The herald., 1898-10-04
SUfFERINGS OF CUBANS
PROLONGED BY SPAIN's POLICY
OF DELAY
COMMISSIONERS AT WORK
Trying to Secure Admission of Red
Cross Supplies That the Hungry
May Be Fed
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
WASHINGTON, Oct "a private letter
from an American citizen in close touch
with the Cuban Military Commission in
Cuba, states that great suffering exists in
Havana for lack of food. People are starv-
ing some dying on the streets and many
others who are unable to go out to beg,
de In the houses. There are n great num-
Der of this latter class. All the while this
was going on, the Spanish authorities
were refusing to allow the Comal, with a
million rotions on board, to enter Havana
Harbor. The American Commission did
a great deal OF hard work to secure the en-
trance of the vessel and finally got per-
mission to land her supplies at Matanzas
The commission, the letter states, is now
making efforts to secure the admission of
supplies made by the Red Cross so that n
portion of the suffering might be relieved.
The commissioners, as in everything else,
in this find that they are dealing with
procrastinating men who delay every move
as long as possible. No fault is found with
the treatment with which the commission
ers are received personally. Spanish au-
thorities being very suave and polite, but
in the matter of business plenty of time is
taken.
Yellow fever is said to exist in the city
but little fear is expressed by the writer of
the letter, who says 1t is not reported as
dangerous.
The Spanish Reply
NEW YORK, Oct. 3-A dispatch to tho
Herald from Havana says:
The commission had a session yesterday
to consider the Spanish reply on evacuation
and a request for a joint session tomorrow,
which will be held early in the day. The
Spanish reply does not insist ON the or.gi-
nal dates proposed, to begin evacuation No
vember 1st and end it on April 1st.
The commission also discussed the report
made by Captain Page and Captain Brooks,
in which they made the following recon-
mendations:
F.rst-The revocation of arbitrary laws
of RECOMMENDATION, which were still extant
wherever we went, and re probably exist
ing elsewhere in the island.
Second-The immediate evacuation by the
Spanish troops of the district of Remedies,
in the province of Santa Clara. and the re-
moval Of Spanish rule therefrom.
Lees Command
NEW YORK, Oct. 3.-General Fitzhugh
Lee, interviewed IN this city, said that the
Seventh Army Corps, Of which he Is COM
mander would probably go to Cuba about
the last of this month. He had fifteen reg
ments under his command and the general
health of the corps was excellent. Only
about two per cent had been on the sick
list since they had been encamped at Jack
sonville.
We've got excellent water" he said. ''It
comes from artesian wells and pipes are
run throughout the camp, with spill-out
at the head of each company street."
When asked whether Colonel VIM. ]. Bry-
ans regiment would be mustered out Cen
eral Lee SAID he did not know. One Ne
braska regiment would be mustered out
and the choice had been left to the Gov
ernor Of Nebraska.
my corps is in fine condition ana we'll
drilled" said General Lee. You know
when there's any fighting going on, like
the volunteers, but in time of peace they
have too many fathers and mothers and
brothers and sisters and cousins and aunts
who want to get them out of the service"
do you expect to go to Cuba before your
corps?" he was asked.
mo-" was the answer. II had too much
trouble staying there without soldiers when
I was there last
General Lee did not know that any COM
mander had been suggested to take COM
mand Of the troops in Cuba. He was in
cl.ned to think that the island would be di-
vided into departments, with one general
in command CT each department, but. Of
course, one man might be put in command
of all. He thought at least 5000 Spanish
soldiers would BE sent back to Spain, but
some would prefer to remain. because they
had little to look for in Spain. Many Of
them had not been paid for nine months
when he was last there. General Lee will
go to Washington to appear as a witness
before the Investiga ting Commission.