The August Revolution 61Rural Guard, he took several opportunities to make his aims
clear. To reporters (who found him most co-operative),
Guerra explained that "our plans are to establish a reign of
Law according to that prescribed in the Constitution, an
nulling past elections, the product of assassination, fraud and
violence; we want to bring to power legislators elected by
the popular will."^9 He complained about Moderate corrup
tion and extravagance, but he continued to insist that election
frauds were the cause of the revolt, and that the rebels simply
wanted a return to the Constitution.^10
In Havana Province, Ernesto Asbert called for new elections,
even if it meant American intervention: "We prefer a new
American intervention that will guarantee future legal elec
tions."
11
If the American government does not intervene, he
continued, "we will overthrow the Palma Administration or
make everything in the island American. We would much
rather trust Roosevelt than Palma."^12 In New York City,
Colonel Charles Aquirre opened an insurgent press office, and
shortly news releases stressing the rebels' restraint and pure
motives were common in the city's newspaper offices.
The insurgent columns marched about their home provinces
throughout the rest of August, avoiding pitched battles, col
lecting men, horses, and supplies, and generally behaving
themselves. Though the rebel generals collected "contribu
tions" from fearful planters, there was little destruction and
even less violence. Essentially the rebel strategy was to create
an atmosphere of impending violence and thus intimidate
the government. As Guerra told reporters, "we are holding
back to give the government an opportunity to recognize its
errors and restore peace to the people of Cuba without the
necessity of bloodshed."^13
The rebels' principal tactic was to disrupt communications
while at the same time threatening to burn out landholders.
Trains and coastal steamers were robbed of official mail, and
a couple of railway culverts destroyed. For every culvert
dynamited or cane field endangered, reports of ten times as
much destruction reached Havana. With the telegraph lines