The herald., 1897-05-15
Fail to Evolve Any Scheme Of
Relief
SPAIN WILL GLADLY GIVE AID
TO ANY PROJECT FOR FEEDING
THE HUNGRY
Spanish Anxiety Regarding Ameri-
can Action-Gomez Insists That
Insurgents Will Accept i
Nothing But Freedom y
Associated Press Special wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE meet
ing of the cabinet today was devoted
almost entirely to the consideration Of
the Cuban question, The meeting oc-
CURED an hour earlier than usual, ow-
be discussed and the fact that the pres
ident and cabinet were to leave for
Philadelphia at 1915. The cabinet dis
cussion was upon the advisability Of
asking congress to provide immediate
relief for the Americans who, according
to the reports received from Consul
General Lee, are penned up in the cit
les Of Cuba and in actual danger Of
starvation. It had no bearing upon the
policy of the administration toward
Spain or the Cuban insurgents except
incidentally, but dealt with the direct
and immediate question: of relieving
destitute Americans on the island. Sec
retary Sherman laid before the cabinet
some of the most important documents
in the state department about the sit
uatfon and before the meeting was over
Judge Day, the. assistant secretary of
state, personally took to the White
House some additional papers for which
the secretary had sent. @
| Every phase of the matter was dis
cussed, the advisability of asking con-
gress for an appropriation, Spain's at
tftude, the method of distributing relief
If 1t should be decided to enter upon It..
the necessity or advisability of having a
warship accompany food supplies; but
the final decision Of the question was
postponed until Consul General Lee and
other American consuls in Cuba, es-
pecially Mr.. Calhoun, make their re-
ports by cable to the department They
have been requested to cable the latest
facts as to the existing situation. These
reports will be here, probably when
the president and cabinet return tomor-
row night, and if it is decided to send
special message to congress early next
week, these reports, with other facts
In possession of the state department.
will be made the basis of the request to
congress. 1t seems extremely probable
now that such a message will be sent
to congress, but hardly before Tuesday,
as there would be no time to prepare Z
message before that day, unless Mr.. Mo-
Kinley devoted Sunday to the task.
The Spanish minister. Dupuy de LONE,
called at the state department shortly
before noon today and conferred for
some time with Assistant Secretary Day
relative to the reported intention of this
government to send relief to American
sufferers in Cuba. The minister gave as
surance that the Spanish government
would be in sympathy with any benevo-
lent movement and lend every as
sistance to it, 1t was recalled by thu
minister that four months ago he had
written the officers of the Red Cross So
ciety giving in behalf Of his gov.
ernment full authority for ex-
tending aid to the sufferers in Cuba.
Since then however, no steps toward
relief have been taken. The Spanish
minister does not question the existence
Of misery and suffering in the island, but
he declares that it is such only as ac-
companies insurrection and war, height
ened in this case by the diseases peculiar
to low tropical countries. 1t is stated
that these corditions have existed for
months and have been well known. A
| to the severity of the suffering, 1t is un-
derstood that it consists mainly In the
lack of adequate food, medicine and
nursing for the sick and destitute. The
truth Of the reports that people are dy-
ing in the streets is not admitted at the
legation, but are discredited, and 1t II
said that there are number Of well-to-
do Americans in Cuba who would re.
lieve any distress on the part Of their
fellow countrymen.
The manner of sending relief to Cuba.
If 1t shall be decided upon by the presi-
dent and congress- has been discussed
among officials, and in some quarters Il
lis felt that the dispatch of vessel would
be inadvisable. 1t is believed that the
surest way would be to send relief BY
the ordinary freight routes, which have
facilities for reaching the various ports
and interior points in Cuba. The centers
Of suffering are SO widely separated that
relief vessel to any one port would en-
counter many delays and difficulties In
giving speedy relief to the people need
ing 1t.
The conference between Assistant
Secretary Day and Senior Dupuy de
LONE lasted for an hour and was con-
fined entirely to discussion Of the ex-
tension of relief measures. No objection
was made in behalf of the Spanish gov-
ernment to the supply Of food. medicine
and clothing to the distressed Americans
in Cuba, but 1t was clearly understood
| that the relief is to be extended only to
American citizens through agencies noe
lyet decided upon. The Spanish author-
tiles have not recorded any objection %
| their part to a general diGtrihu1togt
provided this Il not carried to Tie oxt4uf
of provisiopius ~ insurgo1t fpre14 &