The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-03-23
.CUDA'S AWFUL CONDITION
Continued From First Page)

: -
Lee, Sherman and Jackson, Sheridan.
Longstreet and Logan participated IN
from 1861 TO 1865 In Cuba 1t Is war OF
starvation and determinations war
more. cruel than any the world has. ever
known.
Spain's Poor Soldiers.
The Spanish military do not impress an
American with the idea that they are
great soldiers. l witnessed three military
drills, and in each case the story OIL the
Awkward Squad came WILDLY to my
mind. Talking and smoking in the ranks
were noticeable, and neither officers nor
soldiers seemed TO possess the true MILL
tary spirit.
1t is said that the rank and file OF the
Spanish army have not been paid for SIX
months, and they certainly are poorly
clothed and inadequately fed.
The high officers appear to do most OF
their, fighting In cafes and hotels, the ac-
tual fighting in the field being done under
the command of officers of inferior grade.
As to the insurgents, it is said that
they are we'll fed and comfortably clad,
their chief lack being guns and ammuni-
ton They are good soldiers, under strict
military alscipline9 They occupy large
part OF the anu III my
can take Havana or Matanzas when-
ever II suits their purpose, but for want
of ships they could not hold these cities,
If taken.
The scenes in the streets of Havana are
narrowing beyond description. People in
want and suffering are everywhere seen,
and walking skeletons meet one on every
hand
Naked children, emaciated and ragged
women. and diseased and starving men
throng the streets, the hotel lUbbies' ana
every place of public resort.
1t is a terrible sight-one that sickens the
heart and quickens every impulse OF hu-
man sympathy and love.
| have said in the public prints ana
repeat, that the kingdom Of Spain is car
! rving on n war in Cuba more utterly cruel
| and indefensible than any that the world
! chronicles unless perchance a parallel
/ may be found in the expressions that the
! Armenians have suffered at the hands OF
! the Unspeakable Turk.
| MY observations were first MADE not
! in the rural districts, where the most
! horrible conditions are conceded 10 eH-
| list but right in Havana, under the
! shadow of cathedrals and churches
| where Spain's authority is absolutely
! unquestioned The world has heard
! with horror the story o. the starvation
/ of hundreds of thousands of innocent
people on this island, but, while the
! statement has been generally accepted
/ as true there are those who have re-
/ fused TO believe that "A great govern
ment was waging Il war OF eNtermlna-
] ton instead OF war OF honor, conduct
/ ed upon the high principles of humanity
! and bravery-yet such is the fact.
In my Investigations / visited the or
| phanage under the care of that sainted
! woman, Clara Barton. who is being ably
assisted 10y Or. A. NJ. Lesser, surgeon
in-chief of the Red Cross Hospital, OF
/ New York city, and his accomplished
wife.
/ 1t was also my great privilege to meet
there Mr. Louis Klopsch. proprietor of
the Christian Herald. under whose eff
forts the money has been raised TO car
/ ~ on Miss Barton's heaven-inspired
work. and who receives help and en-
/ couragement from his wife, who is here
/ in person to do what she can TO ale
/ viate the terrible suffering that exists.
In connection with the orphanage a
! dispensary is maintained DR.. Lesser
being ably seconded in that work by a
corps of Cuban physicians and every
/ day hundreds of poor creatures are as
! sisted In that way. AT present the or
! phanage contains about fifty children,
[ almost every one of whom is the vic
tim Of starvation, suffering from GlS-
( eases directly traCeable to want OF food
/ and imperfect nourishment.
Or. Lesser has had experience in the
famine in Armenia, and I believe in In
dia. and is recognized as the highes;
possible authority on diseases of that
1 kind.
/ have It from his lips. and also from
/ Miss Barton's, that the famine in Cuba
I IS worse than was that in Armenia OF
any other of which he has had knowl-
4 edge, and the pictures that he drew of the
. terrible suffering from starvation in the
I island fully confirm what has been writ
. ten on the subject by those whose state
ments have been challenged in some quar-
Z tiers.
For most of my life, as physician
have witnessed human suffering, but pic
I lures of wretchedness and anguish were
1 photographed upon my brain i'm Cuba that
/ will never be effaced. After the visit 10
, the orphanage was over l went with the
! medical gentlemen and others to Los Fo-
/ cas-. the place where the reconcentrados
/ assemble daily to get food and shelter.
There is a large side yard, which was
filled with men, women and children. a
/ motley, dlapidated, hungry-loOking
( crowd.