The record-union., 1898-04-12

! accepted their cooperation when con-
vinced it was rendered with sincerity.
On the 9th of March Mr. Barker in
! creased his estimate as TO the amount
OF food necessary to keep life in the peo-
! pie of that province. In the telegram o.
/ that date he said that fifty tons We're
needed for that time and that the dis
/ tress was greater than his former re-
/ ports had shown. In the letter of this
date he recounted the particulars of sl
visit to Santa Clara and the state of
/ government in the province of the same
name, where he said he learned from his
own agents and also from the Governor
| Of the province that the number of per-
sons in actual want exceeded any esti-
mate which he had previously sent 10
the Government, and he had said only a
few days before that he thought twenty
ton per month should be added to the
/ eighty tons previously suggested.
THE DISTRESS HEARTRENDING.
| In this communication of the 10th of
! March, Mr.. Barker says: The dis
tress is simply heartrendins. Whole
families without clothing to hide their
nakedness are sleeping on the bare
ground without bedding of any kind,
| without food, save such provisions as
We're sent by our noble people, and the
most distressing feature is that fully %
/ per cent are i'll, without medical atten-
: tiCn or medicine"
Mr.. Barker adds that if $1,000 could
! be telegraphcd to Consul General Lee,
! blankets and medicines and cots could
! be purchased there and in several towns
adjacent. and thus save those who must
die If compelled tc wait the sending OF
| these STDpIipS from T-Ijtad States
Il have found the Civil Governor will
! ing to lend every aid, he says, lin his
! power, but he admits that he can Go
nothing but to assist with his civil Off
cials iii eXpediting relief sent by the
/ United States. The military obstruct
in every wa-- oossible.''
! BLANCO'S ORDER OF NO AVAIL.
In the latter portion of his CORE
spondence, Mr.. Barker indicates therea-
] sons why General BlancO's orders re-
lieVing the recOncentraGOs must prove
of no avail He says that While the
first article of the order grants permis-
sion to the laboring class to return to
the country, the third article abrogated
this permission in eXacting that the
places to which the go must be
garrisoned. This condition alone" he
says, will preclude over one-half OF
| these people from going, for their
homes are in ruins and the estates able
| to maintain a guardian care for only
| a small percentage of the whole
Mr.. Barker does not question the
/ good intention of those now in power,
/ yet 1T is a self evident fact that the
authorities are utterly helpless to ex-
tend any relief to those who have thus
far survived the pangs of hunger"
! Mr.. Barker says that his observat ton
| does not bear out the statement made
by the Captain-General through a let
ter TO the Spanish Minister that "ex-
| tensive zones of cultivation have been
organized, that daily rations are pro-
cured by the state, and that work is
| furnished"
| Mr.. Barker also points out the i'm
! practicability of grinding cane under
| the restrictions. He says in his letter
! Of the 10th of November that he had
! interviewed most of the large planters
! in his Consul District and that they
/ had stated unless assured of immunity
] in the insurgent armies they would
not attempt to grind, as by so doing
they would jeopadize their property He
! adds that it is an "unquestioned fact
/ that the military are powerless to give
| the necessary protection"
! MORTALITY IN SANTA CLARA.
| Mr.. Barker devotes much space to the
| suffering and mortality of the people
of his province. He places the mortal
! ity figures for six of the principal cities
! of his district for the period beginning
January 1st and ending November 10,
| 1897, at S0,S51. He says this is the
| official record and that fully - per
cent. should be added to cover deaths
/ of which no record was kept.
Undoubtedly he says, "one-half the
contracted people have died, and the
! Spanish soldiers are companion victims
/ of the surviving non -cOmbatants. This
appalling death roll is convincing proof
of the terrible destruction of life on
the main policy pursued in attempting
to subjugate the island With me the
/ conviction is firmly rooted that within
! sixty days 80 per cent of the popula-
| ton will reach state of craving hun
| ger, nor do l feel that l am speaking
/ chimerically without including the rank
and file of the Spanish army The true
status as viewed at present will bear
out my opinion. The suffering among
the troops as well as the reconcentra-
dos simply beggars portrayal, while dis
content ripens daily
DESTRUCTION TOO NARROWING
TO RECITE.
| On the 18th of December Mr. Barker
relates the particulars of a visit he
had made to the principal railroad
towns in his district which tour had
been undertaken to verify the previous
statements. Speaking of this trip,
which covered the towns of Santa
Clara, Cruces, Esperanza, Jocote and
Santa Domingo, he says:
The destruction is simply too bar-
rowing to recite and must become in
tensifed each day. The death rate for
the last month shows an increase cf
about % per cent. IL these towns L
got my information from the Mayors
! of each. From them l learned that
while there was AN Issue of goods run
ming from three tC five days, beginning
on the 2Sth nit, consisting of three
ounces of bacon or jerled beef and six
ounces of rice for adults. with half
this allowance for children under IL
years, the pittance was given sufficient
for only OnefoUrth to one-tenth of The
starving. NO further relief has been
given up to date, and the Mayors of
these towns are authority for stating
that the CaptainG General had ordered
the discontlnuance of the food to the
recOnceatrados. This order from the
Captain General was apparently given
because of the insuficiency OF The food
supply for the Spanish soldiers
The Mayor Of Santa Clara has also
told Mr.. Barker that the military COM
mander had informed him that he vss
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