New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-23
TERRIBLE DISTRESS IN CUBA.
REPORT OF A TRAVELLER DISCUSSED IN ExEcU
TIVE srssIoS OF rJyr svN.rr


TIVE SESSION OF THE SENATE.
Washington. Feb. 22-Cuba usurped the place Of
Hawaii in the executive proceedings OF the Senate
to-day. and was under consideration for hour
more. The proceeding was based a document
presented by Senator Morgan Of Alabama as the
result OF interview between himself and Mr..
Koop OF Boston. In presenting the document Sen
ator Morgan said that Mr. Koop was a capitalist
who had recently returned from Cuba after an ex-
haustive exploration OF the island Senator Nor.
gan laid considerable stress OF the importance Of
the document. which resulted from a stenograph,c
report OF the interview
II consisted OF questions by Senator Morgan and
replies by Mr. Koop. The latter said that he had
been in thirty-four provinces. and had spent
or less time in each Of them in the prosecution Of
his inquiries. In no place outside OF Havana. he
said, any effort made 10 take OF the re-
concentrates. and he declared that the people were
dying in great numbers in all places in which they
had been collected together by the Spanish author
tiles both result Of the cruelty OF the Spanish
troops and OF the lack OF food. He declared that
there evidence in the provinces Of more
liberal treatment Of these unfortunate people under
the administration Of General Blanco than there
had been under the Weyler regime. and said that
the people in general In just deplorabe
condition now as they had been beto~e the change
In the reconcentrados allowed 10 so
outside the military posts to collect food and white
there was some erOrt in certain Instances grow
crops in the immediate vicinity Of the GaTrlsons
these crop did extend more than FIVE hun
dred yards from the forts He added that II the
2eope were allowed TO get out they could get
enough TO eat 10 keep soul and body together. but
even when small children attempted to go outside
the guard lines they were shot down ruthlessly
as II they were enemies in arms. He said that ne
had seen women and children abused by the Span
Ism so.diery. and that favorte pastime seemed 10
be TO kick the women about as II they were dogs
Mr. koop also devoted considerable space, at Sena-
tor Morgans suggestion, TO the scheme OF autonomy
under the Liberal Ministry. and pronounced IL a
0Qg 81 ~ he isla and Ia ~
said that business was at standstil throughout the
country that few crops growing and desola-
ton and ruin stared the traveller In the face wher-
ever he went AS consequence property was
greatly deprecated in value and the people were
discouraged He said that the general estimate
that the war had already resulted In the loss
] OF six hundred thousand lives and Mr. koop did
rot consider these figures exaggerated
There some comment on the document by
Senators Morgan. Gallinger and Mason but no
official action was taken Senator Mason said the
statement was 10 more than he had expected to
hear and Senator Gallinger declared that The pict-
drawn was a dcpioraO.e one He sa d that two
years be lad advised that the United States
should intervene 10 put stop II The war and ,ha.
every development since had confirmed the wisdom
CT the suggestion then made.