The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-12
ENGLISH ---.
PERAL SPEAKS.


without means or prospects of earning
money.
"a box which arrived on the Seguranca
came amid numerous similar packages con-
tanning relief stores All were sent to ware
houses at San Jose, awaiting custom-house
inspection, and delivered to the Red Cross
agents. The box in question was marked:
Consul General Lee, Havana, for Mrs.
Marvel F. Fernandez Calzada de, Sayano
Jeses del Monte 1t was selected by the
customs officer for inspection, having sus-
picious address 1t was opened and the con-
tents proved to be six boxes containing
twelve bottles each of Japanese gold paint.
There were about three dozen cards of COM
mon brass, gold-washed collar buttons,
twenty-five dozen cheap, gold-washed rings,
tied in dozens and wrapped in tissue paper,
similar to the variety commonly hawked by
street sellers, and ten smallest size oil
stoves.
These were the entire contents of the
famous box, although the Spaniards found
diamonds and other articles of great value.
Some one probably placed it on board the
steamer while in New York in care of the
purser for delivery to Consul General Lee,
notifying friends by letter of its remission,
put IN {. qqlscharglng the cargo al the boxes ts
the Red Cross stuff"
At the consulate Mr. Springer told me the
affair had no Importance whatever He said
that people often send packages in care of
the consul for delivery to friends, hoping to
escape duty, but that in all such cases
where the articles pass the custom house in
courtesy to Lee they are Immediately re-
shipped to the port of departure.
l visited the warehouse at San Jose this
morning and found government inspectors
and large staff of clerks and laborers
opening boxes for inspection. first visited
the custom house to request data on the
subject / was informed by the second col
lector to proceed to the warehouses, where
the inspectors had orders to give all the in
formation at hand. The inspector referred
me to subinspector as the highest in au-
thority, but his uniform belied him. So l
told him he was the man l wanted to see
by order of the collector. But he wriggled
nv introducing a second
promised to furnish me all information in
three hours.
While there he informed me that pack
ages were sent In very disorderly manner,
making inspection very difficult and tedious.
He called attention to several boxes opened,
showing the manner of packing goods. OLD
boots, Shoes soiled clothing, socks and
other garments were mixed with rice, oat-
meal, potatoes, bacon, ham and other pro-
visions. He very naturally said that such
packing was very unscientitlc and Wasteful,
as many of the food products were spoiled
by contact with dirty. clothes. He seemed
to think it the duty of the New York Red
Cross officials to open every box, sort out
all the different articles, and repack them
in separate packages, and in this way re-
lieve the arduous work of the Spanish GUS
ton1S-houSe collectors.
I tried to explain that each box was an
individual contribution, filled with what
ever the donors could afford. and then was
sent to the Red Cross headquarters for re-
mission here. If the Red Cross officials
opened every box to resort articles for the
benefit of the Spanish custom authorities 1t
would necessitate large corps of laborers,
whose pay would counterbalance the
amount received for relief. He could not I'M
derstand this argument. The scheme, so far
as it seems to be concocted. is for the pur-
pose of putting obstacles in the way of the
progress of relief work While l was in the
warehouse Red Cross official desired to
take out bags of rice for shipment to
Jaruco, but he could not touch them until
he secured a permit from the collector. The
Spanish inspectors are very suspicious.
When they find any article unknown to
them such as bottles of delicacies, they are