Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-03-11
An APPEAL FOR C[BANS
General Ludlow Points Out the
Need For Prompt Aid.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN SUFFER.

widows or spanish omcers. Inmates
of the Home of tho wIaows,''L Lack
ceivcd No Pensions For Over a Year.
New York. March 9.-Brigadier Gem
eral William Ludlow, governor of Ha-
vans, has written a lengthy letter to The
Evening Tost describing infinitely the
condition in the Cuban capital and APP
pealing for assistance for Cuban chart
ties. General Ludlow refers to the local
administration of Havana as a serious
and laborious task Touching espcci-
ally upon the matter OF keeping Havana
clean, General Ludlow writes that clean
ing and sanitation are carried on under
every difficulty Of a century old ac-
emulation Of evils. a deficiency Of ma
terial, Inadequate personnel and O pau
city and uncertainty as to funds, which
for the present are derived from weekly
and monthly acquisitions on the variable
customs house collections, thus multi
plying the uncertainties and yexations OF
the task"
The destitute. he says, are found in
greater number in Havana thar in the
other provinces. .'In this department.
writes the governor, which includes the
city of Havana and its suburban region
west, east and south, between the rivers
Almendares and Colimar-the destitute
drawing ~rations approximate 10000, who
must for the present be fed or permit
ted to starve. Employment of the able
bodied males on street cleaning, coli
lection OF garbage, repairs to streets and
o cleaning and disinfection of large
buildings and military structures and the
like work have constituted an immense
assistance in this respect by enabling the
1000 or 5000 employees to feed them
selves and those Immediately dependent
upon them, but there is still a very large
residum for whom, at present, oecupa-
ton 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 maintenance, instead of being at
work earning their living and support
ing their families. 1t is almost impos-
sible. in the average case Of the women,
TO find anything for them to do, and this
helpless class make special appeal to
sympathy"
The charitable institutions OF Havana
General Ludlow declares to be quite in
adequate to meet the emergency. He
cites as m instance the casa de las
Vidas" Home of the Widows), q large
structure in the capital occupied by the
widows of Spanish officers. OF this in
~stitution General Ludlow says:
Upon assuming direction Of affairs
here it was found that the pensions of
these women had not been paid for over
a year, and 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
10 women, 80 girls and 30 boys-who
are almost all entirely destitute, and.
from a prolonged curse of semi-starva-
ton n the absence Of medical or other
supplies, are deplorably reduced and
have much sickness among them.
ut can be imagined how this aggre-
CATION of a quiet, gentle, suffering and
almost silent class appeals to the sym
pathies. Many of them are well born,
accomplished and educated, totally I'M
able to do anything for themselves. and
with the ignorance of children as to
means of support. They profess them
selves, and in many cases doubtless with
sincerity, willing to do any work, ever
the toughest; but, without any qualiica-
tons, they would be practically useless
to an employer. They could teach, per-
haps, but the schools are not open to
them"
To meet the needs of these women
General Ludlow suggests that ian as
ISOLATION of in the states might
take account of the matter and perfect
arrangements by which the institution
should be otherwise maintained than as
a temporary e%xigency. There are nu-
merous kindly disposed and charitable
people in Havana, many who are busily
engaged in charitable work with the
sick and orphans, but their means are
quite inadequate, and assistance would
be gladly received from the charitably