The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-24
He Has Seen
Cubans Dying
CONTINUED from First Pase.)

whom is a victim Of starvation DR.. Les
ser, one OF Miss Barton's assistants. has
had experience in the Armenian and In
ola famine. but he declares that the fam
inc in Cuba is worse than that in Ar
menia- and pictures he drew OF the terri
bic suffering and starvation in the island
more than confirm all that has been writ
ten upon the subject"
HORRORS OF LOS FocAs.
A detailed story of visi, to Los Focas.
the place where the reconcentrados daily
assemble 10 get food. was also given A
few weeks ago when Miss Barton dis
covered the place there were 645 people
Iyping on the floors. many of them en-
tirely nude and all suffering the pangs
Of starvation. Much has been done by
the Red Cross society to alleviate the
condition of those who still remain. but
scores OF men, women and children are
yet there, gaunt and bony, almost as a
skeleton. many of them covered with
cores directly traceable to insufficient
food.
What a chapter of horrors and death
is that! And still the tragedy goes on.
How much longer it shall continue. de-
ponds largely upon the forbearance Of a
great people who. through suffering and
sorrow, achieved their own independence
and whose sympathies have always gone
out to the oppressed Of all nations of the
world"
THE MATANZAS INFERNO
A vivid picture was then drawn by Mr..
Gallinger of a trip 70 the city of Ma
tanzas. All along the route were wretch
ed people in rage. but not until the city
was reached was the full extent of the
suffering realized.
at occurred to me as I looked upon
the scenes of suffering and horrors that
the Cuban reconcentrados might will
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 fertile land. The ruth is that
Weyler devised scheme of human suf-
fering and sorrow that put Dantes' in
ferno to the shade and converted oon-
tented, prosperous people into a herd of
suffering, starving unfortunates.
''Matanzas is literally place Of beggary
and death. Never before did my eyes
behold such suffering and never again do
I expect to see such havoc wrought
through a cruel and inhuman decree. A
visit to the Matanzas hospitals revealed
an even more shocking condition than the
streets Members of the Red Cross soci-
ETY. who had visited one of the hospitals
two weeks before were almost overcome
upon discovering that nearly every one
of the inmates at that time had since died.
There poverty, sorrow and suffering were
depicted in their worst forms, children,
gaunt in face but with abdomen and limbs
terribly swollen, women in the last stage
of emaciation and men there were rapidly
drifting to death. If there was food in
these hospitals" said Mr.. Gallinger. II
did not discover it. neither were there
signs Of medicine or OF proper nslrishing
and care"
The governor Of Matanzas informed Mr..
Gallinger that the first day he occupied
the palace fifteen persons had died in the
court yard. He said further that in the
city 100 had died in November; 1920 in
December; 700 in January, and 800 in Feb
ruary. The death rate was decreasing,
simply because the reconcentradoes, by
death, were becoming fewer.
HALF A MILLION VICTIMS.
1.-The number of people who have starved
n Cuba will never be definitely known.
It is estimated that 100000 we're driven
from their homes into the cities and
towns. I had it from Spanish authority
that according to their figures. 225.O00 al
ready have persisted, but ii 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 20. 600 more must in
evitably die.
WHAT OF THE MAINE7"
81 have been asked many times. What OF
The Maine? / do not know. This. how
ever. do know: A government that will
starve 100000 of its own people /
will do pretty much anything. II the ship |
was blown up from the outside. what
should our government do? Perhaps I
should forbear 70 discuss that question
now: but this will venture 20 say: HUI
man life purposely taken cannot be paid /!
Tor in gold or silver. Mark my words /
purposely taken and II It shall appear /
hat such was the fate of go brave Amer I
can sailors then Heaven pity the guilty /
parties. II will not be a question for /
arbitration, but a question involving the /
dignity and honor OF this great republic"
Mr. GallinRer said there was little real /
oyalty 10 Spain in Cuba as would be dem /
,nstrated when the hour OF trial should 4
some. He did not believe that Spain 4
could subdue the insurgents. The Cu0ans [
bad been oppressed so long that they pre-
erred death TO continued Spanish rule.
INTOLERABLE TAXATION.
Discussing ths subject OF Spanish rule.
NJ. Gallinger referred 70 the matter q
axatiou. In addition to all direct and
Indirect taxes on real estate, there Is
ak on every door, every window and
very chimney in every house. on every
etter in every business sign and on every
lame on hotel register Licenses are
.egu!red . build houses ana 70 paint
houses. There is tax OF food animals
md special taxes Oh the horns. hooHs and
lides. II addition 70 all This. the il;sres:
N the asot IS a tremendous burden. the
.ala-ies % the Spanish officials are Be-
-ond ali reason and re amour; II money
v-uaK from ne Cubsus 70 keep hts Md
q government from c0mpls1e insolvency
: simply enormous
no people OF The face OF ne earth have
zen 80 oppressed. The treasury .: Spar
.s;nz literally supplied from ne revenues
xrorted from Cuba and ths Philippins
Stands.
TAX WAS A TRIPLE
our forstathsTs went - war became