The herald., 1898-04-12

General Lee Kept the department lnIormeu
of the occurrences in chronological order.
January 21st General Lee transmitted a
copy of the decree which established the
autonomy regime on the island of Cuba.
February 10th he telegraphed the state
department as follows:
Captain general returned yesterday.
Met with no success of any sort. Spaniards
everywhere unfriendly; rumors of coming
demonstration against him here. l think
him an excellent general, but in an unfor-
tunate position. Three serious combats re-
ported within a week, in each of which the
insurgents were victorious"
The same day he sent to the state depart
ment statement of the conditions In the
towns in the neighborhood of the city of
Havana made by person he had sent to
those places for the purpose of inspecting
the number and condition Of the starving.
The statement covers four towns In the
neighborhood of Havana and Is largely
repetition Of the awful tale of suffering
which came from other portions of the
island.
| On February 18th General Lee transmit
| ted to the department General Gomez Ia
nous letter, with its translation signed by
| the commander in chief, addressed to
President Mckinley.
March 14th he incloses a letter from Con-
sui Barker of Sagua la Grande, who re-
quests him to transmit the following letter,
which is addressed to him General Lee).
Dear Sir: will thank you to communi-
cate to the department as quickly as pos
sible the fact that the military commander
and other officers of the military posi-
lively refuse to allow the reconcentrados,
to whom am issuing food in its raw state.
to procure fuel with which to cook the
food.
"In addition, they prohibited this class
of people Qt only gave food to about one
fifth of the destitute) from farming vege-
tables from within the protection of the
forests, telling them: The Americans pro-
pose to feed you, and to the Americans you
must look.
March 18th General Lee informs the de-
partment that the governor general, by de-
cree of March 5th, prorogues In all parts
to March, 1898, the decree of the general
government of April 10, 1897. relative to the
suspension of legal proceedings against
real estate, with the reservation OF what
may be agreed upon by the insular cham
bers in due season.
March oath General Lee states that the
work of relief is progressing and gives de-
tails about the distribution of supplies, and
adds: Have eben greatly assisted by Mr..
Klopsch."
March 2Sth General Lee reports that in
structions have been given by the civil
government of Havana that the alcaldes
and other authorities shall not give out
any facts about the reconcentrados, and if
the American relief committees should
make any inquiries concerning them all
such inquiries must be referred to him.
General Lees dispatches conclude with
a dispatch under date of April 1st, trans
mitting the decree of the governor general
terminating the concentration.
OTHER CONSULS
There is one communication from Owen
McGarr, consul at Ctenfuegos, under date
of January 10, informing the department
the sugar mills in his district had been
grinding since the first of the month. He
says the utmost diligence is required to
preven. the firing of the cane and con-
cludes: 1.-The sugar crop is the support Of
all classes, especially the laboring class,
and should 1t be destroyed famine would
be inevitable"
Matanzas-Seven or eight communica
tions were received from Mr.. Bryce, con-
sui at Matanzas, most of which are brief
The correspondence begins with the ftn
of November last and closes with the Sth
of February, 1898. Probably the most strik-
ing feature of Mr.. Bryce's communications
is distinct article written on the 18th of
January last, devoted ia the Cuban desti
tuition. In this he notes the receipt of a
circular letter of the state department. dat
ed ten days before. This" he says, "in-
timated that help is to be extended by the
United States to the starving people of
Cuba. The news of this relief has been
known for the two weeks and has extended
all over the province. This consulate has
been overwhelmed with people Of all
classes"
Mr.. Bryce then gives a number of facts
illustrating the suffering in the province.
He says there are in Matanzas province
alone $4,000 people who are in actual starv
ing condition and require food, clothing
and medicines.
In his first communication Of the series,
dated November II, Mr.. Bryce stated that
neither the Spanish nor the Cubans of that
section were In sympathy with the pro-
posed autonomy and reforms. He notes
the issuance Of orders to municipal author
tiles to issue rations and clothing, but says
that no attention was paid to it. In this
communication he places the death rate al
over eighty persons daily, nearly all Of
whom were dying from want of food and
medicine.
Mr.. Bryce also notes the issuance Of an
order allowing the reconcentrados to re-
turn to the country, but he says the re-
strctions in the order are such as to p.ac-
eically prohibit.
Writing on the 18th of December Mr..
Bryce says that the relief offered to recon-
centrados and other poor people by the
Spanish authorities is Intellectual.
IN SANTA CLARA
Consul Barker covers the conditions ex-
isting in Santa Clara province in a number
of communicati tons beginning on the 25th
Of November 1897 and closing on the Path
of March last. His letters constitute one
long story of distress, destruction and
death, until indeed the picture even as
drawn in the plain language of official
communications is revolving.
Mr.. Barker devoted comparatively little
space to political questions, but one or
two of his letters are along these lines.
SANTIAGO DE CUBA
The report of the condition of affairs in
Santiago made by Consul P. F. Hyatt be-
Hyatt had been but recently returned to
the island, and he begins his reports with a
review of the condition of the insurgents
of the autonomists. He had been disposed
he said, to believe the insurgents were