Arizona republican., 1898-04-27
AT THE WASHINGTON HOTELS.

the past four years at that Cuban port, to Post reporter at the Ebbitt,
 I supposed that war would break out immediately. If T had known then what I do now, would have re- mained to finish supervising the dis tribution of food supplies sent by the generous citizens of this country to the starving Cubans. The departure of the United States consuls from the island seems to me now very like a farce, for there was really no need of our going. My orders to leave came at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and by chance there happened to be in the harbor a Norwegian vessel bound for New York that took away the families of my vice consul and secretary, making with myself thir- teen in all, at 10 o'clock that night The orders, too, read that we were not to go by way of Havana and so, of course, all of us thought that the conflict would be on before we reach ed New York. I was sincerely sorry on arriving there about our precip1.ate departure from Matanzas for the req son I gave you before.
 But before going I got the Brit lsh consul to undertake the task had entered on, and think he will do the best he can. He is a humane man, and will give out the food to the re- concentrates if he will not allow the Spaniards to intimidate him. They tried to scare me into letting the work alone, and threats of personal vio- fence were numerous. My worst fear en route to New York was that if war was at hand the Spaniards would mas sacre most if not all of the naturalized American citizens at Matanzas. I think still they will do this if some provision is not made for the safety of these people. There are at least 300 of them there, and their right to American protection is absolute
 Has there been any exaggsration of the sufferings of the reconcen- trados?"
 'It would be next to impossible to overstate the horrible distress they have endured for many months Sometimes I doubt the evidence of my own eyes when reflecting on the con- dition of these umfortunates. Last December they died at the rate of sixty to seventy a day. Before star vation set in so generally scores of them were butchered by the Spanish soldiers. Looking back at it now I think that those who met violent death at the hands of the troops were more fortunate than their brethren who died a lingering death later on from lack of food"
 With the Spaniards forced out of the country, can the Cuban people maintain stable government
 ''Of that I am very doubtful I do not believe they could at first, unless they had some exceptionally strong and wise statesman, some man after the fashion of Gen. Diaz, the Mexican president, to take firm hold They would have to learn self government by degrees, and the initial stages might be very difficult and discourag- ing. At the same time they are the most easily governed people I ever saw. Under any humane and power full regime they would be perfectly sat isfied, but if left to themselves there
 
 would spring up. resulting in very unsettled condition that would mili- tate against the prosperity of the country.
 ''The very best settlement of the Gu ban question is the annexation of the island to the United States. For my part do not believe there is any other practical way to settle the question: It would make magnificent state or terriotry. Once make it part of cur country and it will become, not only one of earth's richest and fairest spots. but also one of the most salubrious It can be made healthful by the appli- cation of the commonest sanitary de- vices. With good drainage and sewer age there would be no more yellow fever there, and all serious types of disease would disappear. The coun- try is bhind the age and needs to be Amaricanized. Annexation would be the greatest boon that could be con- ferred on the Cubans.''
 "The campaign for state officers and congressman will be spirited in our state this year. remarked Hon. J. R. Burton, the noted Kansas lawyer, to a party of friends at the Normandie.
 'I feel safe in predicting a sweep ing republican victory. We will elect not only full state ticket, but will carry six or seven of the eight con- gressional districts Kansas is strong republican state naturally, and will demonstrate its old time party loyalty next November. The free sil- yer delusion is about as dead out our way now as the doctrine of the divine right of kings. The man who prates about it at this date is merely laughed at; he isn't considered sane enough to argue with. The logic of events has riddled MT Bryan's hobby until. it can never more be made service able.''
 There was meeting yesterday be- tween the venerable Canadian seEa or, Hon. James R. Gowan, and the like wise patriarchal senator from Yer mont, the honOred MT. Morrill,. An interesting interview occurred bs-