The San Francisco call., 1898-04-01
Call Office, Riggs House,

. Washington, March 31. Q . The Spanish Legation has re- Q C ceived a full report from Cap C . tain-General Blanco, from the . . Governors of all the provinces of Q c Cuba and from the Alcaldes and . c Chiefs of Police of the principal . c cities as to the condition of the c c reconcentrados. It is an elabo- 0 c brate treatment of this subject c c by the officers directly in charge, . . and gives the situation fully . . from their standpoint. It is note . . worthy that they do not seek to . c minimize the dreadful condition c . of these people, but endeavor 10 Q . show that they are doing their c . utmost to alleviate the misery . e and misfortune which exists. e e General Blanco's report Is in . . substance as follows: e
 In the midst of the painful impression caused by the situation of the reconcen- trados it is some satisfaction to note the great improvement in their condition as compared with which 1t was four or five months ago. In response to the keen in- terest which the home Government has shown in the matter, this Government Sls every possible way, to alleviate so much misery and misfortune. The cities, over filled with men, women and children without work, were unable to sustain a population of consumers who produced nothing; the destruction of so many ham lets by the insurgents compelled the un- fortunate inhabitants to seek refuge in the towns to save their lives, the only thing possible to be saved from this wan ton and barbarous destruction which had reduced them to a state of the most horrible wretchedness. In Puerto Prin- cipe nearly all the reconcentrados were of this class. The maladies originated by this crowding together of human beings and the fatal belief in an inevitable com bined to take away from many the neces- sary energy to struggle for l.1e and to discourage private charity which consid- cred itself impotent, without a decided help from official charity, other and sadder consderationss ay be made to explain certain Passive resistance among some elements which regarded every reconcentrado as an enemy more or less disguised; the result of all this was the truly formidable problem presented all the graver from the fact that it was a necessity of immediate urgency
 The disposition of this Government was to attack the evil at it's source. By the decree of November 14 last the return of all the reconcentrados to their homes
 
 a. the same time to carry arms to defend their property In this the cities were relieved Of large part of their abnormal population, and check given to the dis eases produced by overcEowding Com mittees of help were organized, interven- tion in them being given to the clergy, doctors and all the more respectable ele- ments Official charity few days after the establishment of these juntas, provid- ed them with resources for handling over $l00,00O the 23d of November, and s5O, GOO the second of March. The governors and alcaldes were called upon to show their zeal by giving a good example, an appeal to which these authorities responded with an interest worthy of all praise In this way was private charity encourage and enabled to organize it's own protective committees, economic kitchens and char itable associations which distribute relief personally and contribute powerfully to relieve the suffering.
 As a result of all this public spirit be- gan to rise again, confidence returned and disposition to work began to pre- vail. In Santa Clara there are actually large number of these unhappy beings occupied in the field of labor. in order to avoid the overcrowding which was Iound to occur when the laborers re- turned to the towns after the days work. nuts were erected for them in the culti- Vated zone, with very excellent results In Pinar del Rio five villages are being reconstructed and effective means are be- ing taken to increase and encourage az cricultural labor. In Santiago de China the cultivated zones are in perfect con oltlon. Gnl1 Ihose Tn san Luis, Sango and Canery may be termed as models Tn MatanZas 10000 free railway tickets were given to the recOncentradoS who returned to thelr old homes. Gradually the gravity of the crisis is passing away but owing to the height 1t attained this cannot be ac complished in a brief time
 Apart from any preconceived idea if Is comes from the United States is also powerful means of relief in the actuaI wants The Governor of this nroyJinca f Saayanao ava calculates at s4o,oOo the value of the provisions, clothes medicines. etc. distributed in this city during the month of February, which have contributed to the relief of the excessive. number of re- concentrates here. It is sad to note that the population has diminished but if must be remembered that this is by no means due exclusively to want and mis- cry The emigration which occurred in some cities was enormous: Tn Santiago de Cuba alone 12,000 passports have heen signed. The official statistics also show that the high rates of mortality are not due in many cases to the absence of nro- visions. It has been observed that the largest number of deaths occur upon the arrival from the country of new groups of reconcentrados who, unwilling to taira the advice of the doctors, in their debilfe tated state eat the rancho" that tha thoughtless charity of the soldiers makes them proffer, in many cases with fatal results.
 I will say in conclusion that the situa ton has improved much and that the most active point of the crisis has passed. The problem, however, is not yet solved. nor can this be done immediately. be- cause the majority of the persons de- pendent on public charity at the moment are children and women whose future has to be assured A state of war invariably leaves deep scars and much work and time are necessary to repair the damage done in single day
 Accompanying the report of General Rlanco are reports from the governor of Matanzas Province, Francisco d'Ar- mas: the governor of Santa Clara Province, Marcus Garcia; and from the governors of Havana and Pinar del Rio. The governors give the technical condition of the reconcentrados in the several provinces. the expenditure of funds and the establishment of relief kitchens, etc. Governor q rmas says the havoc began when the fertile fields of Matanzas were invaded by the in- surgents in 1895, desolating the land and leaving the people out of work. He ad- mits that the reconcentrado decree of 1896, instead of diminishing the evils, augmented them. Governor Garcia of e. <Io