The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-12

sons had entered the Fosos since Angus
end of those but 243 were then living Il
places the number of deaths among the
reconcentrados ut N per cent,
On December 3, Gen. Lee sent to the
state department. communication re-
ferring to a cipher despatch he had sen!
two days previously in which he in
formed the department that he had
learned from the U. S. consul at Matan-
zas OF an extensive and dangerous couspi-
racy under the ex-governor of the PROV
lnce upon the movement of the us. gov
ernment in favor of the Independence OF
Cuba. Gen. Lee stated that ruInors had
! been more or less freq regarding the
riotous intention of some of the dissaris-
fled elements against American citizens
there and in other parts of the island
Such demonstrations he said must come
from Spanish non.combatants or from
volunteer forces.
In consequence OF the assurances that
American life and property would be
protected, Gen. Lee said that he had de-
clined to make application for the pres
ence of one or more warships IN havana
harbor and had advised Americans who
had wives and children not to SEND them
away at least for the present. ~
81 still think" continued Lee, I6at
|
West prepared to move at snort notlce
and that more of them should be at Dry
| Tortugas and that coallng station
should be established there.
| Under the same date, Gen. Lee sends
another communication containing the
statements of Senior Canalejas, the editor
of the Madrid Ell Heraldo, who had just
returned from Pinar del Rio province al
| ter the conflict between the Spanish
forces under Gen. Velasco and the Cuban
forces under DiaZ, in which CanaleJas
WAS quoted as saying that the Spanish
! forces had displayed their usual velor that
the province was not pecified; that out
| of IA coo Spanish troops only between
three or four Thousand were able to oper-
ate, the balance being sick at hospitals,
Or in garrisons and towns; that he be-
| loved autonomy premature and was IN
clined to the adoption of energetic mill
| tary action for the purpose of pacifying
the province; that the truth should be
known in Spain where public opinion
and the press had been deceived regard
ing the humiliation of the war and the
so-called paelhcation of the western prov
| inces
Under date of December Z, Gen. LIE
sent u communication to the department
regarding the measures for the relief OF
the recoucentradoes, much of which is
not made public. In the portion give
out, Gen. Les says: II see no effect of the
governmental distribution to the recon
centrados. I am informed that only
SIT, 900 in Spanish silver has been dedi-
Gated to the Havana province out of the
$4,000 900 said to have been set aside for
the purpose of relieving them on the ISL
and and that reports from oil parts OF
the province show that 80 per cent have
already died and that many of those left
will die, and most OF these are women
and children.
The condition of these people is simply
terrible. | hear Of much suffering in the
Spanish hospitals tor want of fuoo.
1t is fair inference to draw from ex-
listing conditions that it is not possible
present situation with the means at his
disposal.
December 18th, came the following
The contest for and against autonomy
is most unequal. For it there are five OF
six of the head officers at the palace and
1 30 or 80 other persons here in the city.
/ Against 1t, first, are the insurgents
with or without arms, and the Cuban
non com batants. Second, the great mass
of the Spaniards bearing or non bearing
arns-the latter desiring if there must
be II cnange annexation to the United
States.
4 December Goth, Gen. Lee makes the
VI
autonomy He says that he has been in
formed that the authorities are engaged
in forming an autonomistic cablner ar
ranging tor the members to take the re-
ouired oath on January /. and also for an
election so days thereafter.
My present information is that most of
the Spaniards will refrain from voting
j and nearly all the Cubaus.
The feeling in Havana, and hear, in
other parts of the island. is strong against
it, the Cubans desiring an independent
republic and the Spaniards preferring
annexation TO the United States rather
than autonomy. On the night Of the
certed plan over the island to testify the
disapprobation of the people to the pro-
posed autonomistic plan of the Spanish
government.
He goes on to describe how it culmi
mated about 2 O'Clock on the morning Of
the 25th when mob assembled in the
principal square with the cries OF
fDeath to autonomy and Viva Wey'
ler. He says the men in the mob had
stones in their pockets and some of them
were armed with weapons. The sans
day Gen. Lee acknowledged the receipt Of
President McKinley's proclamation call
ing upon the people of the United States
to make charitable contributions for the
| relief of the distress in Cuba.
On January 5th Gen. Lee makes the
following report:
sir-I have the honor to state as mat
ter of public interest that tho Recon
centrado order" of Gen. Weyler. formerly
governor general of this island, trans
formed about 10000 self-supporting peo-
pie, principally women and chill fren, in
to a multitude to be sustained by the
contributions of others, or die of starva-
ton or of feyers.
estimate that probably 200, 900 of the
rural population in the province OF
Pinar del Rio, Habana, Matanzas and
Santa Clara, had died OF starvation or
from resultant causes.
January 18th he said some of the rioters
threatened to go to the United States
consulate. Ships, he said, are not need
ed. but may be later. II Americans are
in danger ships should move promptly
for Havana. Uncertainty ana excitement
widespread.
The rioting ceased the next day and
Gen. Lee reported all quiet.
On the 18th, Gen. Lee sent despatch
mar ked confidential, regarding the riot
ing. 1t follows: