authoritative
Cuban.

It might rather be said that the Junta was solicitous to avoid so far as
possible danger of complications between the United States and Spain.
For example, it did not encourage Americans to enter the Cuban army, but
discouraged them from so doing and often rejected them outright. An
expert ex-Pinkerton detective was employed by the Junta to serve
constantly in its New York office. His duties were in part to detect if
possible any spies or Spanish agents who might come in and want to
enlist with, of course, the intention of betraying the cause. But he
also did his best to dissuade all but Cubans from enlisting. He was
under directions from the Junta to warn all American applicants, of whom
there were many, that they had better not enter the Cuban service:
First, because they did not realize the formidable and desperate
character of the undertaking in which they were seeking to participate;
second, because the Junta could give them no assurance of pay, or even
of food; and third, because they were sure soon to grow tired of the
arduous discouraging, up-hill campaign which was before them. The only
men who were wanted, and the only men who were generally accepted were
Cubans, whose patriotic interest in the island would enable them to
endure cheerfully what would be intolerable to an alien. They were
believed by the Junta to be the only men who would permanently stand the
test.

As a matter of fact only a very few Americans were accepted; probably
not more than forty or fifty all told. They were accepted partly because
they were so insistent and persistent in their desires and demands, and
partly because of some qualifications which made them of special value.
They were chiefly sharpshooters who had formerly served in the United
States army. When they were accepted they were reminded that they were
forfeiting all claim upon the United States government for protection or
rescue, no matter what might befall them. Thus if they were killed or
captured and ill treated in any way by the Spanish they would be
debarred from appealing to the United States, and there would be no
danger of any friction between the United States and Spain on their
account.

The only way in which the Junta deliberately incurred the risk of
causing international trouble was in the organization and dispatching of
filibustering and supply expeditions from the United States to Cuba. Of
course, all such performances were illegal. S