The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-04-12

1 pVPoA1tcu 6AC6o VI pioooCttOu dCDtttu-
Hon and want becams misery ana
starvation, Month by month the death
rate increased In an alarming ratio. BY
March, 1887 according to conserva-
tive estimates from official Spanish
sources. the mortality among the re-
! concentrates, from starvation and the
diseases thereto incident. exceeded 20
per centum Of their total number. No
practical relief was accorded to the
destitute. The overburdened towns, al
ready suffering from general dearth,
could give no aid.
| The so-called zones of cultivation
established within the immediate area
Of effective military control about the
cities and fortified camps. proved H.
lusory as a remedy for the suffering.
The unfortunates being for the most
| part women and children. with aged
and helpless men, enfeebled by dis
eases and hunger could not have titled
the soil. without tools, seed or shelter,
for their own support or for the supply
OF the cities. Recommendation. adopted
av-wedly as a war measure in order
to cut off the resources of the insur-
gents, worked fits predestined result. As
said in my message Of last December.
1t was not civilized warfare; 1t was
determination. The only peace 1t could
beget was that of the wilderness and
the grave.
A Dogged Struggle. =.
Meanwhile the military situation In
the island had undergone a noticeable
change: The extraordinary activity
that characterized the second year of
the war, when the insurgents invaded
even the hitherto unframed fields of
Pinar del Rio and carried havoc and
destruction up to the walls of the city
of Havana itself. had relapsed in a
logged struggle in the central and
eastern provinces. The Spanish arms
regained measure Of control in Pinar
del Rio and parts of Havana, but, un.
der the existing conditions of the rural
country. without immediate improve
nent of their productive situation.
Even thus partially restricted, the
AS'SAesAohAbS AAGlA tAClI oWu, dllu LlGlF
conquest and submissions, put forward
by Spain as the essential and sole basis
Of peace, seemed as far distant as at
the outset.
In this state of affairs my adminis-
tration found itself confronted with
the grave problem Of its duty My
message of last December reviewed the
situation, and narrated the steps taken
with o view to relieving its acuteness
and opening the way to some form Of
honorable settlement. The assassina-
tion Of the prime minister, Canovas, led
to change Of government in Spain.
The former administration, pledged to
subjugation without concession, gave
place to that of a more liberal party,
committed long in advance to a poll
Icy Of reform involving the wider prin-
cfple of home rule for Cuba and Puerto
Rico The overtures of this govern
ment made through its new envoy,
General Woodford, and looking to an
immediate and effective amelioration
of the condition of the island, although
hoL osNVplCo " LIE CAtSlL VI
mediation In any shape, were met by
assurances that home rule, in an ad-
vanced phase, would be forthwith Of
fered to Cuba, without waiting for the
war to end, and that more humane
methods should thenceforth prevail in |
the conduct of hostilities. Coincident-
ally with these declarations, the new
government of Spain continued the pol
Icy already begun by Its predecessor Of |
testifying friendly regard for this ma
ton by releasing American citizens
held under one charge or another con-
nected with the insurrection, so that,
by the end of November, not single
person entitled In any way to our ma
tional protection remained in a Span
lsh prison.
The Increasing Destitutfon.
While these negotiations were in |
progress the increasing restitution of |
the unfortunate reconcetrados. and the
alarming mortality among them,
claimed earnest attention. The sue
cess which had attended the limited
measure of relief extended to the suf-
fering American citizens among them
by the judicious expenditure through
the consular agencies of the money ap-
propriated expressly for their succor
by the joint resolution approved May
"a, 1897, prompted the humane extern
sion Of similar scheme Of aid to the
great body of sufferers. A suggestion
to this end was acquiesced in by the
Spanish authorities. On the Path of
December last / caused to be issued
an appeal to the American people in
wiling contributions in money or in
kind for the succor of the starving
sufferers in Cuba, following this on
the Sth Of January by similar public
announcement of the formation Of Il
central Cuban relief committee, with
headquarters in New York city. COM
posed of three members representing
The American National Red Cross and
the religious and business elements of
the community. The efforts of that
committee have been untiring, and
have accomplished much.
Arrangements for free transportation
to Cuba has greatly aided the chart
table work. The president of the
American Red Cross, and representa-
tives of other contributory organiza-
tions have generously visited Cuba,
and co-operated with the consul gen.
eral and the local authorizes to make
effective distribution of the relief col
lected through the efforts of.
Nearly 100000 In money and sup
plies has already reached the sufferers,
and more is forthcoming. The supplies
are admitted free Of duty, and trans
portation to the interior has been ar
ranged so that the relief, at first nee
essarlly confined to Havana and the
larger cities. is now extended through
most, IL not all, of the towns where
suffering exists. Thousands of lives
have already been saved. The neces-
slty for a change in the condition of
the reconcentrados is recognized by
the Spanish government. Within a
few days past the orders of General
Weyler have been revoked, the recon-
centrados are. it Is said, to be permit
ted to return to their homes and aided
to resume the self supporting pursuits
Of peace; public works have been Or
dered to give them employment, and a
a.snn