The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1897-12-08
TERRIBLE
DISTRESS.
The Condition Of Many Cubans
is Most DepIOrabIe.
Sickness And Starvation on Every
Side.--Those StIII Alive Seem
te be Doomed.
OTHER CUBAN NEWS.

CHICAGO, Dec. 6.-The Records
Washington special from w E. Curtis
says; The latest information from
Cuba represents the distress as terrible
The state department, the Spanish le.
cation and the marine hospital service
have official reports from their respeo-
tive sources, all of the same tenor. A
movement is on foot for an appeal TO
the charitable people of the United
States. II will have the full sanction
and encouragement of the administla.
ton, and will be encouraged by the
Spanish minister, who has asked his
government to suspend the collection Of
duties on contributions from this coun.
try, and admit them free.
General Blanco win welcome material
help from the United States in reliev.
ing the distress which he finds TO be be-.
yond his expectation when he began to
undo the work of Weyler. The state
department will cooperate in every
way possible to make effective whatever
may be undertaken by the citizens Of
this countrF< Plans for making use of
the consular service N Cuba TO distrib.
nle thh relief. IN con3unciion with local
authorities. are now under cohsldorn
ton A letter from one Of these consn
lar officers makes n cieaF how, with the
revocation of Weyler's Infamous con.
oentration order, there can be such dis
tress now. This official of the United
States writes
"The situation on this island has
reached a point where il is impossible
to see what can be done to help the I'M
happy people and 70 save the majority
of them from speedy death. 1t looks as
If the greater part Of the present gener.
alton was doomed to find its way quick
ly to the other world. no matter what
may be done now. Perhaps no people
can endure more hardship than the
rural population Of Cuba. They have
learned by lifelong experience to endure
privations. They have learned to be
content with little. When Weyler's
bandos drove them into the towns.
what did they find TO subsist upon
Nothing at all. They kept life in them
by what they could get through charity
and BY occasional expeditions, at the
risk of being murdered by guerrillas.
1.-THE weak, the women and the chill.
dren failed first aud most of the deaths
were among them. Now, however. the
" hOAo DOuJ VI ACCOhOChtAoOOo 10 III y
broken down condition. Those who
were strong when concentration began
are not able TO work. A state of utter
helplessness prevails. Those who sur.
vive the 1904 who have actually per.
ished seem to be doomed. II they are
sent back to their farms they will die
by tens of thousands The Spanish
troops and the insurgents have alter.
nately ravaged the field, conflscating
and destroying If they are sent out
from the towns these reconcentrados
will find nothing to eat. They will
have no shelter because the houses were
almost universally destroyed
"They have no tools with which to
build the shanty. which would be the
first step toward rehabilitation Even
the machetes. which every Cuban for.
merly carried for all manner of pur.
poses on the fam. were taken away
from them by Weyler's order If these
pacificos were the men that Weyler
found them when he depopulated the
provinces they might manage to subsist
and in time to reconstruct their homes.
But they are not They are wasted and
broken by the terrible years of starva.
ton. Strength has departed. Spirit
is broken Anemia Is claiming thou.
sands. Only that food and care which
these people are not likely TO get could
restore them to health Weyler's ac-
cursed work continues after his depart.
ure."