The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-10-12
THE TROOPS or THE
CONQUERED TERRITORY
Colonel Rays aud General 1awton's Com
mands Not IN tho Best Of Health
valuable Sugar Estates.


Correspondence Of tho Associated Press
GUANTANAMO. Sept A.--colond nay.
the military commander and governor of
thls district. which includes BaracOn and
Bagua DO Tanan0. has Just returned
from Santiago. whore ho has been to con.
suit with General tnwtOn. lis command
consists OF tho 1bfd regiment g. y. vol.
unteer infantry, composed Of white men
enlisted IN tho southern states. the ma.
I0niy IN Georgia.
Eight companies, consisting Of 90 mon,
are encnmDcd about three miles fran
Guantanamo. Two companies. consist
Ink OF 100 men under Major Wiley. are at
Barncoa. Tho same number arc ~ Bagua
De Tannmo under cnptn.n Harms
The health OF the troops anco they nr-
rived horo on August 20 has not been OK.
ncliy good. but neither has Il been w
bad aH that Of q. y, troops IN other places.
The conditions locally nro now much i'm
proved. At one limo or another u per
cent " tho men have been on the sick
llHt. almost all suffering from caienturn
fever. which IL a remiitant malignant
malarial fcyer. very deb bltating. Only
three deaths have taken place. two from
yellow fever and one from pneumonia.
MAI Herman. the surgeon In charge.
says that with more Of fresh meat and
potatoes. tho health Of the men will be-
ns good ~ could reasonably be expected In
this part of the world. Until day or
~ ago thoy had no meat at ali. and col.
Ray 'rok the hrHt opportunity Of buying
A..Uaa s.AgUlnlUEs NHfa a. d. Aaa
Though naturally an an officer he IN 70.
tlccnt regarding the actions OF others.
ho complains Of the management Of the
subsistence department which In 70
blanc for the lack OF fresh provisions.
A bakery ~ bhng built In the camp. and
In few days the bread will bo cooked by
soldier cooks A. present tho -four II
turned over 10 bakery at Guantanamo.
Colonel Ray does not believe IN the
policy of sending volunteers to con-
auered territory. for. IN the FIRST place.
tho men enlisted 10 night. and now that
the war II over. they wish 10 bo dis
banded, and In the second place they
have no military future and are therefore
deslrous to return to their accustomed
occupations. Not day goes by without
Colonel Ray receiving NUMEROUS nppllca-
tons for discharge.
The Huifcrngn of the Cubans In and
around Guantanamo have been very
great over thousand ratlons per day
are Issued TO uhom. but many who are In
the dlrcHt need are unable 10 come 10 the
city 10 rccelve relief owing TO their be-
Ink entirely without clothing. a supply
Of the latter WIS received a short time
ago-somc iiOO pairs Of drawers and 20
undcrshirts. but this scarcely nils the bill
There IL remedy for this suffering
quito apart from tho charity OF the United
states government. and than would the
resumption of operations by the sugar
planters. They. however. will do no hing
until a stable form OF government Is 60.
ihbllnhed.
within a radius OF miles there IL In
vested some ilisl0ojOoo - sugar estates
Some OF the estates have machinery
worth over a million dollars Yet nearly
all arc Idle. though II Is time for plant
la. and going TO work
The planters SAY that " they had n
guarantee even for two years from the
American government OF tho non-intcrfer-
enoc Of tho Cubans they would start up
and put nearly 5000 men TO work The
trouble IL that many prominent cubans
have threatened that these properties WI
be conhScated on account OF tho sympa.
thy shown by the proprictors toward the
spanish government, and until American
protection Is guaranteed no more money
will be spent.
Business here II In state OF stagna'
ton, People are afraid that In a spirit
os rcprisai tho Cuban ofiicials will 10 In
for Wholesale conhscation and heavy
fines. untIl this question has been def
nitely settled. the Industries OF this part
OF Cuba will remain at a standsu.l.