New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-14
RELIEF WORK in CUBA.
SUGGESTIONS BY w. W. HOWARD.
HE THINKS MISS cartons EXCELLENT WORK
euo,rn RE SUPPLEMENTED By Az EF-
FORT TO MAKE TIE REcoNcENTHN~


FORT TO MAKE THE REcoNcENrhA~
DOS sELr-supPoRTING.
TO the Editor o, The Tribune rs.
Sir: The way OF the phllanthror!sts ~ halo' i"7
condition has been tho same since the Nor'u "o'
Young. yet In no cese has It come to my a''en''o"
more rorciby than In Cuba. where Mis- ri'ra
porton president o, the American branch o. u's
Red Cross Society. IS striving TO cheek 'ne "''"
OF hunger and disease among the helpless poor
one would suppose tina, workers FOR humanity
would meet no obstacle and feel no tho''S' 'o'
those who have tried 20 DO something Tor ire race
OF man know that the ;horns are oi;eh more
numerous than the roses. Miss Bartons pain IN
cuba ls by 10 means all roses. ana for the nome
way I'm which she Is WORKING 20 overcome ops'ace'
and achieve the greatest good with the means al
her command she should receive The sympathy ana
announcement OF every thoughtful person IN the
United States That she will accomplish what she
has undertaken ! am fully convinced. but from
personal observation Know that her WORK IS un
commonly hard and perpleSng.
II was my good fortune during nearly month
Investigation OF tho condition of Cuba to have FREE
qu,nt convcrs lions with Miss Barton and to study
her methods o. work / was thus in position
TO form practical estimate o. '"e future o. hef
undertaking. especially relief work was ALREADY
familiar TO me through my experience WIN 'he
Armenians.
Apart from her devotion TO ;he cause OF human
uv Miss Rarton's strongest characteristics is her
unusual business ability. Her work IN Huoa mas
been placed upou me;hodieal business Ioo'ihs'
and therein lies Gre cause ;or inc CROWN o. '"o'nS
At present the supplies OF food. medicine ana cloth
Ing sent from the United States % havana arc
received by Miss Barton and distributed TO mem
bers Of a local committee OF cubsns appointed ny
Consul General Lee. Now. the strict ousless me'h
DDS OF Miss Barton are revelation 70 THESE
an.iable Cubans, and The arthmeticai exacthess OF
her executive assistant Mr.. Ewen. must 0e 10
Of
REGRETS THAT 1T WAS NOT DONE.
ror the greater success OF the rel.e; work in
Cuba # would be sound business judgment II the
entire management were turned over TO Miss Bar
ton with power TO select her own assistants ana
form her own committees. II is 10 ne regretted
that this WAS not done upon Miss Bartons arrival
IN Havana when the local committee could have
been retired without friction. 1t IL TO be reared
tina. it cannot 20 done now without giving rise TO
wounded feelings. which (, is desirable 10 avoid
|; should be borne i'm mind that In the matter OF
administering relief funds Miss Barton Is one or the
greatest OF living experts. whose methods are IN the
highest degree practical and businesslike whereas
the members of the Cuban Committee are neceS-
sarly amateurs. or, at best persons of very limited
experience do not point this out to the discredlt
of the local committee which is largely social in It's
makeup. but merely to emphasize the fact that III
Justice 10 the Red Cross Miss Barton should not be
hampered In the selection % tho tools with which
she Is called upon to work. / feel sure that were
the matter brought properly the notice OF Presi
dent Mckinley he would instruct Consul-General Lee
to retire the local committee and place the reHet
work unreseryedy in the hands OF Miss Barton In
this emergency the President can AFFORD 10 ignore
all considerations save those OF actual efficiency.
To one who has studied the Cuban situation on
the spot the need for relief Is more widespread and
urgent than any who has not actually seen 1T
can appreciate The hunger, sickness and general
misery / have never seen equalled outside Of Ar
menla To see such starvation for the second time
within three years is enough TO shake ones DeIiel
in the humanity OF man.
With Armenia as a background for comparison |
became convinced while riding over the deserted
fields Of the interior OF cuba and making my way
through the wretched haunts OF the reconcen-
trados I'm and cities that our duty to the nep-
less poor end with the giving out Of food and
clothing or the nursing OF the sick The demand upon
our philanthropy is broader and more enduring Ii IS
indeed a noble work 10 feed starving man and
charity stops there how have we really benehted
him? II continue 10 give him free food ana
he may become self-supporns. we have AZ least
set his feet moving along the broad highwaay OF
hunger than DESTROY his selfrespect and character
Miss Barton Is doing grand work in Cuba. yet
that work should he st once supplemented ny a
supnortine and 10 ultimately return them to their
this he imposed as an additional burden upon Miss
Barton for she should NOT ne asked 10 do more than
establish hospitals heal the sick and feed the starv
nffers Tor certainly The field that lies ready 10 Miss
Barons hand is appalling in It's extent and misery
DANGER OF DOING INJURY
We are in very grave danger Of doing those help
lass Cubans permanent injury II our charity go
no further than free food and old clothes One Of
,bs s,ddesf sights that | saw IN Cuba during the
las, month was the number OF young girls and
hovs who came with tin cans and baskets 10 the
relief stations To receive the daily uples Of food
intended for their relatives at home These poor
innocen, children were forced TO stand in lice with
turns came. and then they hastened away through
the public streets, bearing the burden Of charity.
atsa will no, he hard to point out. And indeed,
II they do rot become besgsrs II will be matter
In Armenia many Of The sassoun refugees
fed and clothed 50 continq9gsy that hey degen,
20 any of the relief stations which | assisted in
establishi9s could usnally PICK them CUT by me
know Il as the "Sassoun whine" But in deal
E w9 9S eS rG Pon the
;est with tho result that the labor bureaus were
establishes ard much honest t,mpoI msnt provided
American missionaries IN all parts OF Armenia aud
indusirai WORK IS still being carried on win funds
provided .by the Women's Armenian Relief COM
mittee y Great Britain.
from my 9wq sd@ h. am TUnynCsd nas
successfully In cuba than in Armenia. and feel
sure that both STANDARDS and Insurgents would
welcome II. as anordirg placucal remedy for
the starvation which has como upon thc recorcen-
;redoe. There is now official r"ason FOR the de-
tontiOn Of these unfortunate creatures In the towns
and cities and they are free 10 return 10 the ruins
Of their homes at any time. u they could return
tho starvation problem would he solver in the only
satisfactory way possible But they cannot return
naked fooilesS and houseless They have nothing
10 return 10 except vacant fields and little mounds
Of ashes where their houses once stood.
Must BE WELL ORGANIZED
our charity IS As broad ~ the world, hut we do
Not always apply 20 Il tho same quality OF COM
NOM ihai we give TO our business affairs.
like "A business undertaking, charity should 30 wei!
creanizod ard thorough! practical II We wish Il
20 do good instead ~ harm. TO hand out free
sOup ana o.d clothes j. no. enough. We must take
the starving man by the hand. bird up his bruised