The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-23
WORSE THAN ARMENIA.
Situation i'm Cuba as Reported by Mr..
KOOp Through Senator. Morgan.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-Cuba usurped
the place OF Hawaii in the executive pro-
ceedngs of the Senate to-day, and was
under consideration for an hour or more.
The proceedings were based on a document
presented by Senator Morgan, of Alabama,
as the result of an interview between HIM
self and Mr.. Koop, of Boston, Mass. In pre-
senting the document Senator Morgan SAID
that Mr.. Koop was a capitalist, who had
but recently returned from Cuba after
most exhaustive exploration of the island.
Senator Morgan laid considerable stress on
the Importance of the document, which
consisted of questions by Senator Morgan
and replies by Mr. Koop. The latter said
that he had been in thlrty-Tour provinces,
and had spent more or less time in each OF
them in the prosecution of his inquiries In
no place outside of Havana, he said, was
any effort made to take care of the recon-
centrados, and phe declared that the people
We're dying in great numbers in all places
in which they had been collected ogether
by the Spanish authorities both as result
of the cruelty of the Spanish troops and
for the lack of food. He declared that
there was no evidence in the provinces of a
more liberal treatment of these unfortu-
nate people under the administration of
General Blanco than there had been under
the Weyler regime. and said that the peo-
pie in general were in just as deplorable
condition now as they had been before the
change. In no case We're the reconcen-
dllOW6O TO go OutSluG tic IHilltdTy
posts to collect food, and while there was
some effort in certain instances to grow
crops in the immediate vicinity of the gar
risonS. these crop areas did not extend more
than five hundred yards from the forts. lie
added that if the people were allowed to get
out they could get enough to eat to keep
soul and body together, bat that when even
small children attempted to go outside of
the guard lines they We're shot down as
ruthlesSly as If they were enemies in arms.
He said that he had seen women and chill
dren abused by the Spanish soldiory. and
that favorite pastime seemed 10 be to kick
the women about as If they were dogs.
Mr.. l<oop also devoted considerable space,
at Senator Morgans suggestion, to the
scheme of autonomy under the Liberal
Ministry and pronounced it failure from
one end of the island to the other. HE said
that business was at a standstill through
out the country, that few crops were 81
ing and desolatiOn and ruin stared the trav-
eler in the face wherever he went. AS
consequence, property. WAS much depreci-
ated i'll value and the people We're greatly
discouraged He said that the general es-
innate was that the war had already re-
suited in the loss of 600.000 lives. an AIr
koop himself did not consider these figures
exaggerated.
There WAS some comment upon the doCu-
ment by Senators Morgan Gallinger and
Mason, but no official action was taken.
more than he had expected 10 hear and
Senator Gallinger declared nat the picture
drawn was a deDlorable one He said that
two years ago. he had advised that the
United States should Intervene to put a
stop to the war; and that every develop
ment since had confirmed the wisdom of
the suggestion then made.