The age-herald., 1898-03-19
CHALLENGER TELLS.
 OF CUBA'S MISERY Makes the Story Even Stronger Than Proctor. THOUSANDS DYING DAILY For the Want of the Commonest Necessities of Life-Spalns Soldiers Badly Drilled
 Smoke and Talk While
 in Line.
THOUSANDS DYING DAILY

Washington, March 1S-Senator Gallin- ger was at the capitol today for the first time since his return from Cuba. When requested to make a statement as to his observation on the condition of affairs on that island he responded
 You can sign my name to any picture you may draw of utter wretchedness, desti- tution and hellishness in that country. The condition of affairs, so far as I had oppor- tunity to observe it, and I was only in Havana and Matanzas, is simply inde. scribable. had not expected to find it half as bad as 1t is, and I do not believe that any one who simply reads the accounts and does not see for himself can form an ade- qnate idea of the situation.
 Perishing by Thousands
 ''The reconcentrados are in all available places in those cities, and are perishing by the thousands for want of the commonest necessaries of life. The best information obtainable leads to the conclusion that there have been beyond a doubt 409, ,0)0 deaths a result of Spains brutal policy and the tragedy goes on from day to day The Society of the Red Cross is furnishing some relief by Its efforts, but the most of those people are beyond the reach of aid whether through medicines or food. The mortality in Matanzas for the last four months previous to our visit has been equal to ten times the ordinary death rate.
 "With reference to the military aspect of affairs in Cuba, I saw nothing which inn pressed me with the idea that Spain knows much about modern warfare. The soldiers l saw are not drilled our soldiers are. Indeed they lack every element of soldiery bearing, whatever may be said of their merits as fighters. The drills that I wit messed were a travesty on modern military ideas. While they were undergoing their revolutions the soldiers were talking to each other and smoking as freely and uncon- cernedly as they would do in their own rooms. From my observation of them I should not consider them very formidable antagonists on the field of battle
 But One Opinion
 Naturally there was much talk about the Maine disaster, and so far as I could ascertain from my conversation with Americans and with those not entirely un- der the influence of the Spaniards, the opin- ion was universal that the Maine had been destroyed by an external agency, and a1- most every person with whom l discussed the subject in Cuba expects that the find ings of the American court of inquiry will substantiate this view.
 There Is a divergence Of opinion on the island as to the probability of war between Spain and the United States, and am sure I am within the bounds of truth that when I say the almost entire native population would welcome any turn of events, however tragic, that would wrest Cuba from Spanish dominion. This is true not only of those who are avowedly favorable to war for independence, but of many of those who are ranked as Spanish sympathizers, but who are at heart advocates of Cuban in dependence.
 "The fact is that even in Havana the allegiance to Spain is of very weak and doubtful character, and if war should come it will be found that there will be an up- rising in that city against the mother coun- try, which would be a most important fac tor in shortenig the contest and deciding against Spain."