The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-04-27
SPIDER Blanco,s order to go anc' were in
every case refused. -
co,suI r,arkcr,s Rcrcrt.

Consul 3arkcr's Report.
Consul Barker Covers the condition e1-
isting in Santa Clara province in num-
Der of communications beginning on the
Goth of November, 1897, and closing OF
the gath of March last His letters con-
stitute one long story of distress-of sick
ness, destitution and death-until indeed
the picture, even as drawn in the plain
language of official comm unications, is re-
voting.
On Jan. 10 Mr.. Barker Suggests that
the United States shall offer her gccd
Offices to Spain with view Of securing an
armistice of so days duration for the
purpose cf discussing terms of settlement
between Spain and the insurgents, the
! United States to be the umpire Pending
negotiations, he would have oil troops
quartcred and held in the large fortified
coast towns in order that tho reconcentra-
dos may return to the country and to eii-
ployment He adds that the relief from
the United States must be continued or
the people must starye SO long as there IS
an armed Spanish soldier in tho country.
''since these people, for fear Of being muir
dered, do not go to their country homes. "
On the 18th of January Mr.. Barker says:
'sIn this consular district reign Of ter
ror and anarchy prevails which tho au-
thorities, If SO disposed, are utterly power
less to control or in any measure subdue.
Aside from the suffering and desperation
caused by the unparalleled destitution.
regard the situation as rapidly assuming
critical stage. AS stated heretofore, in
no way have the authorities departed from
the policy pursued by the late but not Ia
mentxss General Welyer. Spanish troops,
as we'll as the guerrillas, under the cruel
chiefs Carreraz, Clayarrictta and Lazo,
continue to despoil the country and drench
1t with the blood of noncombatants. Al
though the 'bando' of the captain general
provides that laborers may return to cs-
tates it restricts their operations to those
having q garrison. Last week number
belonging to the Santa Ana estate, 10
Gated within league Of Sagua and owned
by Mr.. George Thorndike Of Newport, E.
l., were driven off after returning and re-
fused permit as q protection by tho mill
tary commander, Mayor Lcmo, one of the
trusted officers under the Weyler regime. J"
Feeding the Starving.
On March 1a Mr.. Barker states that
from Feb. Is to March Il he cared for
1900 persons, increasing the number on
the relief list after that date to 1000. He
! then details the work done by the Red
Cross society, the various local commit
tees and others, to each Of whom he gives
due credit. Having done this, Mr.. Barker
states his opinion to be that if provision
could DO made to care for $4,000 persons
! in that province, whatever might be left
would manage to survive. He thought
that to keep GOO persons alive would
require so tons of provisions g month. He
then stated that OF tho 5000 utterly dest:-
tute persons in that city the mayor had in
q manner relieved about onc-third Of tho
number with raticns Of rice and beans In
this communication Mr.. Barker indicates
that tho Spanish local authorities were
willing to accept aid from the United
States.
On the oath of March Mr.. Barker in
creased his estimates rs to the amount Of
food necessary to keep life in the people Of
that province. He said that SO tons were
needful for that time, and that the dis
tress was far greater than his former re-.
ports had shown. In the communication
of the Goth of March Mr. Barker says:
'sThe distress is simply heartrending.
Whole families, without clothing to hide
nakedness, are sleeping on the bare
ground, without bedding Of any Kind,
without food, save to such as wes have
been able to reach with provisions sent by
our own noble people, and the most dis
tressiug feature is that fully so per c 1T
are i'll, without medical attention or med
icine."
Mr.. Barker adds that if $4,000 could be
telegraphed to Consul General Leo blaH-
.kets, cots and medicines could be purchas-
ed there in the several towns adjacent,
and thus savo thousands who must die il
compelled to await the sending of thcse
supplies from the United States. 81 have
he says, "found that the civil governor is
willing to lend every aid in his power, but
ho admits that he can do nothing but as
sist with his civil officers in exPediting re-
lief sent by the United States. The mil
itary obstruct in every way possible. .
Blanco's Order OF No Avail.
In the earlier portion OF his correspond
ence Mr. Berker indicates the reasons
why General Blanco's orders relieving the
reconcentrados must prove OF no avail. He
says that while the first article Of the order
grants permission to the starving class to
return to tho country, the third article
abrogates this permission in e1acting that
the places to which they go must be gar
risoned. This condition alone. he says,
will preclude over one-nalf Of these poor
unfortunntes, for their homes arc in ruin,
and the sugar estates ablo to maintain q
guard can care for but small percentage
Of the whole
Mr.. Berker says that while he does net
question the good intention Of those now
In power, yet it is sels evident fact that
the authorities are utterly helpless to ex-
tend any relief to those who have thus far
survived the pangs of hunger. Mr..
Barker says that his observation does not
bear out the statement made by the cap
tain general through letter to tho Span
ish minister that ..extensiye zones Of cul-
tivation have been organized, the daily
rations are provided by the state and that
work is furnished. Mr.. Barker also
points out the impracticabiilty of grinding
cano under tee present conditions. He
says In his letter Of the Goth Of November