The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-09
LUDLOW APPEALS FOR RELIEF.
CONDITIONS AMONG PAUPEH Gu
BANS ARE APPALLING.

The Destitute Now Drawing RatIOns
Approximate 2O,OOO-OnIy About
1900 Are Employed In Havana.
Many Women and Children Who
Must BE Fed or Starve-CharitnbIe
Institutions Have Done Little.
Aid Needed Mt Once.
New York, March S.-Brlg. Gen. william
Ludlow. governor of Havana, has written
a lengthy letter to the Evening Post, de-
Cuban capital and appealing for assist
ance for Cuban charities.
Gen. Ludlow refers to the local admin
istration of Havana as a Serious and
iaborious task" Touching especially upon
the matter of keeping Havana clean, Gen.
LUDLOW writes that cleaning and santa
ton are carried on "under the difficulty
of a centurys accumulation of evils, a
difficulty of material inadequate person.
mel and pauclty and uncertainty as to
funds. which, for the present, are derived
from weekly and monthly acquisitions on
the variable custom house collections, thus
multiplying the uncertainties and vexa-
tions of the task"
The destitute, he says, are found in
greater numbers in Havana than the 9TH
er provinces.
Many Thousand Destitute.
"In this department" writes the govern
or, which includes the city of Havana and
its suburban region west. south and east
between the rivers Almendares and Coli
mar-the destitute drawing rauons approx
innate 10000, who must for the present be
fed or permitted to starve. Employment
of the able-bodied males on street clean
ing, collection of garbage, repairs 70
streets and road cleaning. disinfectlon Of
large buildings and military structures,
and the ike work, have constituted an inn
mense assistance in this respect by enab-
Hing the 1000 or 5000 employees 10 feed them
selves and those Immediately dependent
upon them, but there is still a very large
residum for whom at present, occupation
cannot be furnished
1T is one of the distressing features
that a general proportion of the desti-
tute are women and children, whose men
have died or been killed in the waste of
war, while 10000 or 10000 more are still
aggregated as an army practically Idle and
dependent upon the country for their main
tenance, instead Of being at work earn
ing their living and supporting their fam
lies. 1t is almost impossible In the aver
age case of women to find anything fol
them to do, and this helpless class make
special appeals to sympathy"
Charities Are Inadequate.
The charitable institutions of Havana
| Gen. Ludlow declares to be quite made
| quate to meet the emergency. He cites as
an instance the Casa de las Vidas, "
(home of the widows) large structure in
the capital occupied by the widows OF
| Spanish officers. or this institution, Gen.
! Ludlow says:
| Upon assuming direction of affairs
| here, IL was found that the pensions of
| these women had not been paid for over
| year. and that they had been left behind
| when the Spanish forces abandoned the
/ island, absolutely without the means OF
obtaining food. There are at present In
the home a total of over 200 Of all ages
| 70 women, 20 girls and 50 boys-who are
/ almost all entirely destitute, and from a
prolonged course of sem-starvation and
! the absence Of medical or other supplies
are deplorably reduced, and have much
sickness among them.
''It can be imagined how this aggrega-
| tion of a quiet, gentle suffering, and al
most silent class appeals to the sympa-
| thies. Many of them are wei born. ac-
! complished and educated totally unable
| 20 do anything for themselves. and with
| the ignorance of children as to means oi
| support. They profess themselves. and in
many cases doubtless with sincerity, will.
ing to do work, even the toughest; but
! without any qualifications they would be
| practically useless to an employer. They
could teach perhaps, but the schools are
not open to them. They are alien 20 the
community in which they are compelled
to live, with comparatively few friends
and those few unable to deal effectively
for their relief"
should Form an Association.
To meet the needs of these women Gen
| Ludlow suggests that IAN association OF
| women in the United States might take
| account of the matter and perfect ar.
| rangements by which the institution
should be otherwise maintained than az
| a temporary military exigency There
are numerous kindly disposed and charita-
| Bile people in HaYana-many Of whom arc
| busily engaged In charitable work with
| the sick and the orphans--but their means
are quite inadequate. and assistance would
be gladly received from the charltably dis.
! posed in the United States"
| The governor concludes by saying tha,
| Mrs. Ludlow, who has taken a strong in.
| terest In the matter. would be very glad
! TO receive any communications on the sub.
ject or such contributions of food, cloth
ing or money as might be forwarded