Omaha daily bee., 1898-02-08
HAS NO corn ron THE SPANISH.
Cubnn sympnthizcr Writes to Relief
mission.

commission.
LINCOLN, Feb -(Special)-Wheu the
Cuban Relief commission was appointed aud
sent out its cali for aid great many people
thought the money and food sent to Cuba
was exclusively for the benefit OF the insur-
gents and their families This has led TO a
great deal of correspondence the following
of which is a sample letter:
REYNOLDS Neb., Feb. 4.-Adjutant Cen
eral Barry, Secretary Cuban Relief Com
mission-Dear Sir VIII you permit me to
ask you a question or two and also to give
my opinion? Who will get the aid II we
send our corn to Cuba? Is there any way
Il can reach the Cubans who are struggling
Tor freedom? Now comes what / have to
say: | would like to help the side that is
fighting for liberty but have not l cent for
the tyrants. DO you know 1t is utterly inn
possible TO get one gra In of corn to Gomez
or his followers through this administration
by way of Havana and Consul Lee? Every
dollar and every rag of clothing and every
grain of corn must go either directly or in
directly to aid the most cruel and unholy
butchery of the civilized world: to help
Spanish murder in our own door-yard and
forever blot out the last hope for liberty
from men equaled only by the fathers of
to say this aid is for Spain.
Now it will take good deal of c00Tlns
send relief through the Spanish army to aid
Its enemy. open a way from Nebraska TO
the camp of the insurgents and Cuba would
be free. The present administration has
waters to keep out any aid to the fighters
for liberty and Is then begging her citizens
to give to the aid of Spanish butchery.
Pardon me for writing 50 much. but l do
not like to see Nebraska send supplies to
help the Spanlards crush Cuban liberty.
Very truly yours. w. c. PARKER.
Secretary Barry has not yet answered the
questions propounded by Mr.. Parker, but he
will say that aid sent to Cuba is foe the
thousands of people who are starving 70 dea,h
within the Spanish lines Many of these are
the families of the insurgents who have
Joined the other crowds of women and chill
dren and who are all classed by the Spaniards
as noncombatants. He thinks that the fact
that these people are starving, and that the
Spaniards are furnishing them no food. is
sufficient reason fec the sending Of aid, and
that 1t IS not a good time to ask people
which way their sympathes lie in the strug>
gle when they are dying of starvation. Cen
eral Barry says that there is no way to get
food through the Spanish lines and into the
hands of the insurgents, and that such Is not
the purpose Of the commission. He is fearful
| that some of the supplies sent by this state
may be appropriated by the Spaniacds but
thinks that Consul Lee will use his best en-
| deavors to see that the aid reaches only the
suffering noncombatants.
Among the letters received by the commits
sion today one from Superintendent G.
f. KEEPER of the Norfolk asylum, enclosing
donation OF SO. In the course of his let
ter DR.. KEEPER said
I spent part of Marcel, 1892. in Cuba, wit
messed the heavy taxation and outrageous
treatment of the Cubans by Spanish Off
cials and do not wonder at their determined
efforts to free themselves from the yoke
Of Spain When l think how completely
Spain had the Cubans disarmed at that
time am lost in admiration of their pluck
to commence a fight under such adverse
Gircumstances; l earnestly hope kind
Providence Will crown their efforts with
success.