Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-04-14
iNHUMAN ORDERS.
Starvation Used as q Means OF Exter-
minatiOn.

Starvation Used as . Means OF Exter-
mination.
Month by month the death rate in
creased at an alarming ratio. BY
March, 1897. according to conservative
estimates from official Spanish sources,
the mortality among the concentrates,
from starvation and the diseases there
to incident, exceed so per cent of their
total number. No practical relief Uas
accorded to the destitute. The over
burdened towns, already suffering from
general dearth. could give no aid. The
so-called zones of cultivation" s.stab-
iished within the Immediate area OF
effective military control about the
cities and fortified camps proved Illus
ory as remedy for the suffering.
The unfortunates, being Tor the
most part women and children with
aged and helpless men. enfeebled by
Disease and hunger. could not have
titled Che soil without tools, seed or
shelter, for their own support or for
the support of the cities The recon-
centrAtion adopted avowediy as a war
measure in order to cut off the re-
sources of the insurgents, worked it's
predestined result. AS l said in my
message Of hast December, Vt was not
ClNhIZeu "6TfdTt. 1t WAS cxteftnlna-
tion. The only peace IL could beget
was that of the wilderness and the
grave.
Meanwhile the military situation of
the island had undergone a noticeable
change. The extraordinary activity
that characterized the second year Of
the war, when the insurgents invaded
even the hitherto unframed fields of
Pinar del Rio and carried havoc and
destruction up to the city walls of Ha-
vana itself. had relapsed into a dog
ged struggle in the central and eastern
provinces. The Spanish arms regained
measure of control in Pinar del Rio
and parts of Havana, but, under the
existing conditions of the rural coun-
try, without immediate improvement
of their productive situation. Even
thus partially restricted, the revolu-
tionists held their own, and their con-
quest and submission, put forward by
Spain as the essential and sole basis
OF peace, seemed as far distant as at
the outset.
In this state of affairs, my admins
tration found itself confronted with Il
gIave problem Of it's duty. My message
of last December reviewed the situa-
tion and narrated the steps taken with
a view to relieving its acuteness and
opening the way to some form of hon
orable settlement The assassination
of the prime minister, Canovas, led to
change of government in Spain. The
former administration pledged to sub
jug1tion without concession gave place
to that Of more liberal party, COM
mitted long In advance to a policy of
reform involving the wider principle
1~r
Rico. The overtures Of this govern
ment made through it's new envoy,
General Woodford. and looking to an
immediate and effective amelioratio
Of the condition of the island although
not accepted to the extent of Admitted
mediation in any shape, were met by
assurances that home rule, in an ad-
vanced phase, would be forthwith Of
fered to Cuba, without waiting for the
war to end, and that more humane
methods should thenceforth prevail in
the conduct of hostilities. Coincident-
ally with these declarations, the new
government of Spain continued and
completed the policy already begun
by its predecessor, of testifying friend
ly regard for this nation by releasing
American citizens held under one
charge or another connected with the
insurrection, so that, by the end of
November not single person entitled
in any way to our national protection,
remained in Spanish prison.
While these negotiations were in pro-
gress the increasing destitution of
the unfortunate reconcentrados and
the alarming mortality among them
claimed earnest attention. The sue
cess which had attended the limited
measure of relief extended to the suf-
fering American citizens among them
by the judicious expenditure Though
the consular agencies of the money
expressly for their sue
cor by the joint resolution approved
May "a, 1897, prompted the humane ex-
tension of a similar scheme of aid to
the great body of sufferers. A sugges-
sion to this end was acquiesced in by
the Spanish authorities.
CHANGES MADE BY SPAIN