The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-03-18
AS Seen by Senator RedfieId
Proctor of Vermont,
Related on the Floor of the u.
8. Senate.
UNVARNISHED TRUTH.
No Yellow Journalism in This
Story.
He Says the Half Has Not Been
Told
JNVARNISHED TRUTH.
And His Tales Beat the Worst
Accounts of s'YellOw'' Journals

Washington, D. c., March Ex-senator
Proctor (Vt.), who returned last Sun
day from an extended trip to and
through the island of Cuba, yesterday
afternoon made a statement to the SEN
ate of his observations on the island.
Mr.. Proctor read his speech from
manuscript, speaking rapidly, but clear
ly.
He said: more Importance seems to
be attached by others to my recent Wis
it to Cuba than I have given it. 1t has
been suggested that I make a public
statement of what saw and how the
situation impressed me.
This do on account of the public
interest in all that concerns Cuba
and to correct any inaccuracies that
have not unnaturally appeared in some
of the reported interviews with me.
MY trip was entirely unofficial and
of my own motion; not suggested by
anyone. The only mention made of it
to the president was to say to him that
I contemplated such a trip, and to ask
him if there was any objection to it, to
which he replied that he could see none.
No one but myself, therefore, is respOn-
sible for anything in this statement.
1T has been stated that I said there
was no doubt the Maine was blown up
from the outside. This is a mistake. I
may have said that such was the gen
eral impression among Americans in
Havana. In fact I have no opinion
about it myself, and carefully avoid
forming one. I gave no attention to
these outside surmises- met the mem
berS of the court their boat, but
would as soon approach our supreme
court in regard to pending case as
that board. They are competent and
trustworthy within the lines of their
duty, as any court in the land, and
their report, when made, will carry con-
victiOn to all the people that the exact
truth has been stated, just as far as 1t
is possible to ascertain it. And until
then surmises and conjecture are idle
and Improbable. Let US calmly wait
for the report.
Everything seems to go on much as
usual in Havana. Quiet prevails, and
except for the frequent squads of SOL
diers marching to guard and police du-
ty and their Astounding presence in all
public places, one sees little signs OF
war.
"Outside Havana all is changed. 1t is
not peace; nor is it war. It is desola-
ton and distress. misery and starvation
Every town and village is surrounded
by a trocha (trench), a sort of rifle pit
but constructed on a plan new TO me
the dirt being thrown up on the outside
and a barbed wire fence on the outer
side of the trench.
These trOchas have at every corner
and at frequent intervals along the
sides what are there called forts, but
which are really small block houses,
many of them more like a large sentry
box, loop holed for musketry, and with
a guard of from two to ten soldiers IN
each. The purpose of these trochas IS
to keep the recOncentradOS in as well as
to keep the insurgents out From all
the surrounding country the people
have been driven into these fortified
towns, and held there to subsist as they
can.
s"They are virtually prison yards and
not unlike one in general appearance
except the walls are not so high and
strong, but they suffice, where every
point is in range of a soldiers rifle to
keep in the poor reconcentradOs, Wo-
men and children. Every railroad sta
ton is within one of these trochas, ana
has an armed guard. Every train has
an armored freight car, loop hOled for
nusketry and filed with soldiers and
with as I observed, usually, and was
informed, is always the case, a pilot
engine a mile or so in advance. There
are frequent block houses enclosed by
a trOchas and with a guard along the
railroad track. With this exception,
there is no human life or habitation be
tween these fortified towns ana VII
lagos and throughout the whole of the
four western provinces, except to a very
limited extent among the nils Wnere
the Spaniards have not been able to go
and drive the people to the towns and
burn their dwellings. I saw no house or
hut in the 400 miles Of railroad rides
from Pinar Del Rio province. In the
west, across the full width of Havana
and Matanzas provinces, and to Sagua
La Grande, on the north shore, and to
Cienfuegos, on the south shore of San
ia Clara, except within the Spanish
trochas.
There are no domestic animals or
crops on the rich fields and pastures
except such as are under guard in the
immediate vicinity of the towns. In
other words, the SpaniardS hold IN
these four western provinces just what
their army sits on.
ITO describe one place is to describe
all To repeat, it is neither peace nor
war. 1t is concentration and desolat1on
This is the 'pacified' condition OF the
four western provinces.
'Au the country people in the four
western provinces, about 400 600 in num-
Der remaining outside the fortified
towns when Weyler'S order was made
were driven into these towns, and these
are the reconcentradoS. They were the
peasantry. many Of them farmers. some
land owners, others renting lands and
owning more or less stock, others work
ing on estates and cultivating small
patches: and even a small patch in that
fruitful cline will support a family 1t
is but fair to say that the normal con-
dition of these people was very differ
ent from that which prevails in this
country Their standard of comfort and
prosperity was not high, measured by
our own. But according to their stand
ards and requirements their conditions
of life were satisfactory. They lived
mostly in cabins made of palm or in
wooden houses. Some of them had
houses of stone, the blackened walls of
the country was ever inhabited.
Many doubtless did not learn of
Weyler'S concentration order. Others
failed to grasp its terrible meaning. It's
execution was left largely to the guer-
rilas to drive in all that had not obeyed
and was informed that in many cases
a torch was applied to their homes
without notice and that the inmates