Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-23

the audience. He said. in opening, that he
had long ago concluded his mission in life
was not that of lecturer, and he had only
consented to detail the incidents Of his
trip at the earnest solicitation of the pas
tor of the church. While IN Cuba he mad
neither paper nor pencil, and consequently
made no notes. SO what he said was en-
tirely from memory.
Continuing, he said:
Il assume that there is nc one here who
has not read the dispGssionate statement
of Senator Proctor as to what he saw in
Cuba. 1t was an impartial, conservative
statement, made by one Of the most dis
tingushed and least emotional men in pub
lie life. bear testimony, as his travelling
companion in Cuba, that his statements of
starvation, deSola ton and devastation were
mild in the extreme. With this statement
fresh in your minds, and with the mass Of
matter that has been written, the pathetic
and graphic pictures that have been drawn
by the ready pens of the newspaper cor
respondents, cannot even hope to tell you
of any conditions that you are not more or
less familiar with.
II can only hope, therefore. to interest
you by brief description of conditions as
l found them.
1--WE found very little excitement in Ha-
vana-commerce and trade seemed to he
pursuing their usual ways, and except for
the frequent squads of soldiers which pass
and repass, and numerous groups of OIL
GERS in and about the cafes, you could
hardly realize that war was going on in
Cuba
1.-The province of Pinar del Rio, as you all
know, is the western province CT the ISL
and We took an early morning train for
Artemesia, in this province, the point where
the celebrated trocha crosses the island
Every train leaving Havana has freight
car attached to it lined with iron, with
loopholes in which there is a company of
soldiers. the officers occupying seats in
f1rst-class carriages. Ahead of the train
they ,un pilot engine, whose business it
is to look after bombs, &c AS you go
west, you soon approach a line of fortifica-
tons, which consist of a trocha (simply
trench dug out with a wire fence in front
Along these trochas, at commanding posi-
tons, are erected small block houses.
which they call forts Some are made of
stone, others Of wood with hubble stone
corded up at the sides. Squads Of soldiers
occupy the sc forts. Probably within twen-
these works. They seem to form no re-
sistance except to retard a sudden da-h of
tnSurSe1t tdEaIry
DcsOlatiOn and Devastation.
1.-THE province Of Pinar del Rio is the
celebrated tobacco-growing portion Of
Cuba. Now all is desolation and devasta-
ton. There is no vegetation growing be-
tween the villages. The few cattle that are
permitted to get outside of these trochas
have long ropes attached to them and are
SO guarded that On the approach of the in
surgents they can be readily caught and
| taken into camp. At Artemesia we found
large number of reconcentrados who were
in all conditions of starvation. Some Gu
bans who were driving US along the trocha
advised us that in a range of mountains
only few miles away couI1 be found
plenty of insurgents. You viii recall that
Maceo passed with his troops when
through some misunderstanding with an
other insurgent leader, he was led into the
midst of the Spanish forces and killed.
IA at Ga ho1y, 40
scription. We visited warehouse in which
we found large number of these recon-
misunderstanding women and children.
Through tho efforts of Consul Barker they
had had food. but only sufficient as would
keep them alive. Hare in this warehouse,
lying on the ground. We would SEE mothers
| side. too weak to raise their hands. and the
mothers too smaciated to raise them up.
None of these people held out t!.eir hands
for aims. hut looked through sunken eyes
pleadingly for something to eat. The al
caldc told me that during the year it had
been no unusual sight to see women and
little children lying dead about the streets,
and that many had died while crawling to
the market places, WHARF they hoped to
find something to sustain life. Eaca day,
at IL o'clock, in Consu. Barker's Office. ra-
lions were gwen out to American citizens.
TOO much praise cannot be awarded 10
Consul Barker for his wosk and efforts 10
represent his country at this point. He has
expended twice the amount OF his salary
sissippi, has raised quite a large amount
which he has distributed among the poor.
Consul in Sympathy With Spain.
From Sagua I went to Cienfuegos, on
| the eastern coast of the island. The same
conditions existed here as at Sagua, with
| this exception: The American consul was
| intensely pro-Spanish and entirely in SYM
pathy with the Epaniards. He asserted
| that the insurrection would have teen
| put down two years ago had It not been
| for the United States; that the order of
| Gen. Weyler was humane and would have
been issued by Grant or Sherman and
| that on the whole island probably not
more than 5000 had died Of starvation.
1t Is proper to state that this consul las
been removed.
I'VE 4scertaiLed that the relief supplies
| sent there had been given by him to the
| aIcalde and the Spanish merchants. and
| he admitted that he had no knowledge
| as to whether or not the starving people
| had received any OF them. A boat load
| of supplies was expected IN q few days.
| and he was told by Miss Barton that their
| distribution would be made by one OF her
| own men, who would see that starving
| Cubans, instead Of healthy Spaniards.
l A.. - A.