The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-12

| of fevers. resulting from a low physical
| condition and being massed in large bodies
| without change of clothing and without
food Their homes were burned, their fields
and plant beds destroyed and their live
| stock driven away or killed. estimate that
| probably 100000 of the rural population in
/ the province of Pinar del Rio. Habana,
| Matanzas and Santa Clara have died of
starvation or from resultant causes. and
| the deaths of whole families almost sim
| utaneously or within Il few days of each
other and of mothers praying for their
| children to be relieved of their horrible suf-
| ferings by death, arc not the least OF the
many pitiable scenes which were ever
| present In the provinces of Puerto Principe
and Santiago de Cuba, where the 'reconcen-
trado order could not be enforced, the
| ing. A daily average of 10 cents
! worth of food to zoe 900 people would be
- u %-V'VNg Pei uSaS anu VI Soui
| the most humane efforts upon the part of
| our citizens cannot hope TO accomplish such
a gigantic relief and reat portion of
| these people will have to De abandoned to
! their fate"
EFFECTS OF CONCENTRATION.
General Lee inclosed in this communica-
| ton an editorial from Diaro de la Marina
| which vigorously denounced the "sedtious
| tumult of the day before as a victory for
Gomez and the enemies of Spain. On the
same day he also sent to the department
some statistics about the mortality in Santa
| Clara, showing that there were 5,4S9 deaths
in the towns in the seven years previous
to 1897. which included 1,417 in one year
from an epidemic of yellow fever. There
were in 1897, owing to the concentrate
order 1881 deaths out of total population
| OF ifVOo; me death rate increased month
! ~ from lS IN January, the month before the
concentration order went into effect until
december, when there were 1011 deaths
Jan. IL, 13, II and Is General Lee sent
prlef cablegrams to the department with re-
gard to the rioting and the demonstrations
against autonomy and Blanco and the three
! newspaper offices. Jan 13 he said some Of
me rioters threatened to go to the United
States consulate. Ships'' he said "are NOT
| needed, but may be later If Americans are
IN danger, ships should move promptly for
Havaaa; Uncertainty and excitement wide
ana General Lee reported all quiet
On the 18th General Lee sent a dispatch,
ma marked conhdential," regarding the riot
Sir-The recent disorders in this city are
20 60 De primarily attributed to a group of
| Spanish officers who were incensed at arti-
cles appearing in the newspapers of Ha-
Xana.El Reconcentrado, La Discussion and
nr n. plaro de Ia Marina The first very
| metnods La Discussion had been sup
pressed by Weyler, but its publication was
permitted to be resumed by Blanco, and the
iast mad been an ultra-Spanish organ but
nad Deen converted by the present authori-
yes 70 autonomy. 1t is possible that the
Spanish officers were first provoked by the
denunciations of Weyler in the columns of
one oI the papers and determined TO stop
mob, turned the demonstration iRto an anti
autonomistic affair yend today
an analysis of the autonomistic plan The
inlense opposition to it on the part of the
| Spaniards arises from the fact that the first
| appointments of the officers under it's pro-
VISIONS We're made generally outside of
thelr party in order to show the Cubans
| IN arms that autonomy was instituted for
!neir penefit and protection. The
Intelligent Spaniards see no pros
perlty In the future, but rather other wars
ana more confusion in the same old at
tempts to make the waters of commerce.
| unnatural Rhanna1c mo
Spanish classes have nothing in mind when
autonomy is mentioned except Cuban local
rule, hence their opposition"
On JAN. p General Lee transmitted a
copy OF the decree which established the
autonomic regime on the Island of Cuba
On Jan Is to p General Lee reported by
cable daily that all was quiet in Havana
and that the recent rioting had caused some
delays. but no difficulty was apprehended
as to the landing of supplies. Feb he re-
ported the receipt of moneys from various
sections OF the United States for relief pur-
poses and the manner in which it is being
Feb. 10 he telegraphed the State Depart
ment as follows Captain general re-
turned yesterday; met with no success of
any sort Spaniards everywhere unfriendly;
rumors of coming demonstration against
him here. l think him an excellent man
but in an unfortunate position. Three
serious combats reported within a week. in
each insurgents victorious"
TOWNS NEAR HAVANA.
The same day he sent to the State De-
| P0i SbdlS1lSLI OI tIlS COHQ1IlOn Ill The
towns in theqneighborhood of the city Of
Havana made by a person he had sent to
those places for the purpose of inspecting
the number and condition of the starving
The statement covers four towns in the
neighborhood of Havana, and is largely a
repetition of the awful tale of suffering
which came from the other portions of the
island. AT Melena del Sur, the statement
says, 1T is impossible for the mayor, owing
to the unhealthy conditions prevailing and
the want of resources to relieve the miser-
able people, who die in great numbers
from starvation, fever and smallpox. There
are other towns in the same condition, for
example, Guines, Catalina and Nadruga,
whose situation could be in some degree re-
'leved II the country people We're allowed to
leave the town freely in search OF food. In
some towns this is entirely prohibited, in
others they are obliged to pay a tax Not
having anything to eat, how can they pay
tax? In every town the first thing is the
unhealthy condition of the men and their
total lack of physical strength"
AT Catalina de GuineS the statement re-
ports the condition of the reconcentrados as
sad and desperate There are, it says. mo
zones Of cultivation" and the reconcen-
trados are not allowed to leave the town
IN search Of work or food even with a mill
tary pass Food is so scarce that one
must walk four or five miles before finding
q sweet potato. In these districts the relief
given TO the reconcentrados by General
Blanco is a farce" The land near the town
comprised in the zone for cultivation the
StdISInenI says, has been rented by four
Spaniards, who have wealth and influence
and they employ the few reconcentrados
VINO are able to work at so or 40 cents per
day, but nobody can leave the town without
a pass good for a month, and which costs 90
cents. The workmen have to leave at 6 in
the morning, and, not being able to take
meals with them, are obliged to work until
O'Clock in the evening without food The
women who leave in search of vegetables
are sometimes deprived of them on their
way back by guerrilaS. In fifteen DAVIS two
hundred reconcentrados have died in Guines
from starvation. One of the few protectors
says the statement, is a young man named
Jose Amedo, whose father and mother died
attending to the suffering poor, and who
himself has given up eight houses belonging
to him as dwelling places for the reconcen-
tradoS, all the contents of a grocery store
which he possessed. and who is as destitute
as they are, but always attending to those
who suffer-
GOMEZ TO M'KINLEY.
On Feb 10 General Lee transmitted to the
department letter, with it's translation,
signed by the insurgent commander-in-
chief, General Gomez, addressed to Presi-
dent Mckinley. General Lee says the letter
was delivered by a messenger, who at once
departed before he saw or had any commu-
nication with him. A translation of the let
ter follows:
'Sir-The heroic Cuban press, as charac-
teristic of its moral being and developed to
a high degree, one of the most noble senti-
mentS, namely, gratitude; whoever has
done we'll for Cuba wins for himself forever
fxvn1xv ffT1rJA Nf fN.I