Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-04-12
One or More Warships

One or More Warships
!. Havana harbor. and had advised
'r,ericans who had wives and children
,o- 70 send them away, at least for
.hn present. II still think" contin-
,I Cen Lee. that two warships, at
'o.st should be at Key West prepared
/ move at short notice, and that more
y. mem should be at Dry Tortugas,
s,5 that a coaling station should be
o,ahlished there. Such proceedings
roIld seem to be in line with that
,,-ndence and foresight necessary to
4ord safety TO Americans residing
on the island and to their proper
ucs.'
The same date Gen. Lee sends an
o,aer communication containing the
s,gtonents OF Senior Canalejas, the
c8iror CT the Madrid Ell Heraldo, who
he'd lust returned from Pinar del Rio
noyince after the conflict between
Inc Spanish forces under Gen. Valasco
ord the Cuban forces under Diaz, in
which Canalejas was quoted as say
inc that the Spanish had displayed
,hsjr usual valor, but that the pro-
,inco was not pacified: that out of
1900 Spanish troops, only between
,brre and four thousand were able to
,,eratn. the balance being sick in
bospitals or in garrisons and towns;
HAT he believed autonomy premature
and was inclined to the adoption of
energetic military action for the pur-
,ose of pacifying the province: that
The truth should be known in Spain
where public opinion and the press
had been deceived regarding the an
utilization of the war and the So
called pacification of the western pro-
vnces
Under date of December Z, General
Lee sent a communication to the de-
paitment regarding the measures for
lie relief of the reconcentrados, much
Of which is not made public. In the
portion given out, Gen. Lee says:
II see no effect of the governmental
distribution to the reconcentrados.
uniformed that only S12. in Span
ish silver has been dedicated
To the Habana Province
OIL Of the 100000 said to have been
set aside for the purpose OF relieving
them on the island. and reports from
I'LL parts Of the province show that
fifty per cent. have already died ard
that most Of those left will die, and
most of these are women and children
! am informed an order has been
issued in some parts of the island sus-
pending the disposition to reconcen-
trades. The condition Of these people
is simply terrible. ] hear of much
suffering in the Spanish hospitals for
want of food. / hear also that the
Spanish merchants in some parts Of
he island are placing their establish
ments in the name of foreigners to
avoid having their provisions pur-
chased on credit by the military adj
mnisUation. In some parts of the
island, | am told, there is scarcely
any food for soldiers or citizens and
that even cats are used for food pur-
poses, selling for thirty cents apiece.
1t Is fair inference to draw from
existing conditions that it is not pos
slhie for the governor general to re-
heve the present situation with the
means at his disposal.
December l3 came the following:
| have the honor to make the follow
report =
The contest for and against auton-
omy is most unequal For it. there are
i've or six of the head officers at the
palace and twenty or thirty other per-
sons here in the city. =
Against ii. first are the insurgents with
u without arms, and the Cuban non
cCm0atants Second, the great mass
cf the Spaniards, bearing or non-bear-
ing arms-the latter desiring If there
must be change, annexation to the
United States.
laQeed there is the greatest apathy
concerning autonomy in any form. No
one asks what it will be- or when
Or How 1t Will Come.
do not see how it could be even nut
INTO operation by force, because as long
aS the insurgents decline to accept it,
Sd long the Spanish authorities say the
war must continue 81
december IA Gen. Lee sends another
communication, saying that the total
number OF reconcentrados in Habana
province viii reach 100000, and that
lne death rate from starvation alone
would be over 50 per cent. For the
Iellet of these people he says s12. 500
III silver has been set aside. 80 that
l, every dollar appropriated reaches
mem, the distribution will average
doout IL cents to person, which, of
course, will be rapidly exhausted, and
sS l can hear ofsGo further succor be-
i'S Afforded ,itSkstasyato perceive what
ilue practical relief has taken place
ii the condition of these poor people"
december rs Gen. Lee makes the
nLSt communication about the new
S'heme of autonomy. He says that he
mas been informed that the authorities
ore engaged in forming an antono-
in'Stlc cabinet. arranging for the mem
"eTs 70 take the required oath on Janu-
Sl| ~. and also for an election thirty
Gays thereafter. IL -
Wy present information is that most
~ me Spaniards will refrain from vot-
t lug and nearly all the Cubans. g
ne feeling in Havana. and | hear in
other parts of the island. are strong
sesalnst it. The Cubans desiring an
.uutpendent republic and the Spaniards
!eIerrlng annexation to the United
"'d'eS rather than autonomy.
va the night of the oath inst. there
"pmS 10 have been a concerted plan
'VI the island TO testify the disap
p,ooatlon of the people to the propos-
"a autonomistic plan of the Spanish
government.
ne goes on to describe how it cul
MATED about , o'clock on the morn
Ing or the 18th, when a mob assembled
=" me principal square with cries of
Death to Autonomy"