The herald., 1898-04-12
SENT TO CONGRESS WITH THE
MESSAGE ,
IT WAS READY LONG AGO
BUT HELD UP BECAUSE OF THE
MAINE DISASTER
VERY MUCH HAS BEEN OMITTED
But Enough Is Left to Show the Hor'
rible Conditions Long Prevail
ing in Cuba
Associated Press Special Wire

WASHINGTON, April ll.-Ine coHsuld'
correspondence with regard to the situa'
tion in Cuba. which was transmitted to-
day, was prepared in response to resolu
tions of inquiry adopted by both the House
and Senate. The correspondence was pre-
pared for Transmission to Congress jus;
before the blowing up of the Maine. and
having been held up since, now includes
communications up to April lst. 1t covers
the communications of Consul-General Lee
at Havana. Consul McGars at Cienfuegas
Consul Brice at Matanzas. Consul Hyatt
at Santiago de Cuba and Consul Barker al
Sagua la Grande. The communications
made about sixty thousand words. They
deal largely with the distress and suffer-
ing which exists in all the districts, but
General Lee reports quite fully upon the
DEGREES of the government with regard TO
autonomy and other political phases OF the
situation. In preparing the correspondence
for transmission to Congress considerable
portions of the important communications
and especially those marked "conidentiai
are omitted. The resolutions to which
they are the response asked only Tor such
correspondence as it was deemN compat-
ible with the public interest to make pub
lie. General Lees correspondence runs
over the period from November Il, 1897, to
April 1885, Much of the correspondence is
of a confidential nature and of some OF The
important communications excerpts only
are given.
The period of the correspondence from
the blowing up of the Maine contains no
reference to that event, such communica-
tions probably being deemed Irrelevant to
The purpose of the resolution calling for the
to, t1ar cSin m
of the government as 10 the situation of
affairs In Cuba. The dispatch from Gen.
Lee contains Gen. B9anco's order under
date of November 13. repeating, or rather
modifying Gen. Weyler's order of con-
entration which has heretofore been pub
,shsd by the press. This order was made
Ihortiy after Gen. Lee returned TO Ha-
vana from the United States last fall. Gen.
Lee, in this communication, also enclosed
the proclamation Of ]. NJ. Rodriguez, Maj
General in charge of the Western depart
ment of the Cuban military operations, ad
dressed to the Cuban people and informing
them of the firm resolution" of the in
eurgent army to con ntinue fighting until
the attainment of absolute independence.
1t was on November %, that Consul-Gen-
,eral Lee made his first report to the de-
affairs in Cuba. 1t is as follows:
United States Consulate General Ha-
yana, Nov. %. 1S97-Sir: 1 have the honor
to briefly submit statement Of what ap-
pears 10 be the present condition of affairs
IN this island.
First-The insurgents will not accept
autonomy.
Second-A large majority of the Spanish
xxb bnva rnDOprrjal and bnSj-
ness interests and own property here, will
not accept autonomy, and prefer annexa-
ton to the United States rather than an
independent republic or genuine autonomy
and the Spanish flag.
Third--Thc Spanish authorities are sin
cere in doing all in their power to encour-
age, protect and promote the grinding of
sugar. The grinding season commences in
December.
Fourth-The insurgent leaders have
given Instructions to prevent grinding
wherever it can be done, because by dimin-
ishing the export of sugar the Spanish rev.
enues are decreased. 1t will be very diff
cult for the Spanish authorities to prevent
cane burning, because one man at night
can start fire which will burn hundreds
of acres, just as a single individual could
light prairie by throwing match into the
dry grass.
Fifth am confident that Gen. Blanco
and Gen. Pando, his chief of staff, as well
as DR.. Congosto, Secretary-General, with
all of whom have had conversations. are
perfectly conscientious in their desire to
relieve the distress of those suffering from
the effects of Weyler's RECOMMENDATION or.
der, but, unfortunately, they have not the
peanS m carry ouf eucb hpneyo1ent mr.
poses.
The communication goes on to state that
the deaths among the reconcentrados av-
eraged forty or fifty daily, and that on an
average there were Sut ten days of life
for each person. 1t says that these un-
happy creatures received food only after
having been eight days in the ditches dur
ing which time they were obliged to subsist
upon the bad food which the dying had re-
fused. Some horrible instances of distress
witnessed are given.
Further along the communication says
that If any young girl came in who was
nice looking, she was infalliby condemned
to the mos; abominable Of traffice. The
communication says 100 persons had ou-
tered the Fossos since August and of those
but 233 were then living. 1t places the num-
Der of deaths among the reconcentrados at
II per cent.
On December 3, Consul-General Lee
sent to the State Department commun!-
cation referring to a cipher dispatch he
had sent two days previous in which he
Informed the department that he had
learned from the United States Consul
at Matanzas of an extensive and danger
Gus conspiracy under the ex-governor of
the province directed against Amer:cacs
action against them to be contingent upon
the action of the United States on he
independence of Cuba. General Lee stated
that rumors had been more or less frequent
regarding the riotous intention of some of
the dtss atisfied elements against American
citizens there and IN other parts OF the
Island. Such demonstrations, he said.
must come from Spanish non n-combatants
or from volunteer forces.
He did not think there was any danger
from the former, many of whom seemed
to favor annexation, rather than autonomy
or the independence of the Cuban republic.
In consequence of the assurances that all
life and property would be protected, Cen
eral Lee said that he had declined to make