The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-15
ExTERMINATING CUBANS.
ABoUT HhLF THE POPULATION HAS
NOW DIsAPPEIRED.

Appalling statistics Collected By tho n,shop
or Havnna-Buuatics starvtnE In the ua-
vann ~Anylum-Cubn IL n He'll ana Matters
Are Growing worse Under Gen. u,,pco.
HAVANA, Dec. 12.-Tho Bishop Of Havana. his
Excollency Don Manuel Santander Frutos. IL
gathering all the authoritative reports of deaths
in Cuba for the past year. The priests Of all the
parishes report to him the number OF persons
who have died in their districts from famine.
epidemics or war. The Archbishop OF Santiago
dc Cuba is collecting similar statistics at the ro-
quest Of the Bishop Of Havana, and up to this
time. according to trustworthy information,
they have found that 800, 600 persons
have died in Cuba in this short time. II IA TO be
observed that tho largest estimate of the
population OF this island before tho war was
1000, 900. It is also to DO considered that the
deaths registered in the parishes are those only
OF persons buried according to law and the reg.
ulations of the Catholic Church. Tho ~paciacos
assassinated by the Spanish troops, the Spanish
and Cuban soldiers killed in battle. the thou.
sands who have died in tho country Of small
pox, dysentery, beri.bori. and starvation are
not included. With this great mortality not
included in the starvation statistics, and with
tho 10000 persons who have emigrated from
the island, It will be seen that tho Bishops sta
tistics confirm the estimate that 300, 900 per-
sons have died or left Cuba which was made by
TIE U correspondent about two months
ago.
Still moro appalling is the fact, which must
tho attention of the whole civilized
world, that the situation has not in the least
improved under Captain-G eneral Blanco, but,
on the contrary, Is growing worse. 1t is q dire
fact that in the insane asylum of Havana. called
here Mdzdrrd, an institution maintained by
the Government, the poor inmates are actually
diving of hunger. Within aipht NJ tbis raDitol
In the neighboring town of Managua. the conli.
tion Of affairs is really horrible. Tho Diario de
la Marina. a Spanish Reformist newspaper, In.
terested now in supporting Ca~ptain.General
Blanco, describes tho situation there as follows.
There is not a single physician in the town
and tho people are dying without treatment.
What Is called the zone OF cultivation is a myth.
Nothing of the kind exists. The concentrates,
without any implements, cannot till the ground,
and hence the awful mortality from starvation.
There are no sanitary regulations. Since June
not a particle Of medicine has been given to the
sick. Notwithstanding all the orders Of the
Government to feed tho concentrates, not a
piece of broad has been given to them and they
die of hunger as they did in the days of Weyler.
The schoolmasters are twenty-three months in
arrears in their meagre salary accounts. This
Is also the case with the municipal police, and a
largo sum of money is duo by tho Government
to the only druggist in the town. Not tho least Of
fort is made to change this state OF affairs"
Tho same condition of things exists in all the
cities and principal towns of tho island. THE
SUNS correspondent has letters from Pinar del
Rio, Matanzas,C ienfuegos, Santa Clara, Sancti
Spiritus, Puerto Principe, and Santiago dc Cuba
in which the same gloomy details are given of the
determination Of the Cuban people. Gen. Blanco
has only changed things on paper. Now, as
when Weyler was here, Cuba is a hell. The ex.
floating dock is still beneath the waters Of the
bay of Havana. and tho longer it 10 submerged,
according to the naval experts. the more diff.
cult it will be to make 1t float again. The mud
In the bay and the sand brought by tho river
from Casa Blanca is filling the dock. making 1t
heavier, and thoy will finally anchor It fast to
the bottom of the bay. People here say that the
dock was purposely sunk because 1t was good
for nothing. and half of the money appropriated
for it by the Government was stolen by some of
the agents.