Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-03-24

Senator Not Much Impressed with the
SPaniards as Soldiers.
WASHINGTON, March Ex-senator Gal.
hnger was at the capitol for the first
time since his return from Cuba. When
requested to make statement as to his
observations on the condition of affairs
on that island, he respond ed:
you can sign my name to any picture
you may draw of utter wretchedness.
restitution and heIlishness in that
country. The condition of affairs. so
lar as l had opportunity to observe
1t, and L was only in Havana
and Matanzas, is simply indescrib-
able. had not expected tc
IND 1t half as bad as it is, and | do not
believe that anyone who simply reads
the accounts and does not see for him.
self can form an adequate idea of the
situation
The reconcentradoes are wedged into
all available places in those cities, and
are perlshing by the thousand for
want of the commonest necessaries OF
life The best information obtainable
leads to the conclusion that there have
been, beyond doubt, 400, 900 deaths as
a result of Spain's brutal policy
and the tragedy goes on from
day to day. The society of the
Red Cross is furnishing some
relief by it's efforts, but the most OF
those people are beyond the reach OF
aid, either through medicine or food.
The mortality in Matanzas for the last
four months, previous to our visit, has
been equal to ten times the ordinary
death rate.
with reference to the.military aspect
of affairs in Cuba l saw nothing which
impressed me with the idea that Spain
knows much about modern warfare
The soldiers [ saw are not drilled
as our soldiers are. Indeed they
lack every element of soldierly
bearing, whatever may be said
of their merits as fighters. The drills
that l witnessed We're a travesty on
modern ideas. While they were under
going their evolutiOns the soldiers were
talking to each other and smoking as
freely and uncOncernedly as they would
do in their mess rooms. From my ObSer-
vation of them l should not consider
them very formidable antagonists On
the field of battle.
Naturally there was much talk
about the Maine disaster, and so far as
i could ascertain from my conversa-
ton with Americans, and with those
not entirely under the influence of the
Spaniards, the opinion was universal
that the Maine had been destroyed by
an external agency, and almost every
person with whom / discussed the sub
ject in Cuba expects that the findings
of the American court of inquiry will
subStantiate this view
There is a divergence of opinion on
the island as to the probabilities of war
between Spain and the United States,
and | am sure that l am within the
bounds of the truth when l say that al
most the entire native population would
welcome any turn of events, however
tragic that would wrest Cuba from
Spanish dominion. This is true not on
ly of those who are avowedly favorable
to a war for independence, but of
many of those who are ranked as
Spanish sympIthizers, but who are
at heart advocates of Cuban indie
pendence. The fact is that even in
Havana the allegiance to Spain is of a
very weak and doubtful character, and
if war should come it would be found
that there would be an uprising in that
city against the mother country, which
would be a most important factor in
shortening the contest and deciding it
against Spain"