The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-03-25
FACTS TOLD
ABOUT CUBA.
Suffering Beyond Human Ken
on the Inflated Island.
Senator Proctor, of Vermont, WILDLY
POrtrays What He Saw During
His Visit There.
Peace Alone Can End Demands For Help
That are Now Stupendous-High
Tribute Paid to Consul
Gen. Fitzhugh
Lee.

WASHINGTON, March Ex-senator
Proctor, of Vermont, who returned
last Sunday from an extended trip
to and through the island of Cuba.
this afternoon made statement to
the Senate of his observations on the
island.
Senator Proctor was accorded the
closest attention throughout his
speech, and at the conclusion, while
there was no demonstration, he was
cordially congratulated by many of
his colleagues.
Mr.. Proctor read his speech from
manus .ript, speaking rapidly, but
clearly. The speech in part is as
follows:
"MOre Importance seems to be at
tached by others to my recent visit
to Cuba than | have given it. 1t
has been suggested that | make a
public statement of what / saw, and
how the situation impressed me.
This 1 do on account of the public
interest in all that concerns Cuba,
and to correct any inaccuracies that
have not unDaturally appeared in
some of the reported interviews with
me. My trip was entirely unofficial
and of nv own motion; not suggest
ed by any one.
"Of Gen. Lee, / need say little
His valuable services to his country
in his trying position are too well
known to all his cOuntrymen to re-
,f,.A hf ~
high character and courage, he
possesses the important requisites
of unfailing tact and courtesy, and
withal his military education and
training, and his soldiery qualities
are Invaluable adjuncts in the
equipment of our representative in
country so completely under mill
tary rule as in Cuba.
"There are six provinces in Cuba
each, with the exception of Matan'
zas, extending the whole width of the
island, and having about an equa
sea front on the north and south
borders. Matanzas touches the
Caribbean Sea only at its southwest
corner, being separated from it else
where by narrow peninsula o.
Santa Clara province. The pro
vinces are named, beginning at the
west, Pinar del Rio, Havana, Ma.
tanzas, Santa Clara, Puerto Principe
and Santiago de Cuba. My observa
| tions were confined to the -four
western provinces, which constitute
aboutone-half of the island. Tht
two eastern ones are practically il
the hands of the insurgents, except
the few fortified towns. These two
large provinces are spoken of to-day
as Cuba Libre.'
Havana, the great city and cap
itOl of the island, is, in the eyes o
the Spanlards and many Cubans, al
Cuba, as much as Paris is France
But having visited it in more peace
full times and seen its sights, the
tomb of Columbus, the forts
Cabanas and Moro Castle, [ do no
care to repeat this, preferring to re
fer to trips in the country. Every
thing seems to go on; much az
usual in Havana. Quiet prevails
and except from the frequent squads
of soldiers marching to guard anC
police duty and their Astounding
presence in all public places, on'
sees little sign of war.
"Outside of Havana all is changed
1t is not peace, nor is it war. 1t il
desolation and distress, misery anC
starvation. Every town and village
is surrounded by trocha (trench)
a sort of rifle pit, but constructed OF
a plan new to me, the dirt being
thrown upon the inside and barbeC
wire fence on the outer side of thu
trench. These trochas have a
every corner and at frequent in
tervals along the sides what ar,
there called forts, but which ar
really small block houses, many o
them being more like a larg,
sentry-boX, loopholed for musketry
and with a guard of from two to tel
soldiers in each. The purpose o
these trochas is to keep the recon
centrados in, as well as to keep tn
insurgents out.
From all the surrounding coun
try the people have been driver
into these fortified towns and hell
there, to subsist as best they can
They are virtually prison yards, eX
cept the walls are not so high ant
strong, but they suffice, where ever.
point is in range of soldiers rifle
to keep in the poor reconcentrad,
women and children. Every rail
road station is within one of thes
trochas and has an armed guard
Every train has an armored freigh
car, loopholed for musketry ant
filled with soldiers, and with, as
observed usually aud was informeI
is always the case, a pilot engine
mile or so in advance. There ar
frequent stock-houses enclosed by
trocha and with guard along tn
railway track.
with this exception, there is n
human life or habitation between
these fortified towns and villages
and throughout the whole of tn
fo,,r ,,-agNarp vrnv-ipooe axoant fO