The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-14
Something Thai
Beats MeyIeriSm
From the New York Sun.

military commander Of the city of Puerto
Principe, has exposed with Il few strokes
of his pen the hypocrisy Of SPANS al
legged policy of mildness unucr General
BlanCO. The barbarous decree OF La
TORE, n part of which was cabled On
Wednesday to the sun, exceeds in cruelty
anything that General Weyler ever de-
viscd to eXteIminate -Combutants,
women and children. It's full text pub
lisncd in Havana by La LuCha, inspires
the greatest horror and, according to the
most trustworthy information from
Puerto Principe, it is carried out with
relentless vigor Two hundred families
already have fled from NueVitas panic-
stricken, to take refuge in Puerto Prin-
Cipc. The decree was believed at first to
be merely threat, but when few days
ago "A poor woman was shot in NueVitaS
| for the sole crime of leaving her home,
without permission of LatOrrC, to buy
! provisions for her family, then terror
spread in the city. and the general exodus
| began. Maria Mendoza was the name Of
| the woman. She was Il widow 40 years of
age. To her was applied Article III. of
| the decree.
The city of Nuevitas is no more in dam
! ger Of an attack now than before Don
! AguStn Latorre took its military COM
mand. Many bands of insurgents belong
|
| roam around the city and attack the
| trains from Nuevitas to Puerto Principe
| as in the time of General Wcyler, but
| there H. no regular siege and no cause for
| shooting the dcfenselesS Inhabitants. The
| killing of the woman Mendoza was a bar
! barOus assassination, and it has been fol-
! lowed by the shooting Of six male resi-
| dents Of the city not charged with more
| serious UffcnsCs. Not even the resource
| of seeking protection in a foreign con-
| sulatc is left to the inhabitants of Nue.
| vitas. Latorre has revoked in his de-
| cree all codes of international law, and al
the most sacred rights of foreigners to be
| considered as neutrals in times of war.
| The foreign consuls are forbidden to raise
| their national flags on their houses. Such
| a thing seems hardly credible in the nine
teenth century but here are the exact
| words. literally translated. of the decree
| as published in La Luch0;
| %
The military commander of Nuevtas,
Don Augustin Latorre Rivas, orders:
Article Amy person who, meaning 10
cause alarm, shall fire firecrackers or tiIe-
arms within the town at time when it is
threatened by the enemy shall be shot.
Article 2-The same penalty shall he
| imposed upon any resident without dis
tinctiOn of sex or age, who shall 90 Out
fl ON his home OF even stand at the door
From this prohibition are excused the
employees of my government and the vol
unteers and the tiremen. Long continued
danger to the city from the enemy viii
be made known to the families, for them
to choose one only of their members tC
| go out at given hour to procure pro
| visions, such person to return home as
| speedily as possible,
Article 3-It is also forbidden, with thC
| same penalty of death, to any resident
| n nI r,1F Of ~ Af ttlgt
to hoist any flag which is not that Of
Spain. If any foreign consul shall have
| objection to make TO this order he shIl
tell me his reasons, and then | will de
eide about his case in the way l shal
deem best.
Article Al is absolutely forbidden tina
any family shall take refuge in the fort
and barracks excepting the families o
the volunteers and employees of the gov
ernmcnt, who will show an express or
der from me. If in any fort or barracl
families Of the residents of this city shal
attempt to take refuge, the soldiers shal
use their arms to repulse the refugees.
? q
A gentleman residing in Puerto Prin
cipe writes to the Suns correspondent
| nClosing "A copy Of the decree, which IA
I says is highly praised there by the un
compromising Spaniards. lie adds
, | 'Weyler never dared to punish in his do
Croes the representatives Of foreign ma
j tions, or to say openly that women an
+, | children should be shot. The situation
created here hy LatOrres bloody attitud
| Is beyond description. Terror prevail
: among the poor families who conceived
| hope for the safety OF their lives afte
= the departure Of the Butcher More tina
, lj0 young men, nearly persuaded by IN
. Autonomist leaders TO accept peace, hav
| left the capital of the province full of in
5 dignation, Joining the forces of Lon
p Rccio. Whenever n Cuban desires TO be
- licye in Spain's good faith when sh
promises reforms and Justice fires
n barbarity OF the Spaniards betrays theI
r real feelings and makes impossible an
compromise with them"
The consular agents in Nuevitas OF IN
y United states, England, France and Gel
q | many have written to the consul gencl
4. ais of those nations in Havana cXplainin
the gravity of the situation and protes
c ing against article 3 of LdtOrre's decree
= In Havana II Is believed tRlt some intel