The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-16
GOMEZ IN CONTROL.
Autonomy Looked Upon as "a Failure
by All Parties.


Washington, March 15-Col. Myron w.
Parker, who was Senator Proctor's COM
panion on his trip to Cuba, In an inter-
view with a Star reporter said: "You
might believe, but you could not realize
the condition of the reconcentrados in
Cuba. II passes the comprehension of a
man accustomed to the usual phases of
life. Their emaciation is terrible. their suf-
ferng indescribable.
1--WE saw warehouses full of starving
women and children Those people have
beeen forced into the villages and towns
by the Spaniards and the whole country
where they lived has been devastated.
In the ride from Havana to Sagua de
la Grande, a distance of about 200 miles
or more, the country presented picture
OF desolation. For miles and miles the
charred stalks of the burned sugar cane
showed where the torch had been applied
by the Spanish and insurgents alike. AT
intervals are block houses, occupied by
Spanish soldiers Above each block house
is a cupola, where a Spanish soldier Is Oh
ways on the lookout. II reconcentrado
attempts to go out from the village end
cross the tTocha, he Is shot, and II an in
surgent tries to come IN he Is treated
likewise. The trocha serves however, 10
prevent sudden dashes by the insurgents
into the villages at night to burn them.
''The Spanish army Is largely employed
along the railroads. But as closely as the
track is guarded. the insurgents can 40
with II as they please. 1t Is generally
understood in Cuba that the railroad com
pany pays tribute to the insurgents for
running the passenger trains. The insur-
gents 90 not want to bother the rassnn-
ger trains, but they are alert TO Interfere
with freight and troop trains. The day
before we reached Matanzas, the insur-
gents blew UP a sugar train only Lhree
miles out OF that stown. They cross the
railroad at any point they desire and
whenever they please. In my opinion. Go.
mez virtually has control of the island.
There is not an estate In cultivation. so
l was reliably informed. that does not pay
tribute to the insurgents.
1.-The best people in Havana told mo
young men of the best Cuban families In
the island were In the ranks Of the insur.
gents just as the best representatives of
our best families were In the Southern and
Northern ranks during the war. My ins
formants also told me that the insurgent
army was meyer as firm and as strong as
IL Is to-day. IL gets very large propor-
tion of its medical supplies right from
Havana, and it's discipline Is said 60 ba
have complete control of the provinces OF
Santiago de Cuba and Puerto Principe.
They claim to have ali the supplies neccs-
sary for their subsistence having great
herds of cattle, besides cultivating a large
proportion of the land In the provinces
mentioned. What they need is arms, am
munition and clothing. II is generally un-
derstood IN Cuba that the insurgents
known as presentados, who came in and
gave themselves up to Spaniards in re-
sponse to the offer of pardon were all
men who had met with the dlsfavor of
Gomez, because they had disregarded the
discipline he so rlgidly enforces In hts
army.
did Investigations lead you to form any
opinion on the subject of autonomy" in
quired the reporter.
mo one wants autonomy In Cuba" he
said, with emphasis. Even the autonom.et
governors do not favor II. know of sew
eral alcaldes, or mayors of towns outside
of Havana, appointed as autonopists, who
are wholly IN sympathy with the insur-
gents"