The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-25

lnest & 10y Osl y Ksylsf's
Cvseestr sdes.
WITHHOLD EITHER FOOD oR clofafs


Nv York. Noyembsr Ma dispatch =
the Herald from Havana sass: Deplcrabi'
= the condition Of The recommendations ma,
81. spain's nrst duty = Clearly to relieve
the sufyeriags u her own troops. the loys'
soldiers are in a. serious plight 40 the
majority OF Che rec0ncentrados. The recon-
csntradps have one advantage-they may
receive charity.
10 BEGIN with, the Spanish soldiers have
received no pay for many months. ana
consequently they ore not aple TO buy
anything on their own account In the
small sowps In which they are stationed.
Then. too. the credit OF the troops has
been IN most instances exhausted, the
shop keepers refusing to deliver them
hoods until they are paid what is long que
70 them. All the soldiers have TO depend
upon IN the way OF food and clothing ~
what Is supplied by the commlssariat de-
partment. and that department IL neg
lectcd and, 1t Is asserted, corrupt
When General Blanco In an interview
with me four days after his arrival, stated
that he would do his utmost to better the
condition OF the private soldier, be was
aincere but It was impossible for him to
realize what the condition Of the soldiers
was. To learn the truth he must person
ally inspect the country districts. The re-
portg OF officers are calculated 10 deceive
the captain general. All that General
3lanco has to Judge by are the reports from
hospitals. and even these, With ali at
telnpts at concealment, are appalling.
In Havana, leaving aside the hospitals.
the conditions aro not so bad, but u the
captain general were to 90 to the country
he would see soldiers dying by he way
side. he would fnd many forts that IN
reality are nothing riore than hospitals.
and IN most OF the small towns he would
experience difficulty in getting a force OF
any kind that would be able TO march nve
miles and then ba In a condition to attack
an ordinary band of rebels.
am not In any way exaggeratisg. The
whole country along the road from arte-
mlsa to Havana is in ruins except few
small patches where tobacco is belDg
planted under the guards Of the forts.
In further proof of the assertions re-
garding the conditions OF the 3panish
trvopS, the Herald correspondent has re-
ceiyed the following copy OF an Official
telegram, dated November II, from the mil
itary commander at Ciega dc Avilla 10
Havana:
very serious conflicts IN this town Gar
risicn). No bread no -four, absolutely.
provisions whatever, besides the garrison
itself With greatest urgency must be
sent the -four asked for on October IS
and send cash to buy effects. No credit
In Matan2as, Centuesos and In rcarly
all towns credit to troops has been refused,
and kilograms similar to tho above are
pouring into the palace daily. II this lasts
much longer the troops viii surely inulfny,
particularly II relief is first afforded 10 the
reconcentrados.
Such Is the state OF affairs In the Span
ish army In Cuba that General I3lanco has
to contend with. It Is hardly to be Won
tered ut that he feels incepsed ut the way
In which he has been deceived by Spanish
Off GERS.
Stories OF the suffering OF the rcconcen-
trados have been so frequently published
that there is little that Is new to tell.
However much in earnest General hlanct
may be. II VIII be weeks before he can
effect nny visible improvement. The ofn-
GERS In the country are oppased 10 his
policy and VIII daily With hls orders.
II Spain has not oxtermlnated the recon
centrados, she has cut across he island !
wound that viii take generations TO heal
The childrens children OF The Cuban,
within the concentration zones today VIII
bear the marks physically mn mentally
of the exlstlng misery.