The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-13

New York, Sept. PA special to the
Press from Washington says: Senior
Thomas Estrada Palma has just re-
! ceived communication from the rep
resentative of the Cuban revolutionary
government, who has secretly been in
Havana since the beginning of the war.
The letter is as follows:
The situation of the Cubans in this
city and this province is in truth criti-
cal The termination of the war, in
which we rejoice, and the independence
OF the island, has brought with it dire
ful woe to the Cubans. and demands
immediate attention, and it is this con-
dition OF affairs that compels me to
write to you at this time, in the hope
that you Will be able to present the
case to the American government and
secure immediate relief.
Each days delay in the adjustment
of affairs to bring about the Spanish
evacuation increases our suffering and
stun further complexities the problem of
reconstruction which confrontS US. It
would be far from possible for me to
paint the exact situation as it exists in
one small letter. The war is ended, and
at the same time we are not living in
peace. Nevertheless. in the rejoicing
over the outcome, the victims of the
war. the real sufferers, are almost en-
tirely forgotten. The victims are the
cubans. Neither the United States nor
Spain have suffered from the ravages
of war upon their own territory, while
all the destruction and devastation
wrought by the struggle has been en-
dured by poor. suffering Cuba, and the
end is not yet
we are, as it We're, between two
fires. We must keep peace because the
United States and Spain are no longer
engaged in active strife, and we must
endure all the atrocities, cruelties and
barbarism imposed upon us by the
Spaniards, worse now than before the
signing of peace measures. because
they realize that they must soon leave
our island, and they desire to heap all
the vengeance upon us that is in their
power to do.
CHAOS AT HAVANA.
'Chaos reigns in Havana The public
service has, in nearly all departments.
been practically abandoned, and the
employees, thus being thrown out of
their positions, take the more from US
What is true of the civil authorities is
doubly true of the soldiers. The indus
trial public is completely paralyzed. All
animals, all horses, have been taken
away to meet the necessities of the
Spanish army. There is nothing for the
laboring people, for the poor classes,
the big majority of whom are Cubans,
10 co.
Matters have not improved for them
since the raising of the blockade. The
poor man who manages TO plant little
garden place to save himself and his
family from starvation, finds that just |
as he is about to harvest his little crop, /
he is made the prey of the soldiery. who |
rob him of all. The city is full of vaga-
bonds and thieves. who steal. plumber |
and destroy all they can. Neither is |
there any justice or attempt at punish |
ment for oHenSeS, even the most grave. |
The municipal officers are nothing |
more than figureheads. and they are /
seeking to get all possible before leav-
nS Cuba, 1t makes no difference at |
what cost or suffering to the people of |
his city. The commercial people. the |
most of whom are Spaniards, are hos
lie to the Cubans. The rich alone can
i've; the poor must die of hunger and |
n the greatest misery.
To make IL worse, the colonial gov
arnment has advanced the customs du-
les 20 per cent since the blockade was
-aised
The government is liberating most
dangerous criminals. while political
prisoners are treated with the utmost
;ruelty. A short time longer of the
present condition of affairs and the en-
ire Cuban population will be dependent
lpon the noble charity of the Red Cross
ociety. The press is again beginning
o defame Cuban liberty, and the Span
sh censor is maintaining policy worse
han in the times of Weyler.
what 1 particularly wish to have
-ou obtain for us is the aid of the
american government in preventing the
onfiscation of Cuban property by the
,~as1r1 To- dc y frl, fe.
farming rate every day The Cubans
re poor enough. but their condition is
rowing steadily worse by plumber and
obbery. Again we desire to have the
censorship raised so that the outside
7orld may know what we are SUFFERING.
hat would do more than all else TO
tay the ravages of the Spaniards.