The Advocate and news., 1898-04-13
Cuban Message
Goes to Congress.
President rlcKlnley Sends Message
Asking Intervention Without
Recognizing Cuba.
1T is RECEIVED BY CONGRESS

Obedient to that precept or the conSttu-
ton which commands the President TO give
from time to time to Congress Information
regarding the state of the union ana 70
recommend TO their consideration such
measures as he shall judge necessary ana
eXpedient, Ii becomes my duty now to ad-
dress your body with regard to the grave
crisis that has arisen in the relations OF
the United States to Spain by reason OF
the warfare that for more than three years
has ragged in the neighboring island Oh
Cuba.
| do 80 because of the intimate connection
of the Cuban question with the state or
our own union and the grave relation the
course which is now incumbent upon the
nation to adopt, must needs bear to the
traditional policy of our government II II
Is to accord with the precepts laid down
by the founders of the republic and relig-
iOusly observed by succeeding administra-
tiOns to the present day.
Following a review Of the Cuban war,
the President says:
In April 1896, the evils from which our
country suffered through the Cuban war
became so enormous that my predecessor
made an effort to bring about peace
through the mediation of this government
in any way that might tend to an honorable
adjustment of the contest between Spain
and her revolted colony on the basis of
some effective scheme for self-goVernment
for Cuba under the flags of sovereignty or
Spain. 1t failed through the refusal of the
Spanish government then in power to con-
slider any plan of settlement which did not
begin with the actual submission of the
insurgents to the mother country and then
only on such terms as Spain herself might
see fit to grant. The war continued un-
abated The resistance of the insurgents
was in no wise diminished.
BY the time the present administration
took office, q year ago, reconcentration-
so called-had been made effective over the
better part OF the four central and western
provinces, Santa Clara, MatanzaS, Havana
and Pinar del Rio. The agricultural popu-
lation, to the estimated number Of 100000 or
more, was herded within the towns and
their immediate vicinity, deprived Of the
means of support rendered destitute or
shelter, left poorly clad and exposed to the
most unsanitary conditions.
AS the scarcity of food increased with
the devastation of the depopulated areas
of production, destltution and want became
misery and starvation. Month by month
the death rate increased in an alarming
ratio. BY March, 1897, according to con-
servative estimates, from official Spanish
sources, the mortality among the reconcen-
trados from starvation and the diseases
thereto incident, exceeded 6O per centum OF
their total number. No practical relief
was afforded to the destitute. The overbur-
dened towns, already suffering from gen.
eral death, could give no aid. So-called
zones Of cultivation, established within the
immediate area of effective military control
about the cities and fortified camps, proved
illusonary as remedy for the suffering
The unfortunates, being for the most part
women and children with aged and help
less men, enfeebled by disease and munger,
could not have titled the soil, without tools,
seed or shelter for their own support or
for the supply OF the Cities RecOncen-
tration, adopted avoWedly as war mea-
sure in order to cut Off the resources of the
insurgents worked its predestined result
AS l said In my message of last December,
1t was not civilized warfare; 1t was eX-
termination. The only peace 1t could beget
was that of the wilderness and the grave.
In this state of affairs, my administration
found itself confronted with the grave
problem of it's duty. My message of last
December reviewed the situation and de-
tailed the steps taken with view or re-
lieving it's acuteness and opening the way
to some form Of honorable settlement. The
assassination Of the prime minister, Cano-
vas, led to change OF government in
Spain. The former administration pledge
to subjugatiOn without concession gave
place to that of a more liberal party, COM
mitted long in advance to policy of re-
form involving the wider principle Of home
rule for Cuba and Puerto Rico.
The necessity for change in the cOndi-
tion of the reconcentrados Is recognized by
the Spanish government. Within few
days past the orders of General Weyler
have been revoked. The recOncentrados
are. il is said, to be permitted to return to
their homes and aided to resume the self
supporting pursuits Of peace, public works
having been ordered to give them employ
ment and a sum OF $6OO,OO0 has been appro-
priated for their relief.
The war in Cuba is Of such a nature that
short of subjugation or determination a
final military victory for either side seems
impracticable. The alternative lies in the
physical exhaustion of the one or the other
party, or perhaps of both--a condition
which In effect ended the ten years war
by the truce Of Seanjon. The prospect of
such protractiOn and conclusion Of the
present strife is a contingency hardly to
be contemplated with equanimity by the
civilized world, and least Of all by the
United States, affected and injured as we
are, deeply and intimately by its very ex-
istence.
Realizing this, 1t appears to be my duty,
in spirit Of true friendliness no less to
Spain than to the Cubans who have so
much to lose by the prolongatlon of the
struggle 10 seek to bring about an immedi-
ate termination of the war. To this end,
/ submitted, on the 9th ultimO, a
result of my representation and cOrre-
spOndence, through the United States min
lister at Madrid. propositions TO the Spanish
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