Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-12

by me In oil my thiks OH wv '@ a..
surviving two hundred thousaho psop,e re
are In the same cordition anu nov 49,
same prospect Of starvation before mem
as had their kindred who nave u'co'
There Is as much need OF medicine no"
as os food. and they are getting peltner
.vrhe excuse given by the Spanish SYM
nathizers In Cuba Is that the troops mus.
first be fed. and II Is certain tnat many
OF the soldiers are sick and suneIins !"
want OF proper food. saw raahs my
self that looked so. | vas informeu vh
ali siles that they had not been paid 1or
about eight months, and that most OF tne
civil officials had not been paid ior ="
similar period. II Is. therefore most p'o-
bable that Spain Is practically unAole ~
supply the millions which are inneul.
ately necessary TO prevent Tue ueasn -.
most of the surviving 'reconcentfauoes
but this leads to pohtlcai queseoh''
| desire 10 avoid.
.I wish merely 10 state in such way
as 10 be convincing that in consequence
OF the concentration of the people some
fwo hundred thousand Cubans are daiiy
suffering and dying from diseases pro-
duced by a lack Of nourishng 1000 IN tne
midst of what l think must be the most
fertile country IN the world, ana that
something must be done for them on a
large scale and at once, or few months
win see their extermination-
so far as l could see they are pa
tient. amiable, intelligent set OF people
some of them whom l saw begging having
facss like Madonnas They are Ameri-
cans, probably the Oldest Americans ol
Europeaa descent Constant intercourse
with the United States has made them
sympathize with and appreciate u.s. VINO
are hut six hours by boat from them, II
we do not sympathize with or care ior
them.
mo order or permission from General
BIanco can save the lives OF many OF
them. Indeed, many are too Tar gone
TO be saved by the best care and treat
ment. There was no indication or ces-
sation of hostiities by the insurgents.
II they do not voluntarily cease, their
tactics are such that Spain cannot con-
auer them, If at all. before the 'reconcer :
tradoes' will have had the finishing
stroke. so that not even the speedy ter
mnation of the war would save many.
What they need is instant pecuniary as
sistance TO the extent of $4,000 a day,
distributed by our consuls. Private chari-
ty will hardly, 1t seems to me, produce
that amount Twenty thousand dollars
cine. clothes, and food.
when l left Habana / was Informed
that Consul General Lee had received
5000. and some hundreds OF cans OF
condensed milk. As there are about
10000 sufferers I'm Habana alone, the In
adequacy of such contributions is mani
fest. Whether Congress should make an
appropriation, as In the case of the san
Domingo refugees and other cases, is not
for me to say; but | beg the charitable
to believe the statements of fact which
| have made, and 10 try to realize what
they mean"
CAPRILES STILL GOVERNOR.
HABANA, January lit became
known to-day that a committee from
Santiago de Cuba had requested Captain
General Blanco TO reappoint Senor Ca
priles Governor Of that province. The
request was granted.
Six hundred sick and invalided soldiers
embarked for Spain to-day.
AMERICAN RELIEF RESENTED.
MADRID. January ia dispatch to
the impartial from Habana says the
sending of supplies from the United States
TO aid the INDECENT population of Cuba
has aroused a deep animosity among the
Spaniards, who it is stated are incensed
at the preteHt mus gwen 10 the Amefl-
can consuls and the Yankee element to
interfere in Cuban affairs. 1t Is alleged
that the funds will be used TO wider.
the breach between the Cuban peasantry
and the Spaniards.
1t is also asserted that the American
newspapers have been instructed to ex-
aggerate the sufferings Of the peasantry.
i'm order TO again arouse public feeling In
the United States. so as to present Wash
inston with an excuse TO intervene.
In his first optimistic dispatch to the
government received to-day. General
Blanco says harvest has commenced in
Cuba. and the customs receipts have in
creased.