Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1898-04-14

ona ''o'' 10 the estimated number Of ooo
WV vi more was herded within tho to,.,,,
"." '"eir immediate vicinity. denr,vod ~,
u" ineahs OF support, rendered desti,,,o
Vi sheiter left poorly clad and .xnas,,
" 'iie most unsatisfactory conditions
S"""rings of Rcconccntr,I..
AS the scarcity of food incroo.,.., -,
'he devastation of the depeon,oa ,no..'
production. restitution ona ,,on. VI
misery and starvation. Mopth ~. IN. ''''ie
.i '"te increased in alarming ra
'..'' "S March, lS9S, according to con-
'S'''ha'es from official Spanish
'he mortality among the recon-
"''"'os from starvation and the dis
cases thereto incident exceeded ~ nor
UNI OF the total number. No proct,co,
'eilel was accorded to the destitute rho
oNerourdened towns. already suff.r,,,,
from the general dcarth. could give -,
aiu' So-called zones of cultivation os,o,,
iNhed within the immediate area Of .,fao,
I'VE military control, about the cities an,
ioi''ieu camps, proved illusory rs n rom
euv Tor the suffering. The unfor,up,t,s
"S ioi 'he most part women and chill
u'eh' with aged and helpless men ON
ieeoleu by disease and hunger. could NOT
NAVE tiiled the soil without tools seeds
or sheiter Tor their own support or for
the supply of the cities.
Recommendation adopted avowedlv ne n
war measure. to cut off the Resources -,
the insurgents. worked Its prodestir.d -,
suit. AS l said In my message of ,,,.
II was determination, and the only naaca
II could oeget was that of the wildern. -
and the grave.
Progress of the Wnr.
Meahwhile the military situation in tho
~, ,n,ai" mas undergone noticeable change
Inc extraordinary activity that cb,rno
terlHeu the second year of the war. when
VIZ ''Sufsthts invaded even the hitherto
unharmed fields of Pinar del Rio ana oar
riod havoc and destitution IN TO rho vail,
OF the city of Havana itself. had reIo nsod
INTO logged struggl. in the central and
eastern provinces. The Spanish army re-
Ealned measure of control in Pinar dol
Rio and parts of Havana. hut under tha
existing conditions of the rural country
without immediate Improvement of their
productive situation. Even thus partial
~ restricted. the revoutionists held their
own. ana their submission put forward
ny spain as the essential and sole basis
or peace, seemed as far distant as at the
outset. In this state of affairs my adj
mnistratton found itself confronted With
the grave problem of its duty. My mes
sage OF last December reviewed the Sit
uation and detailed the steps taken with
a view of relieving the acuteness and
opening the way to some form of hon
orable settlement.
Sagasta's vain Promises.
The assassination of the prime minis
ter, Canovas. led to g. change of govern
ment in Spain. The former adminstra-
ton. which pledged subjugation without
concession, gave place to that of more
liberal party. committed long in advance
to policy of reform involving the wider
principle of home rule for Cuba and Porto
Rico.
The overtures of this government made
through its new envoy. General Wood
ford, and loking to an immediate effective
amelioration of the condition of the
island. although not accepted to the ex-
tent of admitted mediation in any shape.
We're met by assurances that home rule
in an advanced phase should be forthwith
offered to Cuba, without waiting for the
war to end, and that more humane meth
DDS should thenceforth prevail in the con-
duct of hostilities.
new government of Spain continued and
completed the policy already begun by
its predecessor OF testifying friendly re-
gard for this nation by releasing Ameri-
can citizens held under one charge or
another connected with the resurrection,
so that, by the end of November, not
single person entitled in any way to our
national protection remained in a Spanish
prison.
The Relief MOvpment.
While these negotiation were in progress
the increasing restitution of the unfor-
tunate reconcentrados and the alarming
among them claimed earnest at
tention. The success which had attended
the limited measure of relief extended to
the suffering American citizens among
them by the judicious expenditure.
through the consular agencies. of the
money appropriated expressly for their
succor by the joint resolution approved
May q, 1897, prompted the humane eX-
tension of a similar scheme to that great
body of sufferers. A suggestion to this
end was acquiesced in by the Spanish au-
thclities on the 9th of December l
caused to be issued an appeal to the
American people inviting contributions in
money or in kind for the succor of tbs
starving sufferers in Cuba.
Following this on the sth of January,
was "a similar public announcement of the
formation of central Cuban relief com
mittee, which had headquarters in New
York city. composed of members rep
resenting the national Red Cross and the
religious and business elements of the
community. The efforts Of that com
mittee have been untiring and have accom-
plished much Arrangements for free
transportation to Cuba have greatly aided
the charita BILE work.
The president of the American Red cross