Evening star., 1897-06-03
INVESTIGATION OF CONSUL GEN. LEE
Commissioner CaIhoun's Sources of
Information.
UINED BY THE W R
From The Stars Special Correspondent.

long, deep cut between TWO rlOSeS Oh niiis.
But its full beauty and richness are not
apparent till the valley is seen from above.
The climb up the hill to the church which
the devout Galatians have erected for votive
offerings to the Virgin of Monserrat is
panorama below unfolds itself. The sight
of ruined homes does not mar it. The
habitations in the valley were destroyed.
but the luxuriant growth Of nature has al
ready covered up the evidences Of this de-
struction. Mr.. Calhoun and his companions
quickly comprehend that along the banks
of the river winding in and out there is
a soil which would easily yield sustenance
for the starving pacif1cos What might be
its rroductiveness under cultivation in
time of peace they can only guess.
But there is little chance to think OF
peace even Under the shadow Of the Virgin
Of Monserrat and the images Of the saints
in which the church abounds. A sentinel
Is on guard. He is a negro, full blooded.
in the uniform of Spain. Other soldiers fill
the churchyard and listen sullenly to the
reproofs of a petty officer who wants them
to make an appearance before strangers.
They are badly disciplined, but there are
enough CT them to hold the place against
a sudden attack of insurgents. The height
is strategic point. The insurgents raided
the valley few days ago, and some day
they may take a notion to come charging
up the hill. So the church is fortified and
the Spanish soldiers kept there.
Sources of Information.
The relief of suffering people is of greater
moment than the landscape of the Yumuri.
and a long stay was not made on the
height. Ger eral Lee was anxious to get
to the consulate, where the information
he sought could be obtained Neither he
nor Mr.. Calhoun had to depend entirely
on the lists prepared by Consul Brice and
Vice Consul Delgado. Some reputable men
in whose word trust could be placed were
at the consulate. One of these was Mr.
Edward Alfonso formerly the leading
American merchant in Matanzas. He is a
native Of New York, and has never given
up his American citizenship. He was the
friend of William H. Seward and Governor
Andrew G. Curtin of Pennsylvania. Cen
eral Grant was his guest at Matanzas, and
other emiI ent Americans who visited Cuba
have been entertained by him. I make
use of Mr.. Alfonso's name in order that
1t may be Known in the states the sources
from which President McKinley's repre-
sentative draws in seeking to inform him
self of the condition of affairs here.
Another man, a Cuban by birth. but a
| naturalized citizen. cannot be named for
obvious reasons At the beginning Of the
| insurrection he was worth $15O,00O. owned
| a fine sugar plantation and was prosperous
and influential. Now few thousand dol
lars make the sum total of his worldly
| goods. His plantation was destroyed by
| the Spanish troops, and his life has been in
| constant danger. He never leaves his
| house after nightfall. This man knows
| every American around Matanzas. He also
| knows the military operations on both
sides. and he was able to give an intelligent
| idea of the extent of the "pacifcation'' in
| the province.
| Other credible witnesses were questioned
| by Gen. Lee and Mr.. Calhoun, and from
them all a good idea was had Of the Ameri-
| can citizens who were in need Of relief and
| the business Of their claims. No Americans
| are, among the starving reconcentrados OF
country people. The Americans worked or
the sugar plantations in employment as
| mechanics and in connection with the ship
ping interests. The absolute stagnation OF
business left them without means of earn.
ing a livelihood. They could not go into
the country because that was desolated
They could not go to other towns because
| the conditions were the same everywhere
What means they had were exhausted. and
it was now a question of relief. This was
the story Of a dozen individual cases which
were looked into.
The Americans Relieved.
An impression is prevalent that tn.
money voted by Congress is going to peopl,
who are really Cubans and who have NJ
moral claim to relief from the United
States. whatever their legal rights Of citi
zenship. 1t may be doubted whether in tn,
midst Of starvation it is the time for
great country to evade the responsibility 4
has created. and to talk of revising tn,
naturalization laws as a remedy for hungr,
stomachs. But even in this matter of citi
zenship there is opportunity to correct mis-
understanding. The people who are being
succored do not all bear Cuban or Spanisl
names. such as Fernandez Hernandez anl
Morales. From the list of seventy-eigh
American families prepared by Consu
Brice copied the following names: Web
ster. Gould. Churchill, Cole, Washington
Pinckney, Dunbar. Hudson, Houghton
Wybert. Wilson, Frito, Pellet Van, Tassel
Cunningham, Gronlier and Monterqucuen
Most Of these names seem to have al
American twang to them. Moreover, som
Of the Spanish names belong to person.
who come from Florida and who can trac
their American citizenship long way back
When a Hernandez exhibits his discharr
papers from the Union army it is prett,
fair proof that he is entitled to considera
ton, even If he has been living on the is
land a long while.
Consul General Lee decided that the bes
way to use the amount appropriated b,
Congress would be to distribute the none,
directly among the needy families. Th
decision was a wise one. The American
citizens are not making parade Of thei
, distress. From some of them admissio,
I has been wrung only by suffering whicl
must have relief. It was accompanied b,
unn:istakable signs of humiliation that tn
! confession had to be made at ALL Man,
: will be glad to have their passage pai,
} back to the states. Others, for good rea
sons. cannot go back. But to all of then
! little help comes gladly, and is the NOR
: welcome in the form proposed. Charity II
public would have been almost as bad q
starvation. Besides, In not attempting I,