Arizona republican., 1898-12-28
THE PRESIDENT HAS PLANS
For the Relief of Suffering by the Im- mediate Distribution of Supplies and Provisions for the Future of the
 Inhabitants of the Island.

The president stated that the re- isponse to this appeal was so small that he had been much discouraged at the
 time and confessed to me that his own
 personal contribution had been larger
 in amount than the sum given by any other individual in the country. A
 year ago we could lay this unwilling ness to contribute to the fear that the Spanish authorities would absorb these
 supplies for the use of their armies; but now no such danger existed, and he sincerely hopes that there would be 8 great outpouring from every charitable organization and individual. He ex- plained that it was not in the power of the government to build hospitals for the sick without a special act of con- gress, nor did he see how nurses could be paid out of any fund now existing. The purchase of cattle would also not he permissible by any of the executive departments. He had nearly complet- ed an arrangement with General Gar 1 cia before the !atter's death for the payment of a hundred dollars to each soldier in the Cuban army, and shI 1 thought that much of this money would be used by the men themselves for buying oxen and ploughs. This would probably amount to some two millions of dollars and if half of it was used for this purpose it would go far toward supplying this great agricultur- ] al need. This money was not to be taken from the United States treasury, but was to be advanced on pledge of re- turn from the revenues collected at the { custom house at Havana.
 The president spoke in glowing terms of Colonel Waring and of how much aid he had hoped to have receiv- ed from him in the work of placing Ha- vana in such sanitary condition that it would no longer be the breeding place of yellow fever and other infec- tious diseases. He desires to put an end at once to the annual interruption of business throughout the south caus- ed by quarantine against diseases Ori- ginating in Cuba General Lud- low has full appreciation of the work before him in clean ing and draining the chief city, and the president feels sure that in a very few months the sanitary conditions there will be greatly improved.
 He assured me further that every effort he was personally capable of would be directed to the restoration of the people of the island to health, happiness and prosperity and he firmly believed that under divine providence the opportunity had been given to the American people to make fruitful again the land now lying waste from war, pestilence and famine.
 I was much impressed by the evident sincerity and earneStnesS of the presi- dents statements, while his positive orders as chief executive to begin the distribution of supplies at once en- sure prompt relief to thousands.
 The work thus begun must be carried on through many months, and it now remains for the charitably disposed everywhere to read over again the proclamation of year ago. Supplies and money can be sent to Cuba now through channels entirely under the control of our own citizens, and every assurance can be given that the rel'-f will reach exactly the class that it .s intended to help.