. Señor Capote is a young lawyer, and while a
bright and clever man, was not thought of as a possible candidate for
the office. His election, if it is confirmed, will be a great surprise.

The only information which we get reaches us through Havana. It had been
arranged that couriers should carry the news of the election to the West
as soon as the result was known. No courier has, however, arrived in
Havana. Such information as we have received has been sent through
channels that may not be reliable.