The times., 1898-04-12

CONDITIONS aSs. Dreadful, and no relief
afforded by the Spanish authorities"
spuin's Relief Methods.
Writing on the H7th of December. Mr..
Brice says that the relief offered to recon
centrados and other poor people by the
Spanish authorities is Intellectual. 81
have" he says, personally visited the
headquarters 6f distributing stations. TWO
thousand ratons were given out for a few
days only to $500 persons. There are more
than 1890 starving people in this city to-
day. One out of four or six receives two
ounces of rice ono and 4 half ounces of
jerked beef and sometimes a small piece
of bread per diem. Even this ration OF
/ food has been discontinued since the Ilth
! instant Mr.. Brice mentioned several
instances of Distress among others the
following: In a family of seventeen, liv-
ing in an old lime kiln. all we're found dead
except three and they barely alive. lie
says again that Gen. Blanco'a order allow
Ing reconccntradCs to return and cultivate
the crops is imperative and of 10 avail.
Writing on the 18th OF January, he says:
The people are shut up in the cities and
towns like rats 10 starve. We have fifteen
or eighteen families of American recon-
centradCs who own property in the coun-
try, and were they allowed 10 go TO their
have begged and pleaded with the author
itics under Blancos order to go and were
in every case refused
In santa Clara.
Consul Barker covers the conditions ex-
listing in Santa Clara Province.
Mr.. Barker devoted comparatively little
space to political questions but enc or two
of his letters are along these lines. Prob
ably the most notable of these IS his com
munication Of the 10th of January last. in
which he volunteers some suggestions to
tho Department of State. From this COM
munication tho following extracts are
taken: when Spain will admit defeat no
mortal in my humble judgment. dare pre-
dict. That her plan of settlement auton-
omy. is a failure. and that with this fail
ure passes from under her dominion the
island, is not to be questioned. Pending
this admission on her part thousands of
human beings, guiltless of bringing on or
having any part in the insurrection, are
dying for want of sustenance."
In the earlier portion of his correspond
ence Mr. Barker indicates the reasons
why Gen. Blanco's order relieving the re-
concentrates must prove of no avail. he
says that while the first article of the
order grants permission to the starving
class to return to the country, the third
article abrogates this permission in ex-
acting that the places to which they go
must be garrisoned.
Mr. Barker devotes much space to the
suffering and mortality of the people of
his province. He places the mortality fig
ures for six of the principal cities of his
district for the period beginning with
January /, and ending November 10 1897,
at SG,5S9 He says this is the official re-
cord. and that fully 25 per cent should be
added to cover deaths of which no record
was kept. "Undoubtedly" he says, 'one-
half of the concentrated people have died.
and today Spanish soldies are companion
victims of the surviving non-cOmbatants.
/ This appalling death roll is mute, yet con-
vincing proof in attempting TO subjugate
the island With me the conviction Is
firmly rooted that within sixty days 80
per cent of the populace viii reach
state of craving hunger, nor do | feel
that l speaking chimerically when l
conclude the rank and file of the Spanish
army"
On the 18th day of December Mr. Bar
ker relates the particulars of a visit he
had made TO five of the principal railroad
towns in his consular district, which tour
had been undertaken to verify previous
statements. Speaking of this trip, which
I
ces, EsperaRza. Jicotoa and Santa Do
mingo he says: The destitution is sim
ply too narrowing TO recite and must
become intensified each day"
In his letter of the 2Sth of December
Mr.. Barker repeats his observations upon
| the suffering and destitutions among the
reconcentrados, saying: How could the
situation be otherwise. since the island is
producing absolutely nothing, save some
growing cane and at the same time COM
pletely exhausted OF all food. Relief alone
can be obtained from the outer world in
the way of charitable contribution"
Consul Hyatt's Report.
The reports on the condition of affairs
| at Santiago are made by Consul p. f. Hy-
att. Closing a communication, Mr.. Hyatt.
who has been regarded as friendly to
Spain, says:
Il give it as my opinion, an opinion
that is not biased in favor of Cuba. that
Spain Will be compelled to prosecute
far more vigorous war than has yet been
done if she conquers peace in Cuba. l
think | speak advisedly when | say that
in this end of the island. at least there
are many thousand square miles where
the foot of the Spanish soldier has never
trod. Within this zone the insurgents
have their families, corral their horses
and cattle and raise their crops. Why
Spain, with a large body e as obedia ant and
brave soldiers as ever shouldered a gum
has not penetrated these grounds and
scattered TO the four winds the COM
paratively small body of men who are
there is a question | will not attempt to
answer AS L write" MIR. Hyatt closes
this communication, "a man is dying in
the street in front of my door. the third
in a comparatively short time
Beyond the Power of Pen.
Again, Mr.. Hyatt says: 'Tt is be-
yond the power of my pen to de-
scribe the situation in eastern Cuba.
Squalidity, starvation, sickness and death
meet one in all places Beggars throng
our doors and stop us on the streets.
The dead in large numbers remain over
from day to day, in the cemeteries un-
buried" In his communication of the
25th of January Mr.. Hyatt continues the
presentation of this sad feature of ex-
istence in Cuba at the present time, say
ing: 1.-The military situation is complete
| ly overshadowed in Importance by the
starving, struggling mass, whose cry is
Bread or perish This consulate is be-
seged to an extent that blocks the en-
trance and greatly retards business.
They have heard that the people of the
United States are giving funds for their
relief and have not the patience TO wait
| could name three Americans here who
contribute monthly over $500 towarC;
feeding the poor, but it is as nothing
compared to the peoples necessities.
Men, women and children, homeless and
almost naked roam the streets by day