The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-03-18

They have no floor but the ground. am,
no furniture, and after a years wear
but little clothing except such stray
substitutes as they can extemporize.
|. With large families. or with more than
one I'm this little space. the commonest
sanitary provisions are impossible. Con-
ditions are u.smentionable In this re-
spect. Torn from their homes. with foul
earth. foul air. foul water and foul food.
or none. what wonder that one-half have
died and that one-quarter of the living
are so diseased that they cannot be
saved. A form OF dropsy Is common
disorder resulting from these conditions.
Little children are still walking about
with arms and chest terribly emaciated,
eyes swollen and abdomen bloated to
three times the natural size. The ply
Gicians say these cases are hopeless.
Deaths In the streets have not been un-
common. I was told by one OF our con-
suls that they have been found dead
about the markets in the morning where
they had crawled. hoping to get some
stray bits. OF food from the early huck-
ters. and that there had been cases
where they had dropped dead inside the
markets. surrounded by food. The peo-
pie were independent and sef-support-
Ing before Weyler's order. They are
not beggars even now. There are plenty
OF professional beggars in every town
among the regular residents. but these
country people. the reconcentrados, have
not learned the art Rarely is a hand
held out to you for aims 6Lhen going
among their huts. but the sight of them
makes an appeal stronger than words.
speak; others have described their con-
dition far better than / can. II is not
within the narrow limits OF my vocabu-
larry to portray. l went TO Cuba with
strong conviction that the picture had
been overdrawn: that few cases OF
starvation and suffering had inspired
and, stimulated the press correspon-
dents, and they had given free play TO
a strong. natural and highly cultivated
imagination. What I saw 1 cannot tell
SO that others can see it, 1t must be
seen with ones own eyes to be realized.
The Los Pasos hospital in Havana has
been recently described by one OF my
colleagues. Senator Gallinger. and
cannot say that his picture was over
drawn, for even his fertile pen could not
do more. / saw IL when 400 women and
children were lying on the stone floors
in an indesoribable state Of emaciation
and disease. many with the scantiest
covering OF rags-and such rags-and
sick children naked as they came into
the world. The conditions In the other
cities are even worse.
IF our people could see a small frac-
tion OF the need they would pour more
freely from their liberal stock than ever
before In any cause When will the need
for this help end? Not until peace comes
and the reconcentrados can go back to
their country. rebuild their homes, re-
claim their tillage plots which us,kly
run up to brush in that wonderful soil
and cline, and until they can be free
from danger OF molestation in so doing
Until then the American people must in
the main care for them. 1t is true that
the alcades. other local authorities and
relief committees are now trying TO do
something and desire. i believe to do the
best they can. but the problem is beyond
their means and capacity and the work
Ii one to which they are not accustomed.
General Blanco's order OF Nov. Is last
somewhat modified the Weyler order.
but Is OF little or no practical benefit.
Its application is limited to farms
properly defended and the owners are
obliged TO build centers of defense
Its execution Is completely I'm the dis
creton OF the local military authori-
ties. and they know the terrible military
efficiency Of Weyler's order in stripping
the country OF all possible shelter, food
or source of information for an insurg-
ent, and will be slow TO surrender this
advantage. In fact, though the order
was issued four months ago. I saw no
benefcent results from IL worth mem
tionlng. / do not impugn General
Blanco's motives, and believe him to lie
on aE'iable gentleman, and that he
would be glad TO relieve the condition
OF the reconcentrados IL he could do so
without loss of any military advantage.
but he knows all Cubans are insurgents
at heart, and none under military con-
troll will be allowed to go from under it,"
Senator Proctor finished with state
ment az 10 the political situation He
said that IL autonomy succeed lit can
only be by armed force, by the triumph
OF the Spanish army. and the success of
Spanish arms would be easier by wey-
ler's policy and method, for In that the
Spanish army and people believe. There
is no doubt that General Blanco is acting
In entire good faith. that he desires to
give the Cubans a fair measure of au-
tonomy as Campos did at the close Of the
lO-year war. He has, OF course. a few
personal followers. but the army and
Spanish citizens do not want genuine
autonomy for that means government
by the Cuban people; and II is not
strange that the Cubans say IL comes too
late"
MODERN ATHENS