The times., 1898-04-12


| Spain. On the same day he also sent to
the department some atistics about the
| mortality in Santa Clara. showing that
while there were 5iS9 deaths in that
town in seven years previous to 1897
which included LAR in one year from an
epidemic of yellow fever, there were in
1897, owing to the concentration order, g.
/ 9Sl deaths out of a total population of
( 1900. The death rate increased monthly
from IS in january, the month before the
/ concentration order went into effect, until
December, when there were 1,01 deaths
January u IS, II and 15 General Lee
snt brief cablegrams to he department.
with regard to the roting and the demon
strations against autonomy and Blanco
and the three newspaper offices.
January j., he said, some Of the rio.ers
threatened to so to the United States CON
sulate. ships" he said. ARE not need
ed but may be later. If Americans are in
danger. ships should move promptly for
/ havana. tncer ainty and excitement
Widespread The rioting ceased the next
day ard General Lee reported al quiet
January p Gen. Lee transmitted a copy
Of the decree which established the au-
tonomlstic regime on the Island OF Cuba
ON Feb. 10 Gen. Lee sent to the State
( department a statement Of the condition
in the towns in the neighborhood of the
city of Havana, made by a person he had
sent to those places for the purpose of
inspecting the number and condition of
the starving. The statement covers four
towns in the neighborhood of Havana
ana IS largely repetition of the awful
tale Of suffering which came from the
other portions Of the island At Melcna
del Sur, the statement says it is impossi-
bic for the mayor, owing to the unhealthy
conditions prevailing and the want of re-
sources, to relieve the miserable people
who die in great numbers from starya-
tion, fever and smallpox There are 9TH
er towns in the same conditlon-for exam
pie, Guines, Catalina and Nadruga-whOse
situation could be in some degree relieved
II the country people were allDWd to leave
the town freely in search of food. In some
towns this is entirely prohibited: in 9TH
Crs they are obliged to pay tax. No hlv-
ing anything 10 eat, how can they pay
tax? In every town the first thing no.
ticed is the unhealthy condition of the
men and their total lack of physical
strength" At Catalinc de Guines, the
statement reports, the condition of the
reconcentrados is sad and desperate
There are it says, no zones of cultiva-
ton, and the recencentrados are not
allowed TO leave the town in search of
work or food even with a military pass.
Food is so scarce that one must walk
four or five miles before finding a sweet
potato. In these districts the relief given
to the reconcentrados by Gen. Banco is
farce" The land near the town COM
prised in the zone for cultivation, the
statement says, has been rented by four
Spaniards, who have wealth and infiu-
ence and they employ the few reconcen-
tradOs who are able to work at 80 or 40
cents per day, but nobody can leave the
town without a pass good for month,
and which costs 20 cents. The workmen
have to leave at in the morning, and,
not being able to take meals with them,
are obliged 10 work until in the evening
! ittrit, rIO in,
search of vegetables are sometimes de-
prived of them on their way back by
guerrillas. In fifteen days 200 reconCentra-
dos have died in Guines from starvation.
Gave His All TO the Poor.
"One cf the few protectors of the re-
concentrates. in fact. a heroic one says
the statement, 'is a young man named
Jose Amohedo, whose father and mother
died attending the suffering poor, and
who himself has given up eight houses
belonging to him as dwelling places for
the reconcentrados, all the contents of a
grocery store which he possessed, and
VINO is as destitute as they are, but al
ways attending to those who suffer"
On February Is Gen. Lee transmitted
to the department a letter, with its
translation, signed by the insurgent com
mander-in-chief, Gen. Gomez, addressed
| to President Mckinley. Gen. Lee says
the letter was delivered by a messenger,
who at once departed before he saw or
had any communication with him.
A Letter From Gomez.
The letter is a dignified arraignment of
Spain for committed crimes. 1t con-
cludes as follows:
am 50 deeply moved at the wave of com
| oh atrfT4t
that / concede to the request OF the patriots
command to appear before you, the representative
OF the great nation as the exponent Of our I'M
mcnse gratitude / have, therefore, sir, to full
fill a conscientious duty by setting forth fact
which, / beg you, please transmit to the knowl-
edge OF the persons to whom IS recommended
the phianthropic mission of succCrng the uil-
happy, destitute Cubans, and in order that
ignorance OF certain antecedents may not de-
prive any needy ones OF the enjoyment OF that
noble American charity.
The revolution as absolute master Of the coun-
try has never prohibited any citizen whatever
his nationality, from earning his liberty, and it
has happened that the barbarous con
centration degree deToglted, innUmerable
families have left and still leave the city for
the fields, impelled by hunger. to wrest from
the fruitful Cuban vegetation the means OF re-
lieving the most pressing needs of life. These
unhappy beings ignore the TACT that If the
Spaniards, by steel and privaton, have shrouded
their hearts in mourning, so also it may be
said that the fora Of Cuba in mourning,
devastated by the bullet and torch Wherefore,
beng IN the same circumstances, these uniOr
tunate5 have the same moral right to participate
in the relief furnished 10 needy Cubans by your
generous people. Many a widow, many mother,
many orphan do meet in way who
ask of that not able to give
but most sparingly, and, therefore, upon point
ing out to them the charity awakened in their
behalf in your noble nation. | desire to honor
myself by Offering my services to cooperate in
the noble work with all the power and means
within the reach OF the forces | command
am, sir, with the most distinguished con-
sideration,
(Signed) NJ GOMEZ.
March ii, he incloses a letter from Con-
sui Barker of Sagua, who requests him to
transmit the following letter, which is
addressed to him Gen. Lee):
Dear Sir: 1 will thank you to communicate
TO the department as quickly as possible the
fact that the military commander and other
officers Of the military positively refuse to allow
| the TeconcentTados TO whom / am issuing food
IN its raw state to procure fuel with which to
cook the food.
In addition, they prohibit this class of people
| q am giving food TO only about one-fith Of
the destitute; the authorities have quit alto
gether) from gathering vegetables cultivated
within the protection OF the forts, telling them
the Americans propose to feed you, and to the
Americans you must look"
Yours very truly.
WALTER b. BARKER, Consul
From Amuence to Poverty
The communications from Mr.. Brice,
consul at Matanzas, number only seven
or eight, and most of them are brief.
The correspondence from him begins with
the nth of November last and closes
with the Sth of February, 1898 Probably
| tfsa fNaa -.3ly