San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-11-19
starving CJBANS
One Mans RatiOnS Made To
Serve For Five.
THOUSANDS FED ON THE SUP
PLIES FURNISHED BY THE
UNITED STATS,
People Drop Dead In The Streets,
Starved TOA Stand Still--ln One
District $4,000 Died Since
July--In One City Of 10000
People 64S Starved.

New York, Nov. ia special to the
World from Havana, says:
In every town in Cuba where there
are American citizens groups of starv-
ing islanders gather every day in front
of the houses of those Americans and
beg for the crumbs that fall from the
tables. That the Americans have
anything on their tables from which
crumbs could fall is due to the relief
fund of $4,000 voted last spring by
Congress. Consul General Lee has
drawn so far about $4,000 of the total
amount and has distributed the money
to the consuls in Mantanzas, Cienfue-
COS, Sagua, Santiago de Cuba, and
elsewhere
These consuls buy provisions and dis
tribute weekly rations to distressed
Americans.
There are 1,400 Americans on the
consular relief fund list. OF these
about $50 are American born. The
others are naturalized citizens and
their families who, having had their
citizenship papers properly registered
at the different United States consul
ates are entitled, if in distress, to the
same relief as American-born citizens.
This course of action Gen. Lee has fol-
lowed in all cases and the State de-
partment has approved 1t.
According to a statement made by
Consul Baker, who is stationed at Sag
ua. about 10000 people are being kept
alive in Cuba by these rations distri-
buted for the support of 1,400. Neigh
bors gather around the front door of
the Houses of American citizens and
beg a share of the food that comes
from the consulates.
Where sueffring is so general these
appeals are not in vain and the scant
supply of rice, jerked beef and bread
is made TO do service for five instead
of one
In the town of Sagua a person walk
ig through the principal street about
IL a. m, or p. m, can tell the houses
of American citizens by the crowds of
starving creatures patiently waiting
at the door and hoping to get even a
mouthful of rice or crust of bread.
The most pitiful sight is to see the
babies in arms, hardly alive and the
small children with their thin little
legs and arms and distended bodies, all
death by starvation.
There are no markets in any but the
bigger cities, because nothing is pro-
duced to supply them and no one has
money to buy with.
Misery is universal, suffering is ev-
erywhere and the death rate goes up
higher and higher each day.
In the town of Sagua where there is
a population of about 10000 the death
list for five years before the war was
500 a year. In the month of August
Of this year GAS persons died Of starva-
ton alone.
Consul Brice, stationed at MAINTAIN
zas, reports that since July /, $1,000
persons have died in his district.
As he was crossing the public square
one evening lately he saw a man fall
TO the ground within few feet of him
and Fastening to his side, found he
was dead. His body was nothing
more than a skeleton. Such scenes
occur every hour of the day all over
the island where people are herded to-
gether.
cificos to cultivate land outside the
military lines would diminish suffer-
ings if the people had the strength
and teh implements with which to work
but they have neither and Weyler's
scheme to exterminate the Cubans is
rapidly proving successful.
1t is generally believed here, in Hav-
ana, that Blanco has received orders |
from Madrid to do everything posi- |
BILE to prevent starvation reports from |
going to the United States, and that |
Minister Dupuy de LONE has urged |
him to issue proclamation and orders |
that will convey the idea that the new |
regime will take care of the non-com- /
batants and stop the present appalling
death rate.