The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-28
EXPERIMENTING A PEOPLE
6S,50o CUBANS NAVE STARTED TO
DEATH IN Two MONTHS.
These Are Spanish OmcinI FiEures-One-Hair
OF Cuba's 1900 900 People Have Been
starved. Shot. or Driven from the Island
No Cubnns Loft Usioss War Ends soon.

These Are Spanish OmcinI FiEures-One-Hair
OF Cuba's 1000 D People Have Been
starVod. Shot. or Driven from the Island
No Cubans Lert Usicsa WAR Ends soon.
HAVANA, Oct. 23.-Tho Didrio de la Marina
publishes this appeal to public charity:
we have seen this morning tho terrible spoc-
tacle at Los Fosos, in the very centre OF Ha.
vana, of hundreds of haploss children dying
OF hunger among their starving parents. We
appeal to public charity in their behalf. The
sight of those dying children, stretching their
tiny hands to heaven. praying for n morscl
OF bread, Is tho most tragic sight that human
eyes can endure"
But what can public charity do for them
All who live in Havana to-day may thank God
II they have bread for themselves. Tho Didrio
publishes in the same edition which contains
the foregoing appeal these gloomy words:
1T is announced that tomorrow there will
be some meat for tho inhabitants OF Havana.
The news is not worthy of much credence. We
have for several days been without meat. The
situation cannot be endured longer. The condi-
ton of things in the public Jail is beyond de.
scription. Tho prisoners are dying by scores.
Those who still live have contracted an awful
disease. which. In the opinion OF physicians, is
caused by hunger. Their bodies swell to mon.
strous proportions. Tho fever OF starvation
also kills many inmates in the Jail and other
persons out of 1t. The panBs of hunger de.
scribed by Dante in his Inferno are now a
gloomy fact before our very eyes"
That the situation is the same all over tho
island is proved by tho official reports OF tho
sanitary authorities in all the towns and cities Of
Cuba. Hero lie a paragraph from El TEMPO Of
Santa Clara: According to the official report,
up to Sept. 80, 4,o2o persons have died OF hunger
In this city" " we remember that the total
population OF Santa Clara is not over 10000.
we can realize to what an extent the cruelty Of
Spanish warfare has been carried.
The correspondent of THE Sun has been 40
cused of dealing unfairly with the Spanish
authorities here. His first reports Of tho starva-
ton at Los Fosos were denied. They are in
spired by the desire to harm Spain abroad, ="
said the press censor. But at last the facts con.
corning starvation are publicly acknowledged
I contine myself here to the bare statements Of
Spanish officials.
The total number of persons who during tho
last two months have died OF hunger In the
cities Of Pinar del Rio. Havana, Matanzas.
Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Manzanillo, Holguin,
and Santiago dc Cuba is 6s. 1901! This fearful
total is reached by adding together the number
OF cases of death by starvation officially reported
by the Registro Civil, or Statistical Bureau, in
each Of those cities. or course these figures do
not include the p~acifcos deliberately starved to
death by the Spanish columns. nor the persons
murdered by the orders OF Weyler.
The smallest estimate Of paciiicos murdered
by the Spanish columns is 10000 In short,
the actual population Of Cuba, which before the
war was ]. 900, 900 inhabitants. is now less than
100000. The other 500, 600 have disappeared,
having been killed in battle, emigrated, or died
of disease and famine!
There is no eXaggeration in these statements.
They are the bare truth: and the situation, as
the Didrio dc la Marina says. cannot be en-.
dured longer" because in a very short time tho
whole population will disappear.
Those who are here and see with their own
ewes. as l see, what is happening in Cuba can
understand the situation which,. perhaps, is not
30 clear to those who are in the United States
and who merely read the reports of American
correspondents. The tact is that the question is
not now of autonomy or reforms. or OF the sub.
stitution OF Captain-General Blanco for Cap
tain-Gcncral Weylcr. The only thing that can
prevent this exceptional fact in history, the
total extermination of a people, Is the immedi,
ate stoppage OF the war. 1t is a question OF life
or death. The time has passed for mere changes
OF policy on the part of Spain. This awful hun.
ger cannot be cured with home rule schemes
which the insurgents will not accept. preferring
death to submission TO Spain. Four months
more of war and the Cubans will be no more.
The general cry Of the starving people in
Havana is for Consul.General Lee. The popu
larity OF Gen. Leo is extraordinary. Tho hapless
men and women who see their children die
regard him us IA savior. "Schor Lee vicne 4
lis Mr.. Lee coming soon y This is what the cor
respondent of an American newspaper hears most
among the Cubans at present. Their only hope
is in the speedy ending OF the war by tho inter
yention OF the United States. This idea is sc
familiar to them that poor countrymen who
cannot even sign their names speak intel
ligently OF President Mckinley, Gen. Wood
ford and OF the proceedings of diplomacy
The hatred OF the Spaniards toward all the
American people is seen on one side. and, or
the other, the love of the Cubans for the
Americans. The English word lingo. employed
by the New York Herald to deride the friends
Cubans, come TO mean friend" "Que harar
los jingos 7" {" What will the jingoes do ~ IL
the question with which one is confronted her,
from morning till night.
l went yesterday to Los Fosos with a kind
hearted and respected American resident whc
desired to give food and money to some OF
the children dying there. One of the unfor
tunate little beings. g~rasping the wane, thin
arms Of his dying mother, said. with a fain'
voice that thrilled our hearts: Mamma, do no
cry any more. Here is a lingo who is bringing
us bread" No human eloquence could depic
the terrible misery we witnessed there.
HE BRINGS A BAR'L WITH HIM.
Spain Has Money for Cuban Leaders WI,
uH-asN H.-.- -