The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-03-05

Havana. (via Key Wesa. March g.
Men. women and children by hundreds
and thousands dying i'm the streets,
gasping their last breath out on the hill
sides in the huts of palm bark, lying IN
the temporary hospitals on bare cots OF
canvas where scores die every hourH
These are a few of the things seen by
Senator Proctor and Col Parker since
coming here.
A party including the two gentlemen
named. Clara Barton and several mem
bers OF the Red Cross Society left Ha-
yana a few days ago to investigate the
condition of the reconceRtrados at Ma
tanzas and prepare for the immediate
forwarding of supplies to save those that
remain from the death by starvation
that has already overtakeR more than
10000 Cubans during the last few months.
The trip from Havana to MatanZas, oc-
cupying about four hours, was made un-
der a heavy escort of Spanish troops. At
each end of the train was an armed car
filled with soldiers Evidences of the war
were to be seen on all sides. block houses
and entertainments everywhere, and
small scattering bodies Of Spanish cav
airy along the route. A few miles out
Of Havana the wires were cut an several
places where the insurgents had dashed
in to harass the enemy.
Mile after mile of country as fertile as
the valley of the Nile was passed
through All of IL had been under Guilt
walton in little farms. Now not a single
human being could be seen. The plOws
stood where they had been left i'm the
furrow covered with a rank tangled
tropical underground. Weeds filled the
cane fields and ran riot over the patches
that had furnished support for happy
famiieSnOw starving either in the towns
or already lying under the red soil.
A few small towns were scattered
along the route. These were surrounded
by trenches and barbed-wire fences. II
the enclosures lay the recOncentrados
starving. No supplies are furnished
them. To step outside Of the fence is to
meet death by Spanish bullet. In the
small enclosure there is no room to
grow anything that might keep the wolf
from the door They must die of star
walton as inevitably as the sun rises and
sets
In the town of Matanzas alone 5.6eC
have died i'm the past two months. all OF
starvation. A ma iorlty OF those in the
hospital now will die inside Of a week
and their places filled with other unfOr-
tmates.
Matanzas is not the worst OF the sub
urban towns. All over the island eX-
cept where Gomez holds the Spanish al
bay with his ragged. half-al med heroes
the victims of Spanish cruelty are dying
by hundreds and thousands Pinar del
Rio is said to be far worse than Matan-
zaS.
The senator's party is shocked at what
was disclosed at Matanzas. In one Of tht
hospitals three patients died of starVa.
tion in the five minutes Senator PrOct0l
was there.
Senator Proctor is satisfied that the
government on the island is incompetent
10 protect even the residents of Havana
who seek to travel to other Cuban cities
He says he viii not attempt another jour
ney away from Havana.
Colonel Parker does not hesitate to say
one trip out of Havana has convinced him
that cuba is already lost to Spain.
When Colonel Parker was asked If he
would rep0rt to the President, he said.
significantly. that he would not do SO.
hut he could not answer for what Sena-
tor Proctor would do
'If the American people" remarked
Colonel Parker. could see what I have
seen. the Government would be forced to
act; in a week we would have Havana
harbor under blockade. and its surrender
would be matter Of only a few days, or
a month at the outside"
Il never understood the situation be-
fore" said Senator Proctor. NO imag-
ination could bring up a picture of the
suffcrings endured by these people under
the Spanish government l hope to see il
ended as soon as possible