The Globe-republican., 1898-04-14

| p1OOUCtlOu Oe StttUtlOn ana want became
misery and starvation The monthly death
| rate increased in an alarming ratio By
| March 1897. according to conservative
estimates from Official Spanish sources. the
mortality among the reconcentrados from
starvation and the diseases thereto Incl
dent, exceeded so per c.ntum of their to-
! tai number. No practical relief was ac-
corded to the destitute
/ The overburdened towns already suffer-
ing from the general dearth could give no
aid.
So-called zones of cultivation. established
! within the immediate area of effective mil
| itary control about the cities and fortified
camps proved illusory as a remedy for the
suffering.
Uaclvilized Warfare
The unfortunates. being for the most part
women and children with aged and help
less men, enfeebled BY diseas. and hunger,
could not have titled the soil without tools.
seed or shelter. for their own support or
TOR the supply of the cities Reconcentra-
ton. adop-ed avowedly as a war measure.
In order to cut off the resources of the in
surgents. worked its predestined result
As said in my message of last Dece mber.
1t was uncivilized warfare, it was extermi-
nation. The Onl' peace it could bcget was
that of the wilderness and the grave.
Insurgents 1t Hav aaa's wallis
island has undergone notice able change.
The extraordinary activity that character
lied the second year of the war. when the
insurgents invaded even the hitherto I'M
harmed fields of Pinar del Rio and carried
havoc and restitution up to the walls Of the
city of Havana itself, has relapsed into a
logged struggle in the central and eastern
provinces The Spanish arms regained a
measure Of control in Pinar del Rio and
parts of Havana, but, under the existing
conditions of the rural country, withO:
immediate impr ovement of their produce
i've situation. Even thus partially restrict
ed. he revOlutionists held their own and
the essential and sole basis OF peace.
seemed as far distant as at the outset:
Confronted by Duty.
In this state of affairs my administr alton
found itself confronted with the grave
problem of its duty. My message of last De-
cember reviewed the situation and detailed
the steps taken with view of relieving its
acuteneSS and opening the way to some
form of honorable settlement The assassi-
nation of the prime minister. Canovas. led
to change of government in Spnin
A Liberal Cabinets Pledges.
The former administration. pledged TO
the subjugatiOn without concession gave
place to that of a more liberal party. COM
mitted long in advance to policy of re-
form involving the wider principle of home
rule for Cuba and Puerto Rico The over
lures of this COVER nment made through
its new envoy. General WOodford, and
looking to an immediate and effective anne
hor alton OF the c Ondition of the island al
though not accepted to the extent of ad-
mitted mediation in any shape, were met
by assurances that home rule. in an ad-
vAnced phase would be forthwith offered
IN In xryffh fov 70 md
and that more humane methods should
thenceforth prevail in the conduct of hos
tilities.
Release OF America n Prisoners.
Incidentally with these declarations the
completed the policy already begun by its
predecessor of testify ng trienily regard
fol this nation by releasing American citi-
Gems held under one charge or another con-
nected with the instruction. so that, ~
the lad of November not single person
entitled In any way to our national prOtec =
ton. remained i'll Spanish prison.
Americas Work Of Relief.
While these negotiatio were in progress
the i 'reasing restitution of the unfOrtUn
ate reconcentrado, and the alarming mor-
tally among them claimed earnes, atteI-
ton. The success which had attended the
limited measure of relief extended to the
suffering American citizens among them
by the judicious expenditure through the
consular agencies of the money appro-
priated expressly for their succor by the
joint resolution. approved May ~. 1897
prompted the humane extensi on of similar
scheme OF aid to the great body of sufferers
1.-THE message then recites the relief work
done by this country and continues: The
necessity for a change in the condition of
the reconCentradOs is recognized by the
past the orders OF General Weyier have
been re vOked the reconcentrados are. it IS
said to lie permitted to return to their
homes and aided to resume the self-sup-
porting pursuits of peace: public works
have beef ordered to give them EN- rloy-
ment and a sum of S6O1 900 has been APP
prOpriated for their relief
Victory for Neither In Sight.
The war in Cuba is of such nature that
short of subjugation or cxter mination a
final military victory for either side seems
impr acticable The alternative lies in the
physical exhaustion of the one or the other
party, or perhaps both-a condition which
in effect ended the Ten Year. war by the
truce of Zankon. The prospect of such a
protraction and conclusion of the present
strife is contingency hardly to be cOntem-
plated with equanimity by the civilized
world and least of all by the United states.
affected and injured as we are. deeplyand
intimately by its very existencs.
His Armlstics Proportion.
Realizing this. it app. AIRED 20 be my duty,
in a spirit of true friendliness, no less to
Spain than to the Cubans who have so
much to lose by the prolongatiOn of the
struggle to seek to bring about an imme-
date termination of the war. To this,
submitted to the 9th ultimO. as result of
much representation and correspondence
through the United States minister at Mad
rid, propositions to the Spanish government
looking to An armiStice until October LIST
for the negotiation of peace with the good
ofices of the President.
In addition ask the immediate revoca .
ton of the order of concentration 50 as to
permit the people to return to their farms
and the needy to be relieved with prOvts-
ions and supplies from the United States,
&C -oper ating with the Spanish authorities
SO as to afford full relief
The Reply OF Spain.
The reply of the Spanish cabinet was
received on the night of the 3st ultimo.
1t refers as to the means to bring
about peace in Cuba. 10 confine
the prepar atoms thereof to the in
tho