Evening star., 1897-06-07
IN PRISON CAMPS
CONTINUED from FRS: Page.)

moderate may do fairly well on these yamas
and roots for a while, but they are not
nourishment for children. And even the
grown people after a long course of roots
get an awful hunger for meat. 1t was
such a hunger that caused the reconcen-
tradoes near Mariel to devour the car
casses Of oxen which had died of gan
creme. This was on the sugar estate Las
Canas, between Guanajay and Mariel. The
recoEcentradoes knew what caused the
death of the oxen. I confess not to have
investigated this circumstance in person,
though by spending a few hours the day
We went out to see the trocha it would
have been possible to have learned all the
details. I was content to take the word of
reputable sugar planter in Havana, who
spoke from personal knowledge.
No Sanitary Precautions.
This outline of the conditions on which
is based my statement that Spain holds the
country people prisoners Of war. and
does not feed them, would be incomplete
without a word on another phase of the
prison camps of the reconcentradoes Ii is
customary whsn people are herded togetli-
er in war or otherwise to make some pro-
vision for sanitation ard hygienic observ-
seen the slightest evidences of this, nor
have I heard of it being done anywhere
These country people, used to living apart
in the open air, are merely heried together
by the hundreds and thousands Their
own ignorance. SO far as my observation
has gone has supplied no remedy. The
rainy season has begun. At Matanzas, on
the hill of Cascaro, the foods are sweeping
down the refuse from the heights to the
huts clustered on the hillside and in the
ravine. AT Sagua the swamp where the
camp is located is by this time a living
qpagmire. What is true OF Sagua is true
of most of the other camps. 1t was easier
to command the reconcentradoes with forts
and soldiers when they were set down In
the bottoms or lowlards, and this plan
seems to have been generally followed.
The Pestilencc of Guines.
No one can foretell what this second
harvest of pestilence and death, due to the
rainy season, will be. The first harvest
came soon after the concentration when
smallpox and other diseases distanced star
walton in stalking through the camps Now
all over the island go up warnings to fore
feEd against another Guines." Guincs is
town of l0,0D0. people, three hours ride by
rail southeast Of Havana. It's normal pop1-
latlon was swollen several thousands by
the addition of the reconcentra does. The
sanitary conditions Were even worse than
elsewhere. The plague fattened, and dur
Ing April, according TO the official -ecord,
there were 1,265 deaths. Since then it has
become little better The pes:ilance has
not SO many victims to feed on, but the
aea- or mayor, in seeking to perpet,iate
his name, has made present to the tow.
nf
as noble benefaction." The sepul.ures
in 1t have already begun. Other places
have not such public-spirited alcaldes, and
they are therefore keeping up the warn
i1gs against another Guines." But the
time to have acted was before the rainy
season set in. The military authorities
could have taken all the necessary stems
for sanitation. The subject is unpleasant
to the Imagination, and Infinitely more SO
to the sense, but it is not possible to over
iook this in writing of the reconcentradoes
and their surroundings
Who Two American Physician. Sox
The Sunday evening that Mr.. Calhoun
and Consul General Lee returned fro,, the
visit to the reconcentradoes at Matanzas
they met two American physicians who
had been visiting some of the camps in
Pinar del Rio. Cne of these physicians is
veteran of yellow fever epidemics in the
southern states, and had been long familiar
with the conditions of life in the tropics
The younger one has also had considerable
experience with disease in these climates
They had gone out to see the reconcentra-
does selni-professionally.a as they would per-
maps nave visited a hospital. What they
saw PIERCED the crust Of professional re-
serve. Both had emptied their pockets.
Nobody ever comes away from a settle
ment of the pacificos with money in his
pockets. Both. too, had observed with
Eeener eyes than are given to the ordinary
observer. They did not need to have the
symptoms of fever and starvation explained
to them. They could judge the sanitary
conditions and could tell where disease
would riot.
These. physicians gave their day to the
investigation. When they returned to lIa-
vana at night they were competent to form
an opinion. Il no sentimentalist," said
the younger doctor, but there is only one
meaning which can be drawn from this
business. 1t means the DETERMINATION of G.
people by starvation"
And the elder one declared: 1T is mur-
der, systematic murder. through disease
and hunger. CHARLES PEPPER.
Hotel Arrivals.
Raleigh-W. Larrinier, F. Sargent and
H. E. Weaver. Chicago, ILL.,; G. Parker,
Milwaukee, Wis: G. s. Orlady, Hunting
den, Pa; ]. L. Burt, ]. Savers, ]. King
and w. A. Saddleman. New York; w.
Hoyt, Aurora, ILL.,; Colonel Frank H Ray
and w. K. Thomas. Middletown, Ohio
Ebbitt-C. P. Hetch, Paris, ILL.,; c. W.
Stone, Warren. Pa; NJ. Holbrook and Miss