The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-21
THE RED CROSS In CUBA.
Miss Clara Bnrton's Efforts to Prevent
Abuses Of Relief Work.
Havana Letter in New York Mail and Elk

Havana Letter in New York Mall ana Tx
press.
Captain General Blanco denies in the
most emphatic terms that it is his purpose.
or that of anybody connected with the
Spanish government, TO discourage Miss
Barton in her campaign of relief under the
Red Cross Society banner. He admits hav-
ing issued a mandate prohibiting the dis
tributiOn of quinine to the reconcentrados
outside Havana giving as his reason that
the medicine was chiefly benefiting the in
surgents and not those outside the rebel
ranks. AS to his prohibition of the hospital
for the orphans of the reconcentrados
which Miss Barton established alongside
the Red Cross Society headquarters on
Castle Cerro. the captain general says that
this step taken with view to con-
filming Miss Barton to relief instead Of
asylum work. The order prohibiting the
opening of the home was revoked, however
when the members of the society showed
that the orphans of reconcentrados alone
were to be installed there, and Sister
Mary, the little English angel, who identi-
fed herself with the care of the Maine
victims while in hospital now has the
institution in splendid working order On
Monday Sister Mary took thirty-five
orphans to the home, and yesterday she
installed thirty-two more there.
The climax of the friction between Miss
Barton and the local committee in charge
of the work of distributing supplies was
reached yesterday, when it was discovered
that great quantities of the food given to
the reconcentrados had found their way
to the stores. where they were put on SALE
The inference is that some of the more UNI
deserving reconcentrados deliberately sold
the goods. particularly the condensed milk
and canned meat, of which pure rib beef
formed a part. This choice beef was orig
lnally intended for the sick or convalescent
put Miss Barton discovered that ii was be-
ing given away indiscriminately by the
local committee, and she put her foot down
IN very quick order, although she was
obliged to incur the displeasure of several
doing so.
Another part of the distribution plan with
which Miss Barton found fault was that
the committee failed to tear from the
canned goods the paper wrappers of the
makers. IF this is not done the goods will
De sold and the Spanish government will
say that we are bringing food into the
country to SELL" said Miss Barton. The
wrappers were not removed and the predic-
ton that Miss Barton made was fulfilled
to the letter. Preferring money to the
food, the reconcentrados sold the goods
wherever possible in Havana And the
Spanish authorities shook their. heads and
said: Just as we predicted" ..........-
Nor has this been all of Miss Bartons
trouble this week. The discovery by the
.NAAeNS va
Japanese valuables among the consign-
ment sent to the society made a great out
cry throughout the city. The box was ad-
dressed to Emanuel. j. Fernandez, a mem
Der of the local committee, who, like Miss
Barton, denies all knowledge of the sender.
The latter has, however, been obliged to
make any number of explanations, both to
officials and reporters and she has GER
tainly satisfied the latter if she has not the
former, that there was no attempt to SNUG
gle the personal effects in. Speaking of the
case to-day the head of the Red Cross So
ciety said:
''All L know of the affair is Just this:
Somebody unknown to me, and, unfortu-
nately have no means of Identifying the
person, called at the Cuban relief commit
tee with package said to contain food,
with the request that the same be for
warded to this city. When it arrived here
it was opened in the regular course of the
customs and found to contain dutiable
goods Immediately disclaimed all knowl-
edge of the consignment or it's sender and
told the officials to conflscate the package,
which they did. / hardly think that any
body desired to injure the reputation Of the
Red Cross Society, but the sending of the
package at this time looks suspicious.
1t was q put up job said DIR. A. Monal
Lesser. Il haven't the slightest doubt that
some Spaniard or another deliberately car
ried that package to the relief committee
in New York, and under prearrangement
mere it was immediately opened on arrival.
What impresses me as being very funny Is
that of all the packages received here that
day the one containing the jewels and other
spected by the Spanish customs authorities.
1t struck me that they must have expected
the package and that 1t bore some private
mark. They are up TO all sorts of tricks to
interfere with our work in Cuba and this
may be one of them. They don't want Us
here, you know. and this may be part of
crusade to get us out
One of the captains attached to the staff
OF Captain General Blanco was asked If 1t
We're true that the presence in Cuba of the
Red Cross Society was objectionable to
Spain. He replied Yes ii is true, abso-
lutely true: but now that its members are
here. certainly nIapi0or no rla
in their way. All we ask is fairness. l am
sorry to say that in several instances this
cident is only one of these. We have abso-
lutte PROOF that the greatest portions Of this
stuff supplied to the reconcentrados found
its way to the ranks of the insurgents,
whether or not with the knowledge and
consent of any member of the Red Cross
Society l am unable to say. The Spanish
officers here have been unnecessarily con-
siderate with the Red Cross Society.
Reverse the circumstances for the sake
midst of a family row, for that is all the
quarrel between Spain and Cuba is. Har-
assed on all sides by outside interference,
the permitting of fllibustering expeditions
TO be fitted out being only one of them.
what would America, through her people
and her representatives in Washington. say
to Spain were the latter to send to the
states food and supplies that were abso-
lutely proven to be distributed through I'M
necessary and undeServing channels In
the first instance i question whether Amer
lea. in the middle of an insurrection, would
ever permit the importation or the FOOD and
supplies. but If she did / am positive in my
prediction that she would Danish each and
every person connected with the relief were
il known that these same goods were reach
ing the hands of the enemy
Spain has been obliged to swallow the
bitter pill. and why should she swallow it
in silence? The Spanish government is in
possession of facts to show that the Red
Cross Society Is now supporting many fam
lilies who are thoroughly capable of taking
care of themselves In fact. ii stands ready
TO prove it. and the documents are now en-
route TO Madrid that wealthy families have
accepted provisions and other supplies from
the Red Cross. feel satisfied that il some
of the people who have furnished, or who
intend to furnish funds for the supplies
controlled by the society, could only come
TO the island and observs with their own
eyes how this fund is being misapplied in a
number of cases, the :,l4n of distribution
would be completely changed if it were
not entirely abandoned. Spain has just as
much right to send food through the Span
fish Red Cross Society to your strikers
has the American Red Cross Society to send
food to our rebels. for the demands of the
latter are in reality not unlike those of
strikers. What howl the American mer-
chants and manufacturers would set up if
we sent. through any of our societies, relief
for American strikers"
A Question of Time.