The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-04-06
GALLINGER'S STORY CHASTITY
AHARROWING PICTURE OF HOR-
RORS IN CUBA.
A United States Senator. Recently Return
ed from the Island, Tells in Thrill
ing Speech What He Saw



United States Senator Gallinger, who
recently visited Cuba fer the purpose of
investigating for himself the situation
there, has made a speech on the floor of
the senate in which was wildly pictured
a horrible state of affairs on the war
stricken island.
When he declared that a government
that would starve 40000 of its people
would do anything, and followed this
with the further declaration that the
lives of the brave men lost in the Maine
disaster could not be atoned for with
gold or silver, a sp infamous wave of APP
Dlause swept over the galleries, and the
vicepresident had difficulty in restoring
order. When he had concluded he was
accorded tremendous burst of applause,
which the vice president made little eff
fort to restrain.
Mr.. Gallinger detailed some of the
events leading up to his arrival in Cuba
and of his reception by General Lee.
General Lee, " said he, sis deserving
of the highest possible praise for the
manner in which he carries himself in
Havana. Cool and fearless, in the midst
of difficulties and dangers, he never loses
sight of the fact that he is an American
citizen, nor is he unmindful of the tro-
mendous responsibilities and duties of
his position"
Referring to his call upon the auton-
omisr cabinet, Mr.. Gallinger SAID it was
evident that the president of the cabinet
was not enco uraged in the work.
"rhe truth isl said NJ. Gallnger,"
autonomy lis a fiat failure, opposed
alike by the ultra. Spaniards and Gu
bans"
Mr., Gallinger recalled that he had
heard during debates in the senate the
denials mace that a state of war existed
in Cuba, but i required only brief per
sonal observation to convince one that
war actually did exist. A desolate coun-
try and its stricken pc pie told the story |
more eloquent!y than it could be convey
ed in words.
THE var in Cuba, however" he said
is war of starvation, of determination
"a war more cruel than the world has
ever known"
The Spanish troops DO not impress
Americans as great soldiers. They are
under lax discipline, and are poorly
uniformed and inadequately fed. The
high officials do most of their fighting |
in hotels aud cafes the actual fighting
being done by those of inferior grade.
On the contrary. the insurgents are
comfortably clad and under strict disci- |
pline. They occupy a large part of the
island, and could, in Mr.. Gallinger's
Judgment, take havana or Mantanzas
whenever it might suit their purpose, Al |
though those cities could not be held for
lack of a navy.
The scenes in the streets of Havana
are narrowing beyond description. Peo-
pie in want and suffering are everywhere
seen, and walking skeletons meet one ON
every hand
Naked children, emaciated and ragged
women and starving men throng the
streets, the hotel Hobbies and every place
of public resort.
Many have refused to believe that
great government was waging war of
determination instead Of war of honor,
yet such is an absolute fact A visit was
paid to the orphanage which is no " un-
der the care of Miss Clara Barton. 1t
contains no " about fifty children, almost
every one of whom is victim of starva-
ton. DR.. Lesser, one of Miss Barton's
assistants, has had experience in the
Armenian and Indian famines, but he
declares that the famine in Cuba is
worse than that in Armenia.
A detailed story of visit to Las Fo
cas-, the place where the reconcentrados
daily assemble to get food, was also Civ
en-.
A few weeks ago, when Miss Barton
discovered the place, there were GAS peo-
pie lying on the floors, many of them en-
tirely nude, and all suffering from the
pangs of starvation Much has been
done by the Red Cross Society to allevi-
ate the condition of those who still re-
main, but scores of men, women and
children are yet there gaunt and bony
aim st as skeleton, many of them GOV.
cred with sores directly traceable to in
sufficient food.