The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-07
IRRITATING DELAY.
Island Growing Poorer and Depopu-
lated and No Solution.


Havana (via Key West), Nov. 5.-(De-
layed in transmission 1.-THE interna-
tional agreement between SPANS spir-
itual loss of sovereignty in Cuba and
the assumption of full military control
by the United States, seems in
definitely prolonged, with the immedi-
ate hope of relief to a country which
daily grows poorer and more depopu-
lated. On all sides the question is
asked, How much nearer is the final
solution of the problem than it was on
the day the protocol was signed?"
The feeling among the better classes
of intelligent and influential Cubans,
may be pretty accurately summed UP
in the following observations made to-
day by q representative Cuban mer-
chant of Havana, to the correspondent
of the Associated Press:
1T seems to me that, and I think
my views are shared by many, that
the United States government is dilly
dallying too long with Spain over the
evacuation question. OF course the
problem is a difficult one, but the delay
is surely unnecessary. The United
States has sent here an assortment of
commissions, each more self-important
and mysterious than its predecessor,
and each yelling it's operations with a
cloud of secrecy, which, so far as my
experience goes, really serves the pur-
pose of cbscuring issues and concealing
very small achievements.
NOTHING ACCOMPLISHED.
Almost nothing has been accom-
plished. The spirit of jealousy fills not
only the Individual members of all the
commissions, but also exists between
the different commissions collectively.
These rivalrys seem to engress the
attention of commissioners much more
than the serious questions affecting the
welfare of Cuba and the dignity and
good faith of the United States. First
we were told that the date of occupa-
ton by the United States troops would
be Nov 1, then Dec. / was fixed upon,
and later we were informed that the
date for occupation would be left in
definite. So far as evacuation is con-
cerned, Jan. l was named as an ulti-
matum date; but now it is rumored
| that Feb. has been agreed upon The
fact is, the country at large, whether
| Cuban, foreign or Spanish, is getting
Disguised. The people are losing faith
! and confidence owing to the lack of
formality displayed by the American
representatives. To all questions ask
! ing information on these points, the
| American commissioners, with a
superior smile and an assumption OF
! gravity to cover their ignorance, reply
vaguely and enthusiastically.
DYING OF STARVATION.
| UNLESS the Washington government
! forces it's lethargic commissions into
greater activity, Cuba will be an i'm
mense graveyard and its fields barren
before the United States takes posses
sion. The daily records Of mortality
show that the population in all parts
of the island is dwindling steadily. En-
| tire villages are dying of starvation.
On all sides the Spaniards continue
robbing and plundering. In the mean
j time these sage, gossiping commission
| ers from the United States, are slipping
cool drinks by day and seeking shelter
! by night with mortal dread OF fever
yet absolutely impervious TO the de-
mands of humanity.
THE situation created by this un-
certainty is still further aggravated
/ by the fact that no one dares SOW crops
or cultivate lands until the present
chaotic conditions show some rays OF
light to guide efforts. There is no work
for idle hands. Day by day the num-
Der of beggars, thieves and prostitutes
increases, while the number of those
| able to relieve distress shrink in the
same proportions. Thus far the United
States has sent in the name of hui
manity a mere pittance of lnillior
rations, and the Red Cross society ha.
sent two cargoes of supplies, as t.
| whose disposition there have beer
many unfavorable comments. How fal
| can such relief be expected to go? The
present conditions cannot be mucf
longe-. protracted without sdbjsctinf
the United States to well-deaervet
criticism. More than that, the element.
most in sympathy with the United
States are slowly but surely falling of
and joining the ranks Of the opposition
INCREASE OF CRIME.
"As you are aware, Senior de Castro
the civil governor, only yesterday is
sued orders for the arrest of rs
criminals recently released from Jail
and the penal colonies at Ceuta. an,
on the Isle of Pines. This step wa.
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