Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-09-18
CONDITIONS AS BAD AS WHEN THE
WAR WAS IN PROGRESS.
PRICES ALL BUT PR0HIBITIVE
HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN DYING BY
INCHES IN HAVANA.
municipal Authorities Doing Abso-
IuteIy NOthing-FrightfuIC COndi-
tions Prevail at MntanEas,
Where Poor Are Dying
in the Streets.

HAVANA, Sept. 17.-Adeices from Ma>
tanzas report that the Cuban troops are
maintaining order and enforcing rights OF
property with rigid severity in that dis
trict. The advices state that yesterday aft
ernoon a cOlored man named Nomiugo Aid
ma was tried by court-martial and was
shot on the estate Los Angeles for having
stolen, the day before, an OK belonging 10
the estate. In the same district another
prisoner, Domingo Richardo, who was ac-
cused of minor theft, was delivered TO the
Spanish outposts at Los Molinos. These
acts are looked upon as evidencing the sin
cerity of the Cuban troops to enforce law
and order. AT the same time, the Cuban
| troops throughout the island are suffering
woefully from lack of food and clothing and
| their condition demands Immediate atten-
| ton and relief in order to prevent serious
outbreaks of disease.
As predicted, the streets and places have
again become crowded with beggars since
| the closing of the Havana soup kitchens.
Nothing could be more ridiculous than tie
| statement of Civil Governor Fernandez de
| Castro that want and distress have disap-
peared. The reasons which caused the OPEN
ing of the kitchens during the blockade still
obtain in the same degree, and the beggars
| are no better off to-day than they were
| then.
The raising of the blockade did not have
| the effect of reducing prices, which con-
| tinue prohibitive for the poor. In Fosos
| there IS almost a total lack of food cloth
| ing and medicine. Hundreds of children,
mere skeletons and hollow-eyed, colorless,
| naked men and women, are dying by inches
from disease and hunger, forgotten by all.
The municipal authorities are doing abso-
| lutely nothing to remedy the evil. Com
1 missions composed OF ladies are visiting
| every store and business house collecting
1 he ~,
| troops, but the collections are far short
| OF the actual requirements. The Spaniards
nave contributed generously, even the most
| rdOld OF the conservatives. .----.--
| Inc condition of the Spanish troops is
| hardly better in the country. The average
| death rate among the Spanish soldiers was
100 daily during the first fortnight OF the
present month. The principal cause of
death were malaria and dysentery caused
by The LACK of food and the bad. quality
The steamer Chateau Latte left. on Fri
DAY for Spain with 1000 sick soldiers on
board. All the outgoing steamers bound
for Spain are full of. sick and wretthed
| looking soldiers. Army officers and. their
families are leaving in great numbers.
Blanco has been sick in bed since yes
| terday, suffering from collie.
| Reports from Matanzas state that dread
ful conditions prevail there. The poor are
| dying in the public streets and highways
| at an average of four or five daily. Be
| sides the twenty-seven unburied bodies be-
fore reported, the bodies of four men and
| WOHltH VINO nave Gled from starvation,
| were found in the streets. One child, al
| most dead from hunger, was found close
| to the wall of Ell Oriente foundry. This
4 condition of things in the neighbering sea
4 port town demands instant attention
/ Adyices from other towns in the Interior
| and on the coast report that distress and
/ want prevail, principally among the Cuban
| troops WHO are camped on the outskirts
| Caibarlen is apparently the worst off
Caibarien Is the port which General Gomez
in communication to General Wade, asked
lrGf tod
lish Cuban base of supplies in order to
minister TO the wants of the troops in the
field
| 1t Is learned on authority of an official
source that when the American evacuation
| commissioners arrived on the steamer Res
olute, General Bianco decided to appoint an
officer to represent him in receiving the
| commissioners refusing to receive the COM
| missioners in person. General Parade, sec
/ ond in command in Cuba, and General So
lano argued with him whole day. point
7 ing out that such action would be a direct
affront; that the commission. composed of
two generals. :. and one admiral representing
| the United States government. had come
here in pursuance of an agreement with
the government at Madrid, that he was
| personally expected to receive the commits
sioners and that a refusal on his part TO
do so could only be regarded as a slight.
General Blanco was finally brought to
| reason and persuaded to receive the COM
mission in person, doing so in full dress
uniform. 1t is understood that the cap
tain general expected the commissioners 10
| appear III iItSS. "lllSil tiltS Ipt
do. thereby causing considerable comment
The matter was discussed on board the
Resolute, the staffs considering that they
should certainly pay an official visit to
the palace in full dress. This, however
was not done. owing to the delay of the de-
livery of a dress uniform ordered by Cen
eral Wade before the sailing of the steam
er. OF course, the subordnateS could not
appear in full dress unless the president
OF the commission. General Wade. did SO
and. therefore, the entire party came
ashore in fatigue dress. causing consider
able surprise at the simplicity of their at
tires among the populace, upon whom q
display of gold lace and decorations makes
| q great impressiOn.