New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-30
6O-62 West 23d st,
CUBAN RELIEF-SHIP Project
THE CENTRAL COMMITTEES PLAN FOR
SENDING SUPPLIES.
APPROVAL, GIVEN BY THE srArE DEPARTMENT
MISS BARTON GREATLY INTERESTED
THE DISTRIBUTION IN CUBA.

Washington. March 2s-The relief-shlp project Of
tho Central Cuban Relief Committee for direct
transportation Of supplies to Cuba. Is regarded SO
favorably the Department OF State that IL IS
in n fair way OF being carried out II Is said that
the idea originated with Miss Barton. who arrived
in Washington on Saturday. and after brief visit
will return TO Red Cross work In Cuba. AT any
rate Miss Barton is greatly interested In securing
the relief ship and Is working 10 that end I'M
mediately after her arrival on Saturday. Miss Bar
ton went 20 the Department OF State and called
on Assistant Secretary Day. She had a second In
,erview on Monday, when she was accompanied
by Charles A. Schieren and Stephen Barton, OF tho
committee. who came over from New-fork 10 unite
with Miss Barton in laying the plan before the
Department, where It was talked over with AS
sistant Secretary Day and Assistant secretary
Adee.
II WAS said at the Department to-day that the
plan had the approval OF the Government. bat the
detail, were not yet arranged The official under
whose supervision the details would come SAID IN
regard to the advantages Of a special rehef-ship:
1T would be n great advantage TO the Ceh'rai
Cuban Relief Committee have the exclusive
uss Of n vessel for It's reliefship, as supplies
would then be carried direct and landed at the DIFF
ferent Cuban ports. This would be a convenience
to make the work more effective than sending sup
plies to Havana and transporting them from there
over the island by rail. II would also be saving
OF time both in starting supplies from New-fork
and receiving them in Cuba
The Department recognizes the perfect organlza-
ton already attained by the committee. Its meth
DDS employed to invite contributions nave met Win
great success and there Will be no lack OF sup
niles 10 load a large vessel. Money contributions
and shipments OF supplies coming in in larger
quantities every day In regard to the repre-
sentative character OF the committee and recent
statements that some difference had arisen be-
tween the Red Cross workers and Mr.. klopsch'
the same official said: "Mr. Schieren represents
the commercial people OF the country, when really
means millions OF dollars. Mr.. Klopsch represents
the churches united in the Christian Epdeavor ele-
mcnt through his paper The Christian Herald
Mr. BARTON tho vice pre- sident OF the Red Cross
Society represents that organization. 1t was de-
sired that Miss Barton, tho president, shouid take
this place the committee. But IL was het re-
quest that Mr.. Barton should serve. as he could
remain in New-York. and perhaps also she thougnt
a man could be OF more service In this position.
.'There seems to be the impression in some quar-
ters that in Cuba the Red Cross Is working nde-
pcndently that Mr. Klopsch Is working indepen-
IDENTIFY and that Consul-General ee is distributing
supplies also Independently. Now, as a matter
OF fact while smaller committee all over tho
country and individuals may and do send RELIEF d.
rec, to the Consul General when It reaches Cuba
It all goes into the general fund sent by the Cen
trail Committee In New-York OF which. however
Consul General Lee Is the official head in havana
In other words. the Government deals with the
It's work in Cuba through the Committeeman. who
is the official head and whose authority Is recos-
nized both by the Red Cross and by Mr.. klopsch.
There could be no other way. as In the work OF re-
lief questions come up with the civil authorities
rcscntative OF this Government, would have tho
right and power meet. As 20 difference OF meth
friction The Red Cross has It's own methods, and
works on Red Cross lines. as Il must and Is right
workers from using other methods. and, surely, not
In field 80 vast In is needs as reiei "o:N In
Whatever differences II any, existed between Miss
Barton and Mr.. klopsch' II IS plain that they are
for Mss Barton herself, she does not consider them
OF sufficient Importance to talk about and declines
She places the Red Cross work in Cuba a0oye any
OF ssns Gy % hp to- the Suffering ng people
Is the great work Of the hour. The Red Cross
WIN go on doing 1 duty in Fsei to o me s star
the more would i ind its exclusive sphere and
Speaking OF Matanzas, where distress was so ap-
pans5 because 81 the nm n OF rsron
Matanzas proved himself an humane and y, kind
glad TO have relief for The people as We were to
give II. he threw open the Palace. offering the
did everything IN MS power 70 assist In getting
food to the people and improving their cond;ion
soon under way"
THE STARVING REcoNcENTRApos
Miss Barton would be termed an emotional
woman. though n woman OF deep feeling. She has
witnessed human suffering In every form from
the horrors OF the battlefield the silent distress
OF the famne-strlcken to the atrocities in Ar
mena. But In all her experience there has been
nothing like tho starving reconcentrados of Cuba.
When asked II the picture had been overdrawn by
word pen she replied:
That would be impossible. The condition and
suffering down there cannot he described. The sec
ond day after | reached Havana I went to Los
Focas. where six hundred starving people found
shelter. II is n big building simply Enclosed two
stories. but had few partitions. Here these people
a fhHm tn h.In ~ eot,.
and children. gaunt and half-naked, some wholly
so. were lying on the floors. There no beds
no blankets nor other covering and the whole
place was absolutely without comfort or sanitary
conveniences. No Imagination could picture the
appalling condition 81 suffering and wretch edness
After looking about We found a few cots possibly
q dozen. where there were over six hundred people