The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-04


November ........1,2Si June ............... 3lG
December --..--I, lss July .....-.-..-.... $40
January ~ August sos
February ........... iipi September .... 10
March ......-..... Ssj -
Nprll ...-..-.-s..s. SJZ Total. Z BOO
THE causes of these deaths were deter
mined to be: Starvation, LIS; malaria,
1,2f3; enteritis. l, 1863; la hidrohemia, 767:
dysentery. 625; consumption. i62; obscure
stomach troubles, 312; yellow fever, 90 To
understand how high death rate this is
one must know that in either November
or December the deaths were more numer-
Gus than in the entire year of 1890 or in the
entire year of 1891 and that whereas the
average death rate in France, England and
the United States is, according to the sta
tistics in the municipal palaces from
eighteen to twenty per 1.000, in the town
of Matanzas ii has been for year $50 per
LOCO. One quarter of the population,
reports Ell Correo de Matanzas, has gone
to the grave in one year. And the main
cause of this horrible mortality was the
profound misery of the inhabitants; the
hunger killed many, and bad and INSULT
cient food brought on enteritis and dysen
terry, and FASTENED the end of those touch
ed with tuberculosis. OF those who died
6.092 were Cubans. $50 Spaniards or Cana
rians. 169 Chinese 162 Africans-birth
places of the remainder unknown. The
whites numbered 6,007. the blacks $780,
the half breeds So the Asiatics 169. More
than half were unmarried and in the prime
of life, and one-third We're children under
ten years of age. So the Recommendation
dealt its blows in vital places, and exter-
mination was progressing fast.
"The city records for the month of Sep
penber show that there died in this chg
tout of about 80, 900 inhabitants or lessi III
persons. of whom 3SS were male and 5.i
TE ri efasG
died from starvation, while others lied
from diseases brought on by temporar:'
lack of food II is interesting that among
the total number who died, only 90 were
Spaniards while 553 We're Cubans, Is
Chinese. and II Africans. Half OF these
were over % years old, and 502 were mar-
sied. 50 unmarried, 50 widowers, 4S unre-
corded The record also shows that 534
we're white 163 black, and 10 yellow. The
negroes stand everything here better than
the whites do-that is said TO be the reason
the Cuban army is now mainly composed
OF negooes the whites having persisted in
the bush of sickness. In MatanZas. the
deaths of civilians numbered 675. while the
mortality among the Spanish troops
amounted only TO 81. One case of yellow
fever is mentioned; other diseases Were,
Malaria los la hidrohamia 100. enteritis SO.
dysentery Sc, consumption ST, and, finally.
4.
sad item for September is placed against
the Spanish authorities. who imposed
duty of 100000 upon rations brought by
a Red Cross ship, and thus INSTRUCTED re-
lief
Throughout the Summer the town was
horror place Fifty reconeentrados would
lie down at night under an arcade TO sleep
on the haggings, and in the morning four
or five of them would still be lying there,
-.
at evening by their grated windows and
women would die on the sidewalk before
their eyes. These were the common eX
periences that gave everybody visions that
do not leave them. When one asks if these
experiences are common now they answer
grimly, No. not now, most of the very
poor are dead; there are only 5000 left and
they have been taken off the streets
LAS to what the Cuban forces are suffer
ing through want OF rationS one can learn
nothing definite. They are in the country
they are mostly able bodied, and they axe
used to foraging The camps We saw n
month ago in Guanabacoa, in Pinar del
Rio. and in Marianao certainly seemed
in no great necessity. Besides, the Cuban
societies are helping the Cuban soldiers.
and there is no one TO look after the gaunt
remaining victims of WeylerisIn. Our
plan, declared Mr.. Gould when he came
tail to undo what WeyIer did Yet the
real direct victims of Weylerism. those
who were driven from the country to the
towns. with the hell of war they had
no part in still around them. have not
been succored. Some private purses have
been opened especially to deal with their
condition. but the purpose was discouraged
by government commissioners, who said
You would make them all paupers. You
will feed them for a week or two, and then.
what then? They will be as before. Our
way is more practical. We are putting
them to work
But. as you see. in Matanzas those who
have been aided are those who are in mill
tary service for n government and u flag
which. General Corbin says, have no reg
istered existence
Whether MS an effect of this aid or not.
it is af act that there is less Cuban oppO-
sitiOn and more Cuban appreciation in this
province than in others toward Americans
In addition to food. the Cuban soldiers have
received advice. One of the members of
the Junta Fomento. Mr. Brinckerhoff, has
told them that they must give up the no
ton that they might harass the United
States as terribly in Cuba as they did
Spain. 1 said TO them he reports. that
they have no reason to distrust the Ameri-
cans; that the one thing for them TO do is
TO keep the peace. for it is simply to es-
tablish peace and stable government that
they are occupying the island. And any
way, / admonished them don't imagine
that you have another Spain to deal with.
The American may seem quiet and suave
and silent and undemonstratiye, but re-
member that all this is the soft glove that
covers an iron hand
He believes that the food, such ad-
montions, little money to go to their
families with and experience OF American
methods in the island, will entirely pre-,
vent serious disturbances. He believes