The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-06-09
THE TRUTH
HELD BACK.
NM Calhoun InduIgss in a Little
Sarcasm About His Trip.
TRUTH WAS CONCEALED = ONE
sPANlARD WHO WAS MUCH
WANTED DIsAPPEARs-MR. CAL.
HoUN SAYS CUBA is RAPIDLY
BEING DEVASTATED BY A RE-
LENTLEss, CRUEL AND BITTER
CIVIL WAR AND THE COUNTRY
SEEMS TO BE DEPoPULATED.
HoUN SAYS CUBA IS RAPIDLY
BEING DEVASTATED BY A RE-
LENTLEss, CRUEL AND BITTER
SEEMS TO BE DEpoPULATED. !.

Washington. June S.-Mr. VIM. J. Cal
noun, the special Cuban commissioner,
arrived here to day. He was accompanied
by Geo. w. Fishback, his secretary, and
Charles NJ. Pepper, a Washington news
paper CORRESPONDENT, who went to Cuba
with the commissioner.
MI. Calhoun said the commission held
three sittings between May 90 and June
at Havana, Regulus and Guanabacoa.
The papers examined in the case were
chiefly military records. The final report
will be made to Washington by Consul
General Lee. Mr.. Calhoun declined to
give his opinion on the case.
AT the sessions of the commission, {"
he said, 1--WE examined several witnesses,
but when you ask me if they were plenti-
full can only say that they did not run
after us, and we had to use no force to
keep them away. They. were composed
OF Spanards and Cubans. The Spanish
witnesses, and, in fact, all of those who
testified, were so surrounded with safe
guards that it was impossible to get at
the naked truth.
lone person whom we would have
liked to hear could not be found. This
was Fondsdeviela, who commanded the
Spanish in the Guanabacoa territory.
He disappeared, and it WAS impossible to
find him.
Captain General Weyler did not put
in an appearance at the investigation.
- We inspected the Jail at Guanabscoa.
When we were there it was suspicously
clean. We learned that DIR. Ruiz was ar
rested February 4, charged with having
some connection with IN assault which
took place in n railroad train between
Guanabacoa and Havana. He was placed
III solitary confinement,o or as 1t is known
there. he WAS p,p,,,p;ooIo
Cuba is rapidly being devastated by a
relentless, cruel and bitter civil war, so
that in short time it will not be worth
anything to anyone. 1t is difficult to get
at the exact situation there. In the first
place There is severe censorship of the
press, and those Hho IRE naturally
friendly to the Cubans hardly dare to eX.
press their views and opinions. Further
more, the adherents Of both sides are ex-
ceedingly intense. They tell their stories
just ss they want to believe them. From
the Spanish point of view, the island is
practically pacfied, and from that of the
Cubans the insurgents never were in such
excellent condition as they now are.n
Did you go into the interior Of the is
land?" was asked of Mr.. Calhoun.
Yes was the reply, II went from
Havana to Matanzas. While both are on
the sea coast, still to go from one to the
other by rail takes the passenger through
large part of the interior country. +
also made several short tri ps from Havana
in other directions.
what is the condition of the countrysn
1T seems to be entirely depopulated,
and there are no signs of any buildings
standing except at the railroad stations.
these, by the way, are practically forts.
| was generally informed that the same
condition of affairs exists throughout
Cubn from Havana to Pinar del Rio. ex-
cept in the extreme eastern end. There
is where the Cubans get their supplies
and their cattle. They control that Sec
tion now. 1t was the portion of the is
land which held out ten years in the last
war.
Cuba is undoubtedly magnificent
country naturally. 1t is rich and beau.
tiful and the soil responds bountifully to
the seed"
In answer to another question Mr.. Cal.
houn said:
"While am not called upon to make
any formal report to the President. be-
cause Iacted mei ely as counsel to General
Lee in the Ruiz case, still may be asked
to tell Mr.. Mckinley and the Secretary
of State things which 1 have seen and
heard in my brief trip TO Cuba In that
case will do so.''
Mr.. Calhoun said he had been treated
courteously while in Cuba by all those
with whom he came liz contact. His
visit was pleasant one.
crnh,n