Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-03-18
FACTS ABOUT CUBA
Proctor Makes a Statement
to the Senate.
REPORT NOT OVERDRAWN
Starving fropi. Struggling for Freedom
and D'li>erancc from the Worst mis-
government of Which the
senator Ever Knew.
CIV Tal-grauh \

Wy leEtSTipN-)
WASHINGTON, March Ex-senator
Procuyr. OF Vermont who returned last
Sunday from an extended trip to and
thr"-sh Lte island OF Cuba, this after
noon made I. statement to the Senate
81 n observations on THE island
tItIn many view points the state
nicnt was rtAr.a@ka bic. 1t had evident
~ been most Curcfu..V' y! e4l areu Every
cement OF sulsa t!onaiiSiu had been stu
dl"usty c&Inin,ttvd fNom It. and, except
So TAR as the facts rrUited we've sem
sat.onal. 1t bore not the slightest evil
Hence to arouse the public mind, all.
r.oly k"sn.y siNve to the condition of
Affairs On the ISLAND
Every statement made by Sena tor
Proctor was with THAT clearness and
precision W7h.cE cha racte-,ize the accu-
"itc demonstration of A problem in
mathematics. CuNn and ,1Isuslssionate
TO notable degree. the utterans es Of
the senator aroused In, iltess inter-
est. Every person within the sound of
rs voice Was convinced that he was
putting his observa lions into careful
Terms. lest he might subject himself
20 the criticism nf being einot onal, One
ol the best cha !aCterdza tons OF the
statement was made by Senator Frye.
Mt Maine. few minutes after it's de-
livery. 1T IS" said he, just as ii
'G"'t"r had held up his right hanti and
| as made on the Senate
The scene IN the Senate just ri eced-
ing ANA during the delivery If the
speech was almost dramatic in the in
| tens lty Of its interest ThA occasion
| Nf tn" address arose Very unexpectedly
lhe natloWa! quarantine bill was under
discussion and Senator Mallory. OF
FL" fda. had been re-, gn ze.l for a
si"e1el IN opposition to the pending
| measure. Mir. Frye emit cred the chem
her. and initerruptinE Mr.. Mallory, re-
o,!%Stt L HIM to yLed to Mir Proctor.
| VII" desired to make a statement can-
| I'2' II nS his oShSorrlt IONS in Cuba of In
| tereSt to the Senate ami TO the country
| instantly there was a commotion ON
| the IL GU and in the galleries 1T had
| been announced that Mr.. Proctor would
| soon make Il statement, hut it was not
! supposed t:ut he woul,! make 1T on
| the floor VT the Senate. A call of the
senate WIS demanded by Mr. Che miller
| OF New Hampshire. In a few minutes
| every Senator in the capitol was in his
| seat. and the word having BEEN passed
! through the, corridors. people Hooked
into the galleries until they were pack
ed.
Mr.. Proctor, in beginning, stated that
his trip WIS entirely unofficial, and
vas not suggested by amy one Mr..
Proctor said in part:
| of General Lee I need say little
| Il S valuable services 20 his country in
| bis trying position are too we'll known
| L an his cruntlymen to require men,
ton. Beside. HIS ubil. ty high 4harac-
ter and courtesy, ANA wtthall, his mill
! tary education and train .ng. ANA, his
| so!dierly qualities, are nvalu able ad-
Juncts i'm the equipment of our reprte-
sentative n a country 50 completely
under military rule is Cuba
| senator Proctor also elllogiZed Con-
siIls bryce and Raker.
1T has been stated that I said there
| was no doubt the Maine was blown ZIP
| from the outside. he continued This
| is a mistake. ! may have said that
| such was the general impressio among
| Americans in Havana. In fact, have
| no ~p. nion about it myself, and cure
! fully avoided one.
! The Senator described the places he
had visited, and of the warlike condl-
| ton Of things on the Island outside of
] Havana. The order nf concentration
! hHs produced des"lation. He told OF
W.yle's order for concentration and
OF the effect it had had upon the CON-
CentIadoes. Continuing he sad:
| The execution of this order was left
| largely to the guerillas to drive in all
| mat had not o'bayed. ana I was in
] formed that in many cases a torch was
| aiVa ed to their homes with notice.
and th,. inmates fled With such cloth
! ing as they had on. their stock end
| other belongings being appropriated by
| the suerllas. When they reache,E THE
towns they We're allowed to fbuild hurts
! Of palm leaves n the suburbs and va
| can't places within the tro"ia. and left
to live If they could! Their huts are
atH'u' ten ny ilIteen ltAet IN SIZE. and Tor
| want % sl'acc are usually crowded to-
| Geuher. They have no floor hut the
ground, ami no FURNITURE. and after
| years Wear but little clothing except
| such STRAY substitutes as they can eX-
| tamporiZe. With large families or with
| more than one in this little space. the
| cnnNnonest sanitary provson ms are i'm
| possible. Conditions are Enment :onab'e
in this aspect. Torn from their homes.
with foul earth. foul air. roul water
| n rtonS
! tfEat one half have died. end that one
du.lrter of the living are so diseased
| that they cannot be saved. 4 form OF
| dr0pSy is common disorder resulting
from these conditions. Little children
| are still walking about with arms and
| chest terribly emacated, eyes swollen
and abdomen bloated to three times the
| natural size. The physicians say these
cases are hopeless.
| Deaths in the streets have not been
| uncommon. I was told by one of our
| ronSuls that tAey have been found dead
| ahout the MAJ ke,s in the morning,
where they had cr'awled hoping to get
| some Stuy bits OF food from the early
| hu@ksteHs. and that there had been
| cases where they hal dropped dead in
side the market surrounded 10y food.
These people We're independent and self
| supporting before Weyler's order. They
are not beggars even now,
| "of the hospitals I need not speak.
Others have Described Their condition
fnr better than | can. 1t is NOT within
| the marrow limits IT my vocabulary to
| oorraY it, ! went to Cuba with
| strong conviction that the picture had
been oyervliawn; hut Il few cases OF
| starvation and suffering had inspired
| and stimulate THE press correspond
"nts and they bad given free play to
strong. natural ana ht~hlc cultivated
! rmaCinat on. Before starring | received
hrouGh the mails a ieafi"t published by
n e