The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-18

cfal register Of the city OF Santa Clara.
which has a population of about 1900.
that the number of deaths for December
was over 900, and showed an increase,
considering the loss Of the former thou
sand from its total population. The eX-
act figures for December are 91. AT that
city the government was distributing 500
single rations per day out of a total APP
preparation for the purpose of s15,00.
This was not relief, but a mere prolonga-
ton Of the SuferingS Of a small part OF
the re~concentradoes of that city.
5 far as any evidence of relief was
visible to my eyes or was even heard of
10y me in all my talks on the island, the
surviving 200. 900 people are in the same
condition and have the same prospect of
starvation before them as had their
kindred who have died. There is as much
need of medicine now as of food, and
they are getting neither.
The excuse given by the Spanish
sympathizers in Cuba is that the troops
must be fed, and it is certain that many
of the soldiers are sick and suffering for
want of proper food. / saw many myself
that looked so. l was informed on all
sides that they had not been paid for
about eight months, and that most of the
civil officials had not been paid for a SIM
liar period. 1t is, therefore. most prob
able that Spain is practically unable to
suppl the millions which are immedi-
ately necessary to prevent the death of
most Of the surviving concentrates
but this leads to political questions,
which l desire to avoid.
AZ wish merely to state in such a way
as to be convincing that in consequence
Of the concentration of the people some
200.0 100 Cubans are daily suffering and
dying from diseases produced by a lack
of nourishment, in the midst of l
think must be the most fertile country in
the world, and that something must be
done for them on a large scale, at once,
or a few months will see their extermi-
nation.
$50 far as I could see, they are a pa
tient, amiable, intelligent set of people,
some of them whom 1 saw begging hav-
ing faces like MadOnnaS. They are Amer
leans, probably the oldest Americans of
European descent. Constant intercourse
with the United States has made them
sympathize with and appreciate us who
are but six hours by boat from them, if
we do not sympathize with or care for
them.
mo order or permission from General
Blanco can save the lives of many Of
them. Indeed many are too far gone to
be saved by the best care and treat
ment. There was no indication of a ces-
sation of Ihostilfties by the insurgents. If
they do not voluntarily cease, their tao
tics are such that Spain cannot conquer
does will have had the finishing stroke;
but even the speedy termination of the
war would not save many of them.
What they need is instant pecuniary
assistance to the extent of $780, 600 a day,
distributed by our consults. Private
charity will hardly, it seems, produce
tnat dnOuIll. twenty thousand QOlldrS
would be but 10 cents a piece for medi-
cine, clothes and food. When 1 left Ha-
vana 1 was Informed that Consul Gen
eral Lee had received 1000 and some
hundreds Of cans Of condensed milk.
There are about 10000 sufferers in Ha-
vana alone, the ~inadeQuacy of such con-
tributions is manifest. Whether congress
should make an appropriation. as in the
case of the San Domingo refugees and
other cases, is not for me to say; but, I
beg the charitable to believe the state
ments of fact which l have made and
to try to realize what they mean"
Madrid, January ia dispatch to The
Impartial from Havana says the send
ing Of supplies from the United States
to aid the INDECENT population Of Cuba
has aroused deep animosity among the
Spaniards who, it is added, are incensed
at the preteXt thus given to the Ameri-
can consuls and the yankee element to
interfere in Cuban a1Iairs." 1t is alleged
that the funds will be used to widen the
breach between the Cuban peasantry and
the Spaniards. 1t is further asserted that
the American newspaper correspondents
nave been instructed to eXaggerate the
sufferingS of the peaSantry in order to
again arouse public feeling in the United
States SO as to provide Washington with
an excuse to intervene.