The record-union., 1898-04-15

cartridges, and sometimes when he gets
into a fight each man is ordered not to
fire more than two cartridges. When
4 General Weyler was there he went him
self sometimes, and they would make
up a column and fire and sometimes
flank the column, and the Spanish SOL
.diers would deploy and throw out skirm-
ishers, and the Cubans, like Indians,
would scatter out. Then the Spanish
troops would counter-march and go
back TO town, three men killed or eleven
or twelve injured"
Senator Mills-How much provisions
have they in store for the army, and
how long can they maintain their forces
there without bringing in provisions?
General Lee-They are living there
almost hand to mouth-the Spaniards
and the citizens in the town of Hava-
ma also. Everything that the town of
Havana has received in the last four,
five or six months has been from the
United States.
Senator Mills-Can they get no sub
sistence from the island?
General Lee-Nothing more than from
this floor Qndicating). The way the
insurgents do is this: They have little
patches of sweet potatoes-everythinG
grows there very abundantly in a
short time-and Irish potatoes and
fruits. They drive their pigs and cat
tie into the valleys and hillsides, and
they keep them and scatter out This
is the reason they scatter out. The
insurgents plant crops in many parts Of
the island.
Speaking about an armistice, they
have not been interfered with much
since General Blanco came there With
the exception of the campaign of Ger
eral Pando in the eastern part of the
island, there have been very few mill
tary operations inaugurated by the
Spanish. SO it has been practically a
sort of truce for some time-the insur-
gents because they did not want u
fight, and because it was against orders
to fight
Suppose Havana was blockaded,"
said Senator Mills, $50 that no provls-
ions could go in, would the people there
have any way to get any,"
None whatever" responded General
Lee. THE town would surrender in a
short WHILE
General Lee said that all but about
100000 Spaniards of the population of
Cubans. General Lee said he had ex-
pended all but about $1,000 of the $50,
600 appropriated for the relief of Amer
lean citizens in Cuba.
Senator Morgan asked if it was a
matter of actual necessity to feed them,
to which General Lee replied:
They were practically in the condi-
ton of all the other inhabitants of the
! IaI
There were not many sugar plantations
in operation nor tobacco places and
they were suffering like every body
else
Senator Cullom asked if the Spanish
army got any of the supplies sent by
the United States.
No, SIR" said General Lee. coca
sionallys they might have, got a, little
here and there"
Senator Frye asked various questions
in regard to the physical condition of
the Spanish soldiers and the method OF
providing for them, to which General
Lee replied that the condition of the
Spanish soldiers is very bad. They are
badly clothed and very badly fed; not
we'll organized; not drilled.
Senator Frye-If Spain has appropri-
ated 100000 for the sustenance Of the
reconcentrados as it is stated, do you
believe that that will be given to those
people and that their soldiers will be
left to starve?
| General Lee-Oh, no.
| Senator Foraker-What will become
of it?
General Lee-They will divide it up
here and there-a piece taken off here
and a piece taken off there. I do not
believe they have appropriated any
thing of the kind
General Lee said that there were
American citizens left on the island for
whom there is no provision since he
had left He thought there would
have to be steps taken for their relief
as they are suffering and starving. He
said he thought Miss Clara Barton
would have remained to take charge of
the distribution of supplies, "but very
much to my surprise she turned around
and came out the same day we did"
Senator Frye-What, in your judg-
Ement, is the possibility of Spain con-
quering the insurgents and restoring
peace to the island?
/ Consul General do not think there
IS the slightest possibility of their do
II ing it at all in any way. The same
J condition of things existed when Mr.
Cleveland asked me to go down theirs
J last June a year ago. told him there
were no chances, in my opinion, of tn
Spaniards ever suppressing that insur-
, rection, nor was there any chance for
the insurrectionists expelling the Span
ish soldiers from the island
| In response to an inquiry from Sena-
tor Lodge for his opinion of the insur-
gent government, General Lee said: 81
have never thought that the insurgents
had anything except the skeleton for a
governments movable capital. q
asked them one day why they did not
have some permanent capital, and
J think they gave a very good reason
They said it would require large force
to protect it and defend, and they could
not afford to mass up their men there;
that the capital and the government
offices had to move where they could
be the safest"
II General Lee said he did not know any
J of the officials connected with their CIV
IL government The armed force would
number probably 81 900 or 80, 900. The
number has been probably as high as
5000 or $1,000 men we'll armed The
ammunition varies. The Spanish force
will probably reach $1,000 or $1,000
General Lee said that an American
, army of occupation could go into the
island with safety now. The climate
nor anything else need not prevent
J them from entering Cuba.
Senator Daniel-Do you think Cen