The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-04-25
SUFFERING CUBAN WOMEN.
rheyAre Undergoing as Much for Thsir
. Country as tn, Men.
! IAEY. PATHETIC TALES ARE TOLD

1AHY, PATHETIC TALES ARE TOLD
Women Selling Their Jaweis In support
ofthe strugg Cling Patriots.
A recent dispatch from Havana thus
describes the situation in Cuba:
From this beautiful summer land one
cry goes up which is heard over the din
Of battle and the clash Of arms. 1t is the
wall of the desolate Cuban women. They
are mourning for their loved ones, and
their tears are falling upon new-made
graves throughout the island.
It Is for the women and children that
these men are fighting who are SO brayely
holding the island in the face Of an army
more than three times bigger in number
than they; half naked as they are, their
bodies torn from the underbrush through
which they walk, often with only one
cartridge apiece to face we'll provided
foe, they are fighting with a spirit which
onced moved the American army of the
Revolution.
.Kiu the Cuban women says Span
ish proverb. stand there will be no more
Cuban Children These words have
been muttered by many Spanish lips
when outrage and massacre have ragged
But the Cubans say there is just one
thing which the Spaniards cannot do.
They connot create Spanish children in
Cuba And that is why the women OF
Cuba are the mothers Of this most hui
man revolution. They do not fear death.
They would gladly die for Cuba, but their
cheeks grow white at the thought of the
atrocities and crimes which the Spanish
soldiers employ toward the helpless.
So strong is this fear that many OF the
women have accompanied their nus
bands into the fields, remembering the
crimes of the late war against their sex
Men have hesitated to leave their wives
and daughters unprotected at home, and
there are over 100 women under Maceo
and many under Gen. Gomez as we'll.
Many women are nursing the sick and
the wounded. Some are fighting Shout
der to shoulder with the men. They 90
not fear death one-half so much as the
horrors which might await them at their
homes. Their children are born upon
b the battle field. It was thus in the last
war also. Is it wonder, then, that the
Cubans are patriots?
The Spanish authorities, with their
usual cheap acuteness, have endeaVored
to make capital from the fact that there
are women in the field with the Cuban
army, and have spread the report that
they are "Amazons," describing them as
rough, masculine creatures, devoid OF
gentleness and modesty. This is one OF
the favorite lies which they are SO fond
of quoting. The Cuban women are the
most feminine and simple women IN the
world. They are almost childish in their
love for prettiness and charm. They
adore their children and worship their
husbands. But their gentleness has
turned to bitterness in many OF their
hearts through the sorrows that have
been inflicted upon them.
Besides the women who are with the
army there are any number of women in
Havana today who are anxious to join
them. They know only too we'll that
should the Cubans take Havana the VEN
geance of the Spaniards would be direct
ed to them know that American wo-
men are patriotic, but these Cuban wom-
en- are fierce in their patriotism and wish
to take arms against the enemy who has.
despoiled their homes and killed their
relatives. They are the "insurrectes'
heart and soul, the moving spirit of the
revolution.
Many of the Cuban women have lost
all they possessed through the war.
Their plantations have been burned and
fortunes swept away, but I heard none
complain. They are willing to give every
thing for Cuba, and they see their sugar
cane go up in smoke. glad that thereby
it's revenue will be lost to Spain. Some of
these women sold their jewels when their
money was gone in order to send medi-
cines and lint to the rebels. In every
Cuban home also a sum is set aside out
OF each days household money to send to
the field.
There are pathetic and moving Incl
dents without number connected with
this war in which women play the first
part Many of them lie in unmarked
caves today, but their names will live in
Cuban history forever. An old lady OF
80, whom l visited at her home a few
miles out of Havana. showed me an
American flag which she has kept care
fully for years folded away in camphor.
She told me in Spanish that she WAS
keeping it to drape over her balcony
when the American troops marched
through the streets of Havana.
y Some of the saddest, most heart-rend
Ing istories came from Gautau, the scene
of one of the most awful massacres OF the
war. 1t was there that the Spanish
troops descended upon a plantation
where detachment of the insurgents
had camped on the preceding night. The
family sawthe soldiers coming and hung
out white flag as signal of peace. But
the bloodthirsty soldiers paid no atten-
ton to it. They killed seven workmen
who attempted to defend the place, and
then they entered the house and aimed
a rife at the aged father OF the family.
His daughter ran across the room and
threw her arms about him, telling the
Spaniards that he was not their enemy.
One of the men raised a machete and
struck her upon the shoulder, almost sew
ering her arm from her body. She fell
fainting to the floor and the wretches
then put a bullet through the old mans
heart.
. / saw this girl in hut in Matanzas
suburb, where she lay dying, for,
every one was afraid to help her No
doctor could be found who would minis
ter to her, although an amputation Of the
arm, would have saved her life. She was
q Cuban girl. wounded by a Spanish
sword. Any physician who would have
dared to attend her would have risked
his life, and not only his lite but the
lives of his family. She opened her eyes