The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-04-27
HEc0NSUL AR REPORTS.
Official Statements Concerning
Cuba's Awful Condition.
TIE MESSAGE OF GENERAL. LEE.
Hnited States Consuls Describe the Effects
of weyler.s InAuman Policy of e'oncen-
fration-Hundreds Of Thousands Dead
and the End Not Ycs-spanish Troops
Starving.

The consular correspondence which ac-
companied the presidents message was
prepared In response to resolution OF IN
{ quiry adopted by both the honse and SEN
ate. The correspondent was prepared for
transmission to congress just before the
blowing up Of the Maine, and, having
been held up since. now includes com
unnnications up to April 4. 1t covers the
communications Of Consul General Lee
at Havana, Consul McGarr at Gicnfuegos.
! Gonsal Brics at Matanzas. Consul Hyatt
Santiago de Cuba and Consul Barker at
Sagua Ia Grande In preparing 'ahe cor
6 sresponderce for transmission to congress
considerable portinna Of the importact
communications, and especially those
marked confidential, are omitted Gen
seral Lee,s correspondence runs over the
Period from Nov. Il, 1897. to- April /,
1893
Is mas on Nov. eS that Consul General
Lea made his first repors to the depart
snaens Of state on the condition OF affairs
in Cuba It is as follows:
Autonomy Failure.
sIR-I have the honor TO briefly submit
statement Of what appears to be the
uaasent condition Of affairs in this island.
The Insurgents will not accept
antonomy.
Second. .A largo majority Of the Span
Isl subjects, who have commercial and
business interests and own properly hare,
Eiu not accept autonomy, but prsfsr an
snexation to the United States rather than
an independent republic or genuine auton-
oany under the Spanish flag
KS Third. The Spanish authorities are
sancere ia doing all in their power to en-
courage protect and promote the grinding
of sugar. The grinding season commences
December.
Fourth insurgent leaders have
given instructions TO preyent grinding
wherever it can be done, because BY di-
minishing the export OF sugar the spanish
government revenues are decreased.
win be very difficult for the Spanish
authorities to prevent cane burning, be-
causaone man can start q tire at night
which viii burn hundreds OF acres, just
single individual can Light prairie
throwing q single match into the dry
grass
am confident that General
BIanco and Pando, his chief OF ttaf, as
well as Dr. Congosto, the secretary gener-
al. with all Of whom I have bad converse
tions, are perfectly conscientious IN their
desire to- relieve the distress OF those SUI
fering from the effects of Weyier',s recon-
sscentration order, but unfortunately they
have not the means to carry out such be-
neYolent purposes In this city matters
are assuming better shape under charfta-
zbae committees, etc. Large numbers DOW
are cared for and fed by private sllbscrip-
] tions.
witnessed many terrible scenes and
saw ao1ae die while was present. lam
told General Blanco VIII give $10D, 900 to
3 the relief fund. =
Nov. 81 General Lee sent to the depart
menE the communications OF two gentle
men whose :aamcs he says are suppressed
) for obvious reasons but whom he knows
personally as standi3g high In tine COM
mnnity concerning tSa condition in los
fosos (the ditches} lin Hayana.
In Heaps Ike Animals.
Thecommunicatson says, among other
things Four hundred and sixty women
and children thrownon the ground, heap
sed pslInell, as animals, some IN dying
condition, others sick. others dead, with
out the slightest cleanliness or the least
help, not even able to give wate: to the
thirsty, without either religious orssocial
help, each one dying wherever. chance laid
Kim. =
The communication goes ON to state
that the deaths among these recolacsntra-
dos average 40 or so daily, and that on an
average there were but ten days of life
for each person. It says that these. unhap-
py creatures received food only after hav-
ing been eight days in the fososs during
which time they were obliged to subsist
upon the bad food which the dying had re-
fused. Some horrible instances OF the dis
tress witnessed are given.
e Among the many deaths ws saw,
says the communication, @there was seen
one impossible to forget. There is still
alive the only witness, q young girl OF IS,
whom we found seemingly aifelesis on the
ground. On herright side was the body OF
young mother, cold and rigid, but with
her yo,Inc child still alive and clinging to