The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-24
HORRORS OF CUBA
Continued from First Page)

The Spanish troops do not impress
Americans as great soldiers. They are
under u lax discipline, and are poorly
uniformed and inadequately fed. The
high officials do most Of their fighting
in hotels and cafes. the actual fighting
being done by those of inferior grade
On the contrary, the insurgents are com
fortably clad and under strict discipline
They occupy large part of the island
and could in Mr.. Gallingers judgment
take Havana or Matanzas whenever il
might suit their purpose, although those
cities could not be held for lack of a
Navy.
"rhe scenes in the streets of Havana
are narrowing beyond description. Peo-
pie in want and suffering are every
where seen and walking skeletons meet
one ON every hand Naked children,
emaciatcd and ragged women and dis
eased and starving men thr0ng the
streets, the hotel Hobbies and every place
of public resort"
WAR OF EXTERAIINATTON.
Many have refused to believe that a
great government was waging war of eX-
termination instead of n war of honor,
yet such is an absolute fact. A visit was
paid to the orphanage, which is now
under the care of Miss Clara Barton. 1t
contains now about 30 children, almost
every one of whom is n victim of star
vation DIR. Lesser, one of Miss Bar
toms assistants, has had experience in
the Armenian and Indian famines. but
he declares that the famine III Cuba
is worse than that in Armenia.
4 detailed story of a visit to Las Fo-
cas-. the place where the reconcentrados
daily assemble to get food. was also
given. A few weeks ago when Miss
Barton discovered the place there were
,i4J people lying on the floors, many of
them entirely nude, and all suffering 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,
almost us a skeleton. many of them
covered with sores directly traceable to
insufficient food.
DANrE'S INFERNO SURPASSED.
A vivid picture was then drawn by Mr.
Galfnger of q trip to the city of Ma
tallzas. All along the route We're
wretched people in rags, and not until the
the suffering realized. 1T occurred to
me as | looked upon the scenes of suffer
ing ana horrors. that the Cuban re-
concentrates might well have adopted
the words of Dante, ''who enters here
leaves hope behind, when they were
driven from the fields and herded like
cattle in the cities and towns of this fer
tile land. The truth is that Weyler de-
I. H.. mud
sorrow that put Dantes Inferno" into
the shade and converted a contented,
prosperous people into herd Of suffer
ing. starving nnfortunates.
,sMatanzas is literally place of beg
gary and death. Never before did any
eyes behold such suffering. and never
again do | expect to see. such havoc
wrought through cruel and inhuman
decree.
A visit to the Matanzas hospitals re-
yealed an even more shocking condl-
tion than the streets. Members of the
Red Cross Society. who had visited one
of the hospitals two weeks before were
almost overcome upon discovering that
nearly every one ofthe inmates at that
time had since died. Their poverty,
sorrow and suffering We're depicted in
their worst forms.
If there was food. in these hospitals,
said Mr.. Gallinger. Il did not discover
If. neither were there signs of medicine
or Of proper nursing and care"
The Governor of Matanzas informed
Mr.. Gallinger that the first day he occu-
MED the palace fifteen persons had died
in the court yard. He said further that
in the city 200 had died in November,
loo in December, 100 in January and
800 in February. The death rate was
decreasing simply because the reconcen-
trados by death were becoming fewer.
OVER 100000 HAVE DIED.
"Tlne number of people who have
starved in Cuba will never he definitely
known 1t is estimated that 100000
were driven from their homes into the
cities and towns. | had 1T from Spanish
authority that according to their figures
225. 900 have persisted, but it is said that
The Red Cross Society is in possession
Of figures showing that $4,000 Cubans
have died as a result of Spanish cruelty
from starvation and that 100000 more
must inevitably die.
Il have been asked mhny times what
of the Maine? / do not know. This,
however. do know: A government that
will deliberately starye 100000 OF Its
own people will do pretty much any
thing. If the ship was blown up from
the outside what should our government
do? Perhaps / should forebear to dis
cuss that question now, but this | Will
venture to say: Human life, purposely
taken cannot be paid for in gold or sill
yer. Mark my words, 'purposely taken
And If it shall appear such was the fate
Of $50 brave American sailors, then
Heaven pity the guilty parties. 1t will
not be question of arbitration. but a
question involving the dignity and honor
of this great republic"
LITTLE LOYALTY TO SPAIN.
Mr.. Gallinger said there was little real
loyalty to Spain in Cuba, as would be
demonstrated when the hour of trial
should come. He did not believe that
Spain could subdue the insurgents.
Discussing the subject of Spanish
rule Mr.. Gallinger referred to the mat
ter Of taxation In addition to all di-
rect and indirect taxes on real estate
there is fax on every door. every win
dow, and every chimney in every house:
on every letter in every business sign:
and on, every name on pypTV hotel reg