The herald., 1897-05-14
IN COMMITTEE
The Cuban eau Sc Seems to GAIN many
Friends

The Cuban eau Sc Seems to Gain many
Friends
WASHINGTON Y, May 13.-The Sen
ate Committee OF Foreign Relations to-
day had the Cubt IN question under con-
alteration on the basis of the report of
the subcommittee appointed yesterday
to confer with the President and Secre-
tary Sherman. 4 NE report was pre-
pared by Davis a. I'd Foraker Republic
can members. Nor gan, the Democratic
member, declining to participate in it.
The report consiste of concise state
ment OF the conten IS of official reports
from American Con suls in Cuba, bring
ing information UP to within week.
This report confirms the newspaper re-
ports of the situatio n in the island, and
even goes farther L. depicting the de-
plorable situation II ian do most news
paper stories. Espt !cial stress is laid
upon the condition of American cit
izens. 1t is positivel stated that hun
dreds are in a starN ring condition and
wretchedly clothed. Deaths of Amer
leans from starvation are daily report
ed. Americans are scattered over all
parts of the island nd are shown no
consideration whatever because of their
Americanship.
The delay by the Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations in taking action
on the Cuban questions until Monday is
for the purpose Of Civ ing the President
an opportunity to act Representations
have been made to h i'm that there is
necessity for immedia tie action. 1t has
also been represented that recognition
ought to be by the exec utive. and not by
the legislative, branch of the Govern
ment. The President h as been urged to
take some steps lookin to the relief of
starving Americans in Cuba. 1t is thu
belief of members of tho. committee that
the President will talSe action before
Monday, but if nothing. is done by that
time, there is no dou Dt that the COM
mittee will urge the Morgan resolution
in the strongest term ) possible. Some
members may raise he constitutional
question against it, but will not press
1t. Members of the Foreign Relations
Committee have reco mmended to the
President that, if necessary to secure
the landing of food and clothing to re-
lieve the wants of Americans, they
should be accompanied by an American
warship The committee has list Of
over hundred Americans, who are said
to be starving. They are represented
to be corralled in towns and unable to
get food, even if they had money to pro-
cure it. Correspondents represent that
there are thousands of Cubans in this
condition.
The Americans are generally persons
who reside on the plantations but who
have been driven from their homes
to the towns, and who, being among
strangers and without employment, are
compelled to subsist on almost nothing.
They are not allowed to return to their
plantations even to pick berries or Sc
cure the least article of subsistence
They are theoretically under the care
of the Spanish army, but the army is
without a commissariat. They have
no means of leaving the island. Their
condition is pronounced wholly deplora-
ble
The committee was especially i'm
pressed with this recital, and the opin-
ion generally expressed that thu situ-
alton should be remedied if possible.
1t was considered as placing even a
worse aspect upon the question of our
relations to Cuba than the imprison-
ment of Americans, of which there are
now Comparatively few instances. The
report also indicates generally wretch
ed condition of all the inhabitants of the
island because of the scarcity of food
and money, especially in the centers of
population, and because also of the
pressure of the most malignant dis
eases, such as yellow fever, smallpox
and dysentery. These diseases the ma
tives Withstand with comparative ease,
but they are especially oppressive to
the Spanish sclidery. The reports in
dicate that the Spanish army is not
so strong now as it was year ago,
largely on account of these ravages,
while they indicate no diminutlon of the
insurgent forces.
The reports upon which the sub-com-
mittees brief was based We're from va
rious consuls, including Consul General
Lee. They make no recommendations
as to Aemrican policy, but merely give
the situation as they see it.
In view of the developments in the
committee, Senator Morgan agreed not
TO press the consideration of his resolu-
tfon today, but will make an effort to
have the question made the unfinished
business Monday at o'clock
This acquiescence on the Alabama
senator's part to temporary delay is un-
oerstood to be given under the impress
sion that it will result in bringing to the
resolution the support of the entire COM
mittee on foreign relations. This will,
OF course materially strengthen the res
olution in the senate, and it is be-
iieved by its friends will expedite its
passage there.
1t is now probable that the committee
will not make any formal report, and
that the correspondence will not be
given to the public for the present.
AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
CHICAGO, May ia special to the
Times-H Herald from Washington says:
An important conference held at the
White House between President Nc
Kinley and Senators Davis, Foraker and
Morgan of the Foreign Relations Com
mittee, was the result of the decision
reached by the committee not to con-
tinue the debate in the Senate on Sena-
tor Morgan's resolution recognizing the
belligerency of the Cubans until the ex-
act policy of the administration had been
defined. This was partly due to the
Sc mi -otficial announcement made by
Senator Foraker, that the administra-
tion had its own policy and would treat
the Cuban question in the proper way
when the time came.
The members of the committee plain