The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-12

The same day he sent to the state
I department a statement of the cohdi-
tion in the towns in the neighberhcod
of the city of Havana. made by per-
son he had sent to those places for the
purpose of inspecting the number ana
conditions OF the starving.
DIE IN GREAT NUMBERS.
The statement covers four towns in
the neighhorhocd OF Havana and is
largely repetition of the awful tale of
suffering which came from the other
portions of the island At Melina del
Sur, the statement says. it is impossi-
BILE for the mayor, owing to the un-
healthy conditions prevailing and the
want of resources, to relieve the mis-
cradle people, who die in great num-
hers from starvation, fever and small
pox. There are other towns in the same
condition, for example Guines, Catalina
and Madruga. whose situation could be
in some degree relieved if the country
people were allowed to leave the town
freely in search of food. In some towns
this is entirely prohibited. in others
they are expected TO pay tax Not
having anything to eat, how can they
pay a tax? In every town the first
thing noticed is the unhealthy condi-
ton of the men and their total lack of
physical strength
SPANISH RELIEF A FARCE.
At Satin de Guines, the statement
reports the condition Of the reconcen-
trados as sad ard desperate. There
are. it says. no zones of cultivation
and the reconcentrados are not allowed
to leave the town in search of work
or food even with q military pass. Food
is so scarce that one must walk four or
~
In these districts the relief given the
reconcentrados by General Blanco is 4
farce
The land near the town comprised in
the zone for cultivation, the statement
says, has been rented by four Span
iards who have wealth aud influence,
ard they employ the few reconcentra-
dos who are able to work at 30 or 40
cents per day, but nobody can leave the
town without poss good for q month
ard which costs 20 cents. The work
MEN have to leave at in the morn
ing and not being able to take meals
with them, are obliged 10 work until 9
in the evening without food. The women
who leave in search of vegetables are
sometimes deprived of them on their
way back by guerillas. In Is days 200
reconcentrados have died in Guines
from starvation.
HERcIC APOSTLE.
'One of the few protectors of the re-
concentrates. in fact a heroic one,
says the statement, lis a young man
named Jose Amohedo, whose father
and mother died attending the poor and
who himself has given up eight houses
belonging to him as dwelling places for
the reconcentrados. ali the contents of
a grocery store. which ha possessed,
and which is as destitute as they are.
but always attending 10 those who
suffer-
There is one communication from
Owen McGarr, consul at Cienfuegos,
department that the sugar mills in his
district had been grinding since the
first of the mouth. He says the utmost
diligence is required to prevent the
firing of the cane fields. and concludes:
The sugar crop is the support of all
classes, and especially the laboring
class. and should it be destroyed fam
inc would be inevitable"
CONSUL BRICE.
Consul Brice gives a number of facts
illustrating the suffering in the prov
ince. He says there are in MatanZas
province alone 10000 people who are in
actual starving condition. and require
food. clothing and medicines.
GpHllHuiNSr ne says III dQultlOn 10
the above, are families of the better
class. and formerly well-to-do, who
today are living on one meal day, and
that very scant. They have sold or
pawned furniture, jew ,lry. clothing.
etc. to exc out an existence until all
is gone. or nearly so. Too proud to beg,
they suffer in silence, and many die of
starvation. The daughter of former
governor of this province was seen beg
Dir f7n +nl Of
city. Many of these people call on me
privately or at my residence. asking
and praying. for Gods sake, to be re-
membered when this relief comes from
the United States.
''One has to be here, know and mingie
with these people, to fully realize the
terrible restitution and misery existing
in Cuba 1t is to be hoped that this
relief from the United States will come
quickly, for hundreds are dying daily
of starvation. Conditions are dreadful.
and no relief is afforded by the Spanish
authorities.
DEAD ON THE STREET.
"As 1 write this" he says. "a dead
negro woman lies in the street, within
200 yards of this consulate, starved TO
death. She died some time this morn
ing, and will lie there, maybe, for
days"
Mr.. Brice also notes the Issuance of
an order allowing the reconcentrados to
return 10 the country, but, he says, the
restrictions in the order are such as
to practically prohibit.
SANTA CLARA PROVINCE.
Consul Barker covers the conditions
existing in Santa Clara province in
number of communications, beginning
on the goth of November, 1897. and clos
~ - tx LET
tiers constitute one long story of dis
tIess-of destruction and death. until.
indeed. the picture, even as drawn in
the plain language of official communi-
ca tons. is revolving.
Mr. Barker devoted comparatively
little space to political questions. but
one or two of his letters are along
these lines.
EIGHTY THOUSAND.
Mr.. Barker devotes much space to
the suffering and mortality or the peo- !
pie Of his province. He places the /
figures for six of the princi- /
pal cities of his district for the period ]
beginning Jan. l. and ending Nov 10, 1
1887. at S0.851. He says this is the Of
fetal record and that fully % per cent /
should be added to cover deaths of |
which no record was kept.
Undoubtedly" he says, "one-half |
the contracted people have died. and /
today Spanish soldiers are companion /
victims of the surviving non-combat- /
ants. This appalling death roll is con-
proof of the terrible destruc- I
ton of life of the main policy peTsued |
in attempting to subjuEate the island. |
With me the conviction is firmly rooted 1
that within so days so per cent of the |
population Will reach a state of crav- /
ing hunger, nor 10 1 feel that 1 am I
speaking Numerically without includ