The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-18

would command in this city 1t is under
the admirable management of Mrs. DIT
Lesser. of New York. a German lady and
| trained nurse. l saw the rapid improve
ment of the first children taken there
all Miss Barton's assistants being ex-
/ celIently fitted for their duties. In short,
/ l saw nothing to Criticise. but everything
/ to commend. The American people may
be assured that their bounty will reach
the sufferers with the least possible cost.
and i'll the best manner in every respect.
( And If our people could see a small frac-
ton of the need. they would pour more
freely from their liberal store than ever
before for any cause.
When will the need for this help end ?
/ Not until peace comes and the reconcen-
! trados can go back to their country. re-
| build their homes. reclaim their tillage
plots. which quickly run up to brush in
that wonderful soil and cline. and until
/ they can be free from danger of molesta-
/ ton in so doing. Until then the Ameri-
| can people must in the main care for
( them. It is true that the alcaldes, other
local authorities. and relief committees.
are now trying to do something. and de-
/ sire. 1 believe, TO do the best they can.
But the problem is beyond their means
/ and capacity. and the work Is one to
which they are not accustomed.
/ Gen. Blanco's order of November 10 last
! somewhat modifies the Weyler order, but
| it is of little or no practical benefit. Its
! application is limited to farms properly
! defended" and the owners are obliged to
/ build "centers of defense" Its execu-
/ ton Is completely in the discretion of the
I local military authorities. and they know
/ the terrible military efficiency of Weyler' g
/ order in stripping the country of all pos
| sible shelter, food. or source of infOrma-
| ton for an insurgent. and will be slow
to surrender this advantage In fact,
/ though the order was issued four months
ago, l saw no beneficent results from il
worth mentioning. l do not impugn Gen.
Blanco's motives. and believe him TO be
| an amiable gentleman, and that he would
be glad to relieve the condition of the
reconcentrados if he could do so without
| loss of any military advantage. but he
knows that all Cubans are insurgents at
/ heart. and none now under military con-
/ troll will be allowed to go from under it.
| wish | might speak of the country. of
| its SURPRISING richness. I have never
| seen one to compare with it. On this
point L agree with Columbus. and believe
everyone between his time and mine must
be of the same opinion.
The Spaniard.
I had but little time to study the race
question, and have read nothing on il,
so can only give hasty impressions. 1t
is said that there are nearly 100000 Span
iardS in Cuba. out of a total population
of 100000. They live principally in the
towns and cities The small shopkeepers
in the towns, and their clerks, are most
ly Spaniards. Much of the larger bust
ness. too, and of the property in the cities.
and in a less degree in the county. Is IN
their hands. They have an eye to thrift,
and as everything possible in the way of
trade and Iegalized monopOlies. in which
the country abounds. is given to them
by the government, many of them
acquire property / did not learn that the
Spanish residents of the island had con-
tributed largely in blood or treasure 10
suppress the instruction.
There are, or were, during the war,
about GOO Cubans on the island 200.-
900 Spaniards (Which means those born
in SPAIN. and less than half a million
| of negroes and mixed blood. The Cuban
| whites are pure Spanish blood, and, like
the Spaniards, usually dark in COM
plexion. but oftener light or blonde. so
! far as 1 noticed. than the Spaniards. The
/ percentage of colored to white has been
| steadily diminishing for more than fifty
| years. and is not now over % per cent
! of the total. IN fact the number of
| colored people has been actually dimin-
| ished for nearly that time. The Cuban
| farmer and laborer is by nature peace
/ able kindly. gay hospitable. Hght-heart-
| ed and imprOvident. There is a proverb
| among the Cubans that Spanish bulls
| cannot be bred in Cuba" that is, that
/ the Cubans. though they are of Spanish
/ blood. are less excitable and of a quieter
| temperament. Many Cubans whom I
met spoke in strong terms against the
/ bull fights, saying that it was a brutal
/ institution, introduced and mainly pat
/ ronized by the Spaniards One thing
/ that was new to me was to learn the
! superiority of the well-tO-do Cuban over
! the Spaniard in the matter of education.
! Among those in good circumstances
| there can be no doubt that the Cuban
| is far superior in this respect And the
| reason of it is easy to see. They have
| been educated in England. France or this
| country while the Spaniard has such
| education as mis- own country furnished.
The Negro.
The colored people seem to me by ma
| ture quite the equal, mentally and physi-
! calIy of the race in this country Ger
| tainly, physically; they are by far the
| larger and stronger race on the island.
| There is little or no race prejudice. and
! this has doubtless been greatly to their
! advantage. Eighty-five years ago there
wre one-half as many free negroes as
slaves, and this proportion was slowly
| increasing until emancipation.
The Military Situation.
1t is said that there are about 50 000
| Spanish soldiers now in Cuba nit for duty
| out of the over 100000 that have been
sent there. The rest have died been
sent home sick, are in the hospitals and
some have been killed Notwithstanding
| the official reports. They are conscripts.
many of them very young and generally
small men. One hundred and thirty
| pounds is a fair estimate of their aver
| age weight. They are quiet and obedient