The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-09
sTARVING IN PINAR DEL RIO.
Thousands OF Pacincos Dying from Lack Of
Food-Spain's Cause Hopeless.

u HACIuCoo DyIuB ITO" A8oA ~
Food-Spain's Cause Hopeless.
WASHINGTON. Oct. s.-The following letter,
which has reached Washington. was written by
q prominent society lady OF Havana to q Gov.
eminent official in Cuba. and 1t only verifes
what he saw OF the suffering in various dis
tricts where Weyler's policy of concentration 10
in force. In all these districts tho people, con-
sisting almost entirely Of old men. women and
children, are perishing from starvation in enor-
nous numbers. The letter is as follows:
ARTEMIsA, PROVINCE OF PINAR DEL RIo.l
MY VERY Coon FRIEND: Everythins hero
continues the same as you left it. The poor
misery is horrible. A few zones Of cultivation
have been made, but only for the benefit of the
Spaniards, WHO appropriate the majority of what
tinue to die from starvation. In July last there
were 800 deaths in this town. and in August, up
to the Goth, 300 have been buried.
1dont know whether l will have 81 sufficient
money to return to Hayana. as have distributed
WoyIer issued a bando IN regard TO the meat,
This bdndoi Is for the purpose OF depriving the
owners Of their cattle q in order to feed the
Giles copy ana you will be convinced:
ART. III. The municipality will furnish tho troops,
for sheir ration" IT a at the rate q of s ne5t ' an a mes s1 rs
pounds. with the additional proportional expense Of
and provided that the stores do not bring at auction
ART ", The municipalities are authorized to
take all the cattle in the municipal! districts for these
ART. V From this collection are exempted the
oxen used for working purposes and cows for the
up to date in their Government aud municipai ,sI .
and that they are kept during the night in a safe
stolen by horse thieves or local bands.
] You will see by this last article that in order
to preserve the cows it is necessary TO pay, the
contribution, and as the farms have been aban-
doned for about a year by order OF Weyler, and
besides burned and destroyed by the troops, 1t is
| nytHant fhnff nhntk hA1 IN hta n~A, thA-A
fore the unfortunates who have but one COW for
the support Of their families are obliged either
TO give up the COW or to pay the tax. As none
OF these unfortunate recomcentrados has a cent,
they are obliged to deliver their cows, thereby
depriving themselves OF the only thing they
have been able to save to nourish their children
or their sick relatives.
though their very life were taken away when
they arc deprived OF their cows. You. who well
will understand that these 6ondos Of the mia.
nous Weylcr are issued with great prcmedita-
ton; they look one way on paper, In order to
deceive foreigners who are not acquainted with
affairs here. but at the bottom they all tend to
the destruction and death OF the Cubans.
During these last DAYS, We have had tho
Cuban Gen. Castillo very near here. He was
going on a mission to Pinar del Rio with 500
men. There have been combinations of columns,
going and coming Oftroops. hut, as II always hap
pens, they never knew where Castillo was,
the ,Vuclta Abajo. AT present only Gen. Her:
nAllutL 't ' tluS'D TclnhlnS. Inc departure or
these Generals is due TO the fact that they arc
not allowed TO give reports. of the combats in
which they engage nor OF their losses. because,
as Wcyler has reported this province as rpaci-
fed.' IT, would appcar from, these reports that
the pacihcation is simply u lie. You will under
stand that as the Spanish officers are only after
promotions and crosses, ii is not in their interest
TO make their campaigns in silence.
Gen. Fucntes made II column combination to
take tho camp of the Cuban Gen. Pedro
DiaZ in the GuRyabito and that OF the Brigadier
DuCassi ut Rio Hondo. In both cases. nOtwith-
standing having employed much artillery, he
WINS dcfe tod with heavy losses. without being
able to take the camp. The Gunyabito is near
the city OF Pinur del Rio and Rio Hondo near
San Cristobal.
The surrcnders reported do not mean any
thing. because those who give themselves up
are the sick people of the pacilcos who remain
In the mdHiDUd lwondsl. None of them has pre-
scented himself with u Manser gun, because
men of courage. who never, even when sick. in
woke pardon. Even among the prcsCntadOs the
majority continue to COnspire In the towns and
help the patriots, taking to them clothes. medi-
Cincs, &c.
The cause of Spain is completely lost-it is q
corpse to which no human force can return life.
1t is now said that Gems. Arolas and Loho, two
utilities, are coming to this province.
There are 5000 well-armed men of the Cuban
came with Gen. Macco, and are thoroughly nc
quaintcd with the country, so that in this prov
ince alone Spain requires. In order to sustain
the war. al least 20. 600 acclimated soldiers.
The soldiers. here are MI suffering from anHmia
and paludic fcvers, and as soon as they march
four lenguesl twelve milcsl through the mdnigua
half of them become i'll.