Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-05-26
Statements Allowed by the Spanish
Censors at Havana.
CONDUCT OF THE WAR INDICATED
Scenes of Misery and Suffering in
Guanabacoa's Streets.
HUN ER AND DISEAS SE
From The Stars Special Correspondent.


We hear the echoes of discussion in the
United States whether a state of war exists
in Cuba. No one who comes to the island
will doubt after forty-eight hours observa-
tioD that a state of savagery exists which
goes under the name of war. People are
being starved to death under a well-defned
military policy. The island is being made
desert under the same policy. The full
meaning of Gen. Weyler's concentration
order is being shown by its results.
Another year and perhaps the insurgents
will have nothing from which to draw
sustenance-neither men, nor food, nor
arms.
On the other hand. Gomez and the in
surgent leaders do sustain war in a desert.
Another year and they expect Spain's re-
sources will be exhausted They do not
hope to depopulate the peninsula, yet they
think the provinces will grow weary of
supplying men for the certain death which
follows campaign in the country. These
young soldiers of Spain, under proper drill,
are brave enough, but bravery cannot give
them immunity from disease, and it is
disease which slays them by hundreds and
thousands. For every pacifico murdered
and every insurgent killed more than one
soldier of Spain meets death by disease
DepOrtatiOns From Cuba.
AS to the actual conditions under which
the war is carried on Mr.. Calhoun had a
chance to learn something for himself this
week. 1t seemed to show that Spain is yet
far from the pacific spirit which should
animate country that has pacified re-
bellious colony. There had been DISPUTE
whether prisoners of war have been shot
in Cabanas and at Matanzas since Mr. Cal
nouns arrival, but concerning something
else there was no dispute This was the
marching through the streets Of Havana
OF squad of "deportados" to be embark
ed on ship for the peninsula, there to he
transshipped to the penal settlement of
Ceuta, off the north coast of Africa. IT
was a shock to realize that what would he
called political offenses in the United
States are punished by Spain with i'm
prisonment among murderers, thieves and
criminals of all degrees
Here Is the official list of the "deport-
ados' who were embarked for the convict
settlement of Ceuta on the vessel Alfonso
XIII, in the year of our Lord 1897 month
of May. 10th day:
Crime of rebellion:
Jose Delgado Gonzalez or Guillermo Coll
a cadena perpetua-'chains for life.
Jose Ramos Cendobo Jose Dolares Noa.
Donate Pena Rojas, Jose Villa Bestod Quin-
tin de la Cruz Nico, Juan Pablo Paroda,
Jose Guerra Guerra. jose Ascuy Miranda,
Ramon Olivia Llanes-life exile.
Andres Ramos Pere!ra, America Nor
quedo, Pedro Alemany, Antonio Mer Alo-
mono--twelve years exile.
"Gregorio Reyes-twenty years exile.
Rafael Carbonell Gomez-six years i'm
prisonment with chains.
"Eieno Gallo Caballero-sixteen years
Imprisonment.
Luis Alfaro Pita-eight years imprison-
ment.
Joaquin Toledo Munoz-four years i'm
prisonment.
Juan Alvarez Chacon-three years i'm
prisonment.'
The departure Of the royal mail is an
event in Havana which takes the people to
their housetops. The Alfonso XIII is as
fine as any Transatlantic liner. AS II passed
out beyond Moro Castle Thursday even
ing it's guns were booming. The people on
the housetops were cheering and waving
flags. The decks of the vessel were crowd
ed with passengers, who waved and shout
ed salutes in return. Many officers of the
army and government officials were voy-
aging back to Madrid. And shut up in the
hold below were the deportados. voyaging,
most of them, to life Imprisonment at
Ceuta, for having sought to make Cuba
free from Spanish rule.
Probably we are all too sensitive to new
impressions. This has been going on for
two years. and in Havana no one thinks
of it except as incident of the struggle.
Yet 1t is hard to forget:
Gonzalez or Guillermo Coll, crime. re-
teliion, chains for life.'
If we seem to hear the clanking of those
chains we may know it is disordered fancy.
He is only one of hundreds who have gone
before him to Ceuta or to Fernando Po;
others will follow him.
Filtered Through the Reports.
As bearing on the question Of actual war
the reports Of military operations in the
field afford some light. The skirmishing Is
going en- all around US With apparently
little advantage to either the troops CT the
soldiers, except that failure to kill or cap
ture them Is evidence that the Insurgents
are still able to keep up the fignting Mr..
Calhoun hears as many contradictory re-
ports as can be heard in the states during
a political campaign. Both sides know
how to manufacture war news. Out of II
may be sifted some idea of the real events.
roih the reports Wn1cn the military censor
permits to be published 1 have been at
pains to gather few particulars. or
course, any reverse suffered by the troops
would be suppressed.
An evidence of Spanish valor is given in
the account of the affair at Madru$a the
other day, where the enemy took flight ut
the appearance Of illustrions end valorous
troops, leaving fifty-three dead. Our loss.
one dead" Then there are reports of the
Spanish columns marching sor days and
not finding a single insurgent. The con-
clrsion is that such parts of the country
must be pacihed- Uniformly, where an
action Is reported a point Is made IL the
troops secure provisions. live stock or
arms. Generally where captures are made,
the names prove to be those of women or
children. But in 1t all there are few open
fghts.
Information az to the nature Of the cam
paign which the troops wage ID found In
the frequent reports Of the destruction sf
''ochios. A bohio 10 q palm tree hut. Its
destruction usually means the murder of
the occupants. harmless pacincos or coun-
Try people. have before mo the ac-