The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-08-09
In CUBA.
oringf1eld Republican,

From the Springfield Republican.
Our latest glimpse of the situation in
Cuba is through letter Just printed by
the London Chronicle from correspond
ent who writes from Santa Clara prov
ince. This is testimony of recent date
coming through an English and an i'm
partial source. "The unspeakable saw
agery of General Weyler's attempts to
repress the rising of the Cubans against
Spanish tyranny" is the Chronicles own
way of calling attention to the corre-
spondents letter, which thus begins:
The more one sees OF the struggle and
the fearful devastation occasioned there
by, the stronger grows the conviction that
Spain Is plunging deeper and deeper into
slough Of despond which threatens to
enguf her at every step, and from which
her chance Of emerging victoriously seems
hopeless. The accumulated debts will be
a fearful load for a country in Span's
position. Intrinsically the island Is not
worth the struggle, the price In blood
and money has been far too high for the
island in prosperity. and now 1t is an ash
heap from Cape Antonio In the extreme
west to the great trocha."
The insurgents hold the eastern dis
tricts and there Cuba libre," one reads,
Is an accomplished fact. I'm the west,
this bowling waste, once the best and
most prosperous portion of the island,
the insurgents roam around at pleasure
and the 'pacificos are still dying
of starvation, yellow fever and small
pox." Spanish treatment of the non-com-
batants, which amounts to ''the compul-
sorry starvation of thousands" will add
another blot to the bloody escutcheon of
Spain." 1t even dsgusts many leading
officers of the colony who are not slow
now in condemning the the fatuous pol
inU Of hn Ntain
respondent continues: THE scenes daily
to be witnessed in the filthy reeking set
Elements of the 'reconcentrados' are so
utterly revolving that the Spanish SOL
diers hardened as they are by rough
treatment and scenes of blood, are often
touched by the misery of these people,
and give their sorry ration of bread to
stop the mournful walls of the children
for food. Yet there is no hope for them,
no chance of the famine being assuaged.
Where can food come from with barren
interior and tlockaGed coast? Smallpox
is rife among these poor wretches, with
every precaution disregarded, while yell
low fever dances a ghastly attendance.
The condition of the Spanish troops is
nearly as pitful-roor ragged Spanish
boys, enduring hardships, plod ling weari-
ly on in straw shoes and torn, harsh,
linen suits, till they fall exhausted and
perish by the roadside for lack of care
in providing ambulanceS or proper medl-
cal stores by the authorities, who have
torn these youths from home and forced
them to fight in these noisome swamps."
%
There has been severe criticism of Gen.
eral Wcyler in American journals, but
none of it has surpassed that OF this
writer to an English newspaper: Mel
ther mercy nor quarter has he shown,
ard he has turned the Cuban struggle
into a near approach to the campaign OF
Alva in Holland Every day prisoners
are executed for the crime of rebellion,
and before the final scene, l hear, on the
authority of eyewitnesses, that inquisi-
torial tortures are resorted to II the VIC
tim is suspected of Withholding informa-
tion." The evidence of horrors and saw
agery is too varied, circumstantial and
cumulative to doubt much And 1t all
goes on and on.