The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1898-04-15

Washington. April 1.-THE presi.
pent today sent the following message
10 the congress Of the United States
Obcdlent 10 that prscept Of the con
stltution. n becomes my duty now 10
address. your body with regard 10 tho
grave conditions that have arisen 10
the relations Of the United states and
Spain, by reason Of tho warfare that
for more than three years has ragged
ia the nclghboring Islands Of Cuba.
The present revolution Is the sue.
ccisor Of similar Instructions which
have occurred In Cuba. extending over
= period Of nearly half a century, each
Of which, ciuscd enormous loss 10 the
American trade and commerce, caused
irritation, annoyance and disturbance
ance among our citizens aud by the eN.
erclsc Of cruel, barbarous and unciyil.
lied practices Of warfare. shocked the
sensibilitlos aud offended the humane
sympaihlca Of our people.
Since the present revolution began
In February, isgi. this country has
been ravaged by drc aud sword Ia the
course Of a struggle uncquallcd In the
history Of the island and rarely par.
alleled M TO the number Of the com.
batants aud the bitterness Of the con.
test by any revolution Of modern times.
. fur ua.wTa lee. I..taIN d. ....... ,.....
porous community reduced 10 compar.
atlyc want it, commerce virtually par.
alySed, ~ exceptional productlycncss
diminished, Ia fields laid waste, It's
mills In ruins and its people pcrlshing
by tens ~ thousands from hunger aud
dcstitution.
la April, 1900. the evils from which
our country IT. irered through the Gu.
ban war became 40 oncrous that my
predecessor made an effort to bring
about n peace through the mediation
OF this government la any way that
might tend 10 an honorable adjust.
ment Of the contest between Spain aud
her revolving colony. IL failed,
through the refusal Of the spanish
government 10 consider any form Of
mediation, or any plan OF settlement
which did not begin with the actual
submission Of the insurgents. and then
only on such terms IA spain herself
might see NJ TO grant The war con.
tlnucd undated. Tho resistance Of
the insurgents was In no wise dimin.
ished
iNnuNAS wARFARE.
The efforts Of spain were Increased,
both by the dispatch Of fresh levles 10
Cuba and hy the addition To the horrors
Of the strife. The new aud inhuman
phase, happily unprecedented In the
modern history Of civilized Christian
people, the policy OF devastation aud
concentration, inaugurated 10y the cap.
tain-generals bando Of October 81.
1890, In the province Of Plnar del Rio,
was thence extended TO embrace all OF
the island 10 which the power Of the
Spanish arms was able to reach. The
peasantry, including all dwellings In
the open agricultural Interior, were
driven Into the garrison towns OF iso.
lated places held by the troops The
raising Of provisions Of nj, kinds was
intcrdlcted. Fields were laid waste -.
dwellings unrooicd aud nrcd, mills
destroyed, aud, In short, everything
that could dcsolatc the land aud rem.
der II unfit for human habltatlon or
support was commanded by one or the
other OF the contcndlng parties aud
executed by all the powers at their
disposal.
The agricultural population, TO the
estimated number OF 300, 600 or more.
was herded within the towns and their
Immediate vicinity, deprived Of the
means Of support, rendered destitute
otsheltcr left poorly clad and exposed
20 the most unsatisfactory conditions
STARVATION Ann EXrEHNINArioN.
Month by month the death rate In.
creased To an alarming ratio. Nv
March, 1907, according to estimates.
from Spanish sources. the mortality
among the reconcentrados from star.
walton and disease exceeded so pcr
eentum Of the total number Noprnc.
ucal relief was accorded To the dcsti,
tute. The ovcrbqrdcncd towns, al.
ready suffering FROM the general
dearth could give no aid
The war IN Cuba Is Of such nature
that, short OF subiugatlon or extermin.
tion, anal military victory Tor
either side seems lmpracticnble. The
alternative lies In the physical ex.
haustlon OF the one or the other party
or perhaps both "a condition which In
effect ended the ten years war by ia,
truce Of Zan Jon. The prospect OF
such a protraotion and conclusion oi
the present. strife Is contingency
hardly 10 oe contemplated with aee