The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-11-07

The Interregnum between spaln's viz
tual loss of sovereignty in Cuba and the
assumption of full military control bV
the United States seems indefinitely
prolonged, with no immediate hope of
relief to a country which daily grows
poorer and more depopulated. on all
sides the question is asked, how much
nearer is the final solution OF the prob
lem than 1t was on the day the protocol
was signed?
The feeling among the better class OF
Intelligent and influential cubans may
be pretty accurately summed up in the
following observations made to-daF bV
a representative Cuban merchant OF
Havana to the correspondent Of the AS
ISOLATED Press:
ut seems to me-and think my
Views are shared by many--that the
United States government is diiiy-
dallylng too long with Spain over this
evacuation question OF course, the
problem is a difficult one, but the delay
Is surely unnecessary. The United
states has sent here an assortment OF
commissions. each morO self-important
and mysterious than its predecessor and
each yelling 1t operations with a CLOUD
OF secrecy. which. so far as my own e4-
perIence goes, really serves the purpose
OF obscurlng issues and concealing very
small achievements.
bf0V has hnnn aCcOm0il8As
ed, The spirit of jealousy mis- not on
Iy the Individual members Of all the
commissions, but also exists between
the different commissions collectively.
These rlvalrles seem to engross the az
tentlon Of commissioners much more
than the serious questions affecting the
welfare OF Cuba and the dignity ana
good faith OF the United States.
Delay In IcvaspaiIOn.
"First, we were told that the date of
occupation by the United States troops
would be November /, then December /
was fixed upon, and lates we were In
formed that the date for occupation
would be left indefinite. So far as evac-
uation is concerned, January 1 was
named as an ultimate date; but now 1t
a rumored that February has been
agreed upon. The fact is, the country
Al large, whether Cuban, foreign or
Spanish, Is getting dIsgusted. The peo-
Ma are losing faith and confidence, oW-
ing to the lack Of formality displayed
by the American representatives. To
ali questions asking information on
these points, the American commission
ers, with superior smile and an as
sumption Of gravity to cover their ig-
norance, reply vaguely and unsatlstac-
torily.
forces its letharglc commissions into
greater activity, Cuba will be an I'M
mense graveyard and its fields barren
before the United States takes possess
ion. The daily records Of mortality
show that the population in al parts
OF the island is dwlndllng steadily. En-
tire villages are dying Of starvation. ON
ali sIdes the spaniards continue robbing
and piunderinR. In the meantime these
sage, EossippIng commissioners from
the United States sit slipping cool drinks
by day and seeking shelter by night
with mortal dread Of fever, yet abso-
lutely impervlous to the demands Of hui
manity.
Present situation.
"The situation created by this un-
certainty is still further aggravated by
the fact that no one dares SOW crops or
cultivate lands until the present chaotic
conditions show some rays of light to
guide agricultural efforts There is 40
work for idle hands. Day by day the
number of beggars, thieves and prosti-
tutes increases, while the number OF
those able 70 relieve distress ahrinks In
the same proportion. Thus far the
United States has sent in the name OF
humanity a mere pittance OF million
ratlona and the Red Cross Society mas
sent two cargoes Of supplies, as 10
whose distribution and disposal there
have been many unfavorable comments.
How far can such relief be expected to
go? :.
much longer protracted without sub
iectinG the United States to well de-
served criticism. More than this the
elements most in sympathy with the
limited States are slowly but surely
falling of and Joining the ranks OF the
opposition. As you arc aware, Senior
be Castro, the civil governor, only yes
terday, issued orders for the arrest OF
26S criminals, recently released from
fails and the penal colonies at Ceuta
and on the Isle OF Pines. This step was
rendered necessary by the increase, the
alarming increase in burglaries. high
way rohberIes and assaults. While the
blockade was on the city was ruled with
an iron hand, and cases OF assault and
robbery we're almost unknown. To-day
with the release OF criminals and the In
crease OF poverty, the list OF murders
and hold-ups is very grave matter In
addition TO the already numerous pau
pers and unemployed, driven to beg
from sheer necessity there are many
discharged Spanish soldiers entirely
without means OF support. Their num-
ber. reaches into the thousands. Many
boys and young Rirls OF genteei eXtrRc.
tIon have been thrown on the streets to
begin their lives as beggars or thieves,
and to bring up In jniis and houses Of
Il-fame. Do the people the OF the Uni
ted States realize these things? Does
the government OF the United States,
morally responsible before the world
Tor the future OF Cuba, intend to toler-
ate indefinitely a delay which dag by
dav makes these bad conditions worse?"
LETTER FROM GOMEZ
-