Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-12

scheme OF autonomy. He says that
he has been Informed that the authnrl-
ties are engaged In forming an autono-
mistic cabinet arranging for the mem
beers to take the required oath on jan
uary LIST, and also for an election
thirty days thereafter MY
present information Is that most OF the
Spaulards win refrain from voting. and
nearly all the Cubans. The feeling In
Havana, and ] hear in other parts of
the island. Is strong against IL, the
Cubans desiring an independent repub-
lie and the Spaniards preferrlng an
nexntion to the United States rather
than autonomy.
January 9Th Gen. Leo makes the fol-
lowing report Slr:-I have the honor
to state, as n matter of public interest,
that the reconcentrado order of Gen.
Weyler, former governor general of
this island, transformed about 100000
self-supportlng people, principally woo
men and children, into multitude to
be sustained by the contributions of
others or die of starvation or fever re-
sulting from a low physical condition,
and being massed In large bodies, with
out change of clothing and without
food, their homes were burned. their
fields and plantations destroyed and
their live stock driven away or killed
tSVlnlHte tfldt pToDdbly AuuuuV Oh lHt
rural population in the province of
Pinar del Rio, Matanzas and Santa
Clara have died of starvation or from
resultant causes. and the deaths of
whole families almost simultaneously,
or within few days OF each other. and
Of mothers praying for their children
to he relieved of their horrible suffer-
ings by death are not the least of the
many pitlable scenes which were ever
present.
In the provinces of Puerto Principe
and Santiago de Cuba, where the con-
centrado order could not he enforced,
the great mass of the people are self
sustaining. A daily average OF
10 cents worth of food to 10000 people
would be an expenditure OF $1,000 per
per day. and, Of course the most hui
name efforts upon the part OF our citi-
zens cannot hope to accomplish such
gigantic relief and n portion Of these
people will have TO be abandoned to
their fate
The consular correspondence In part
was devoted to the Maine disaster.
and In this part of the correspondence
some important and interesting points
are developed. The correspondence con-
ssts largely of cablegrams exchanged
by Assistant Secretary of state Day
and Gen. Lee. The first Of the telegrams
| IL dated Havana. January 18th, and re-
lates to the riots which We're then oc-
curing In the city. This and the sub
sequent kilograms upon the same sub
ject have been published, either in
whole or in part.
on February gath Gen. Lee adj
vsed the postponement of the Names
] visit for six or seven days. 80 that the
! excitement might abate. Later In the
| same day Mr.. Lee was advised that the
Maine would arrive IN havana tne
next day. and was asked to cooperate
with the authorities for her friendly
The first intimation Of the cause of
the explosion was given by Gen. Lee
on February 29nd, when he telegraphed
Copper cylinders ammunition round
intact in 10-inch forward magazine
starboard side this morning Seems TO
show that magazine not exploded
Evidence beginning to prove explosion
! on outside by torpedo"
February 10th he sent to the state de-
partment n statement of the cnndl,
| ton of the towns in the neighborhoou
of the city of Havana, made by n per-
son he had sent to those places for the
purpose of inspecting the number and
| condition of the starving. the state
ment covers four towns In the neighDor'
hood of Havana, aud Is largely
repetition of the awful tale of surfer
ing which came from the other portion!
of the island.
March 14th Lee incloses a letter from
| Consul Barker of Sagua, who requests
him to transmit the following letter
which is addressed to him Gen Leo:
Dear Sir:--I will thank you to com
municate to the department as quickl!
ms possible the fact that the militar.
commander and other officers or IN
military positively refuse TO allow tn
reconcentrados. to whom ] am ISSUING
food in its raw state, to procure Tue
with which to cook the food.
I'm addition, they prohibit this elias
of people II only give the food to abou
one fifth of the destitutel from gather
ing vegetables from within the pro
lection of the forests, telling them
The Americans propose TO feed you
and to the Americans You must look
Very truly yours,
''wALTER II, BARKER, Consul"
March 2Sth, Gen. Lee reports that in
structions have been given by the civi
government in Havana that the AL
Caldes and other authorities shall no
give out any facts about the reconcen
trados, and II any OF the American re
lief committee should make Inquire
concerning them. all such inquire
must be referred to him"
Gen. Lees dispatches conclude wit
n dispatch under date of April LIST
, Transmitting the decree OF the COVER
general terminating the concen
tration.
The communications from Mr.. Bric'
! consul at Matanzas, number only seve
or eight, and most of them are brie
The correspondence from him begin
with the nth of November last. an
{ closed with the sth Of February. 1ss
Probably the most striking feature G
Mr.. Brice's communications Is n dis
tlnct article written on the 18th of Jan
I uary last. and devoted to Cuban destt
; tuition. In this he notes the receipt c
? n circular letter Of the state depart
ment dated ten days before.
l "Ths." he says. eliminated that hel
, Is to be extended by the United State
to the starving people of Cuba. TIL