Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-03-18

In n speech Delivered In the Senate
interchangeable Desolation Of Death
Outside the Cities---DreadfuI Pictures
which Have Not Been Overdrawn.
Senator Proctor made in the Senate yes
terday speech describing in detail what
he saw during his recent visit to Cuba.
The speech was carefully prepared and
was read from manuscript. In the main it
was an elaboration Of the report given by
him to interviewers on his way to Wash
ington. The Senator's observations were
confined mainly to the country districts in
the four western provinces of Cuba-that
is to the country outside Havana and the
other cities. OF the condition of the coun-
try he said;
"It is not peace, nor is it war. 1t is desc
lation and drtiness and concentration and
starving. Every town and village is sur
rounded by trOcha (trench) a sort of rifle
pit but constructed on a poor plan, the
dirt being thrown up on the inside, with
barbed wire fence on the outside Of the
trench. Along these trochas at every cor
ner and at frequent intervals are what are
called forts, which are really small block
houses, many of them more like large
sentry box, loop-holed for musketry, and
with guard Of from two to 10 soldiers in
each. The purpose of these trochas is to
keep the reconcentrados in as well as to
keep the insurgents out. From all the sur
rounding country the people have been
driven into these fortified towns and held
there, to subsist as they can. They are
virtually prison yards and are not unlike
one in general appearance. except the walls
are not SO high and strong, but they suffice,
where every point is in range OF a soldier $
rifle, to keep in the poor concentrate
women and children. Every railroad sta
tion is within one Of these trochas, and
has an armed guard. Every train has an
| armored freight car, loop hOled for mus
kerry and filled with soldiers.
There are frequent block houses inclosed
! by trocha, and with a guard along the
railroad track. With this exception there
| is no human life or hahitaiion between
these fortified towns and villages, and
/ throughout the whole Of the four western
/ provinces, except To- a very limited extent
| among the hills, where the Spaniards have
| not been able 10 20 and drive the people 10
| the towns and burn their dwellings, saw
no house or hut IN the 400 miles OF IA J.
road rides from Pinar del Rio province in
! the west, across the full width Of Havana
and MatanzAs provinces TO Sagua la Graudc
| on the north shore and to Cienfucgos ON
| the south shore of santa Clara, except
! within the Spanish trochas. There are uo
| domestic animals or crops on the rich fields
and pastures except such as are under
! guard in the immediate vicinity of the
| towns. In other words, the Spauiard,
hold in these four western provinces just
what their army sits on. Every man
woman and child and every domestic ami
NAL, wherever tleir columns have reached
is under guard and within their so-callrC
Notifications. To describe one place is tC
describe all. To repeat, it is neither peac,
nor war. 1t is concentration and desola
tion. This is the 'pacifed' condition o
the four western provinces. This is tn,
result of Weyler's famous concentration
! order.
Senator Proctor confirmed all that ha
been said of the sickness, starvation an,
death among the reconcentrados. Befor,
going there, he said, Il could not believ
that out OF a population of l,60O, 900
100. 600 had died within these Spanish fort
from actual starvation and disease cause,
by insufficient and improper food. My in
quiries were entirely outside of sensational
sources. They were made of officers, ou
consuls, of city alcaldes mayors, of re
|
bankers, physicians and lawyers. Seyera
of my informants were Spanish born, bu
every time the answer was that the cas-
had not been overstated." Many of tn
scenes were so dreadful that they ough
never to be photographed or made public
1.-The Los Pasos hospital in Havana ha
been recently described by one of my col
leagues, Senator Gallinger, and | cannO
| hot Ua
even my pen cannot do more. He visite
it after DIR. Lessar, one of Miss Barton
very able and efficient assistants, had reno
waited it and put in cots. | saw il whe
100 women and children were lying on tn
stone floors in an indescribable state {
cmaciation and disease, many with tn
scantiest covering of rags-and such rag
and sick children naked as they cam
into the world And the conditions in th
other cities are even worse"
The orders of Gen Banco have mod
fed somewhat the policy of Weyler, hl
they are of no practical benefit. The al
Economists are not sufficient in number
be taken into the account. Autonom
has come too late
In conclusion Mr.. Proctor said: "I
e me the strongest appeal is not the barbar
5 ty practiced by Weyler, nor the loss of II
Maine, but the spectacle of 100000 pc
r Pile, the entire native population of Cub
| struggling for freedom and deliveran'
e from the worst misgovernment of which
T. ever had knowledge.
"But it is not my purpose at this tim
e nor do | consider it my province, to su
e gest any plan. | merely speak of II
= symptoms as | saw them, but do not unde
e take to prescribe Such remedial steps
s may be required may safely be left to a
f American President and the American pc