The record-union., 1898-03-18


country so completely under military
rule as is Cuba. General Lee kindly
invited us to sit at his table at the
hotel during our stay in Havana. and
this opportunity for frequent informal
talks with him was of great help 10
me. In addition to the information
he voluntarily gave me, it furnished Z
convenient opportunity to ask him the
many questions that suggested them
selves in explanation Of things seen
and heard on our trips through the
country.
Il also met and spent considerable
time with Consul Brice at Matanzas
ard with Captain Barker, q stanch
ex-Confederate soldier. at Sagua La
Grande, a friend of the Senator from
Mississippi (Wathall) None OF our
representatives whom l met in Cuba
are of my political faith, but there is
a broader faith not bounded by party
lines. They are all three true Araer-
leans, and have done excellent service.
MAINE DISASTER.
1T has been stated thai I said there
was no doubt the Maine was blown up
from the outside. This is mistake.
l may have said that such was the
general impression among Americans
in Havana In fact, I have no opin-
ion about it myself, and carefully
avoided forming one l gave no at
tention to these outside surmiscs
met the members of the court on their
boat, but 1 would as soon approach our
Supreme Court in regard to the i'm
pending case as that board. They are
as competent and trustworthy within
the lines of their duty as any court in
the land, and their report, when made,
will carry conviction to all the people
that the exact truth has been sto ted,
just as far as it is possible to ascer-
tain it. And until then surnlise and
conjecture are idle and unprofita Bile
Let us calmly wait for the report.
QUIET AT HAVANA
d,
each, with the exception of Matanzas,
extending the whole width of the ISL
and, and having about an equal sea
front on the north and south borders.
Matanzas touches the Caribbean Sea
only at its southwest corner, being sep
arated from it elsewhere by the mar
row peninsula of Santa Clara province.
My observations We're confined to the
four western provinces, which consti-
tute about one-half of the island The
two eastern ones are practically in
the hands of the Insurgents, except the
few fortified towns These two large
provinces are spoken of to day as
Cuba libre'
Havana, the great city and capital
OF the island, is in the eyes Of the
Spanish and many Cubans, all CUBA,
as much as Paris is France. But hay
ing visited it in more peaceful times
and seen its sights, the tomb of Co
lumbus, the forts Cabanas and Moro
Castle, etc, [ did not care to repeat
this, preferring trips in the country
Everything seemed to go on much as
usual at Havana. Quiet prevails, and
except for the frequent squads of sol
diers marching to guard and police
duty, and their abounding presence in
all public places, one saw little signs
of war
MISERY AND STARVATION.
Outside of Havana all is changed
1t is not peace, nor is it war. 1t IS
desolation and distress misery and
starvation. Every town and VILLAGE
is surrounded by the trocha (trench)
a sort of rifle pit, but constructed On g
plan new to me, dirt being thrown up
on the outside, and the barbed wire
fence on the other side of the trench
These trochas have at every corner
and at frequent intervals along the
SIDES what are called forts, but they
are really small block houses. MANY III
them more like a large sentry box. and
with a guard of from two to ten sol.
diers in each. The purpose Of these
trochas is to keep the reconcentrados
in and keep the insurgents out.
IN all the surrounding country tn,
people have ben driven into thes,
fortified towns, and held there to sub
slst as they can. They are virtually
| PRISON yards and not unlike one il
general appearance, except the wall.
are not so high and strong. but the,
suIhce where every point is in rang,
OF soldiers rife, to keep in the poo
! reconcentradoes women and children
/ Every railroad station is within one o
/ these trOchas and has an armed
| 8uard. Every train has an armoreC
! freight car loopholed for musketry
and filled with soldiers, and with. a.
L observed, usually and was INFORMED
! was always the case. a pilot engine ;
mile or so in advance. There are FIRE
/ quent blockhouses inclosed by tn
trocha, and with a guard along tn
railroad track.
DESOLATION
With this exception. there is no hu
man life or habitation between tn
fortified towns and villages. an,
throughout the whole of the four west
ern provinces, except to a very limited
extent among the hills. where tn
Spanlards have not been able to e.
ana drive the people to the towns an,
pufn their dwellings. / saw no hous
or hut in the 400 miles of railroa
rides from Pinar del Rio Province il
the west, across the full width of Ha
Naha and Matanzas Provinces. and I
0asua Ia Grande. on the north shore
and to Cienfuegos. on the south shor
OF santa Clara. except within tn
spanish trochas. There are no domesti
ANNALS or crops on the rich fields an
pastures, except such as are unde
suard in the immediate vicinity of tn
towns. Ia other words, the Spanis
hold in these four western province
just what their army sits on. Ever
man. MCman and child aud nr-o.... = :.