The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1897-11-17
HELP THE
STARVING.
SPANS Armies In Cuba Ravaged
by Disease, Her Ships Of
War in Bad Condition.
BLANco's WORK IN CUBA.

NEW YORK, Nov. 15.-The Herald
published the following dispatch from
Havana General E.anco continues to
offer proofs Of his earnest desire to not
only bring peace to Cuba, but to rem
edy, so far as lies in. his power, and
with the least possible delay, the awful
suffering resulting from the ruthless
policy of his predecessor What this
condition is no one realizes more fully
than he no one appreciates more keen
ly the imperative necessity of instant
measures to check the harvest of death
For the time this is the most pressing
of all needs. 1t can almost be said to
over-shadow the question of autonomy
itself. While men, women and chill
dren remain to be saved from the hor.
rors of death by starvation the cues.
ton of political reforms may wait, at
least short while.
General Blanco's first instructions to
the new civil governors of provinces was
to devote themselves at once to the
work Of relieving the distress Of the re.
concentrates. For this purpose he or
dered the organization of relief com.
mittees Some of these committees re.
port that good work has been done. In
Havana the employees of one big factory
will work on Sunday and devote the
whole days wages to the relief fund.
Probably nothing yet done to relieve
the suffering will have so beneficial an
effect as the order published recently
urging the planters to grind sugar, and
permitting the employment Of recon
oentrados on estates where a reasonable
assurance of protection can be given.
(,rifioian, has haor, M do khaf Gona~.l
Blanco has not abolished General Wey.
ler's edict of concentration, but merely
extended the area Of the districts.
While literally this Is true no other
course was open to the captain general.
The delay in publishing the terms OF
the edict OF autonomy is giving rise to
some speculation. General Blanco, on
his arrival, said the edict would be pub.
lished in four or five days. Now, 1t APP
pears that the details have not been re-
ceived from Madrid. Advantage has
been taken in some quarters to hint
that a serious hitch had occurred in de,
Gliding on the precise terms of self.gov.
eminent granted to the island. 1t has
been asserted that the whole autonomy
project is likely to be brought TO naught
There is no reason for this
Captain General Blanco is strictly in.
vestigating the condition OF the Spanish
forces in Cuba. and the further his in.
quiries 20 the less satisfactory his dis.
coveries prove TO be Both the army
and navy are In bad condition. Not
only we're the ravaRes of disease to
great extent concealed by General
Weyler, but in many instances direct
fraud has been brought to light
II will be General Blancos unpleas-
ant duty to undeceive Spain as regards
her actual strength In Cuba and her fit.
ness TO go TO war With another country
SPANS navy in Cuban waters is not in
good condition TO go 70 sea and fight
In fact, two OF her newest and best
phonsc XII, could not steam outside
MORO Castle. while several men-of.
war stationed around the island have
been lying in various harbors so long
that they would have to be placed In
dry dock and thoroughly scraped before
they could sail at their full speed In
Havana ha: Dor at least four ships are
undergoing repairs.
In the army numerous frauds have
already been discovered, and there is
considerable murmuring among the
troops in consequence. However, Gen.
eral Blanco's evident determination to
bring all offenders to trial is doing
much to maintain confidence
A railway collision took place near
Guines in October, and public sub.
scription of $4,000 was raised for the
families of the dead and wounded,
This sum was deposited in the Bank Of
Commerce and remained there un.
touched until few days before General
Weyler's departure for Spain. Not q
cent had been distributed