Mr. Lee to Mr. Day.
No. 809.]
Havana, April 1, 1898. (Received April 5.)
Sir: With reference to the telegram I had the honor to transmit to you yesterday to the effect that the Governor-General had issued a decree terminating concentration of the country people, permitting them to return to their homes, and advising their employment on public works, I beg to inclose a translation of the articles of the decree referred to.
I am, etc.,
Consul-General.
[Inclosure No. 1 with Dispatch No. 809.]
TRANSLATION OF THE ARTICLES OF GENERAL BLANCO'S PROCLAMATION OF THE 30TH
MARCH, 1898, SUSPENDING THE RECONCENTRATION.
Article 1. From the publication of the present proclamation (bando) in the Gazette of Havana the reconcentration of country people throughout the island is hereby terminated, and they are authorized to return with their families to their homes, and to dedicate themselves to all kind of agricultural labors.
Art. 2. The boards of relief and all civil and military authorities shall furnish them the means, within their power, to enable the rural population to return to their former places of residence, or those which they may now select, facilitating them the aid which they may respectively dispose.
Art. 3. At the instance of the council of secretaries, and through the department of public works, the preparation and immediate realization of all public works necessary and useful to furnish work and food to the country people and their families who, through lack of means, truck farms, or want of agricultural implements, may not be able to return immediately to the fields, shall be proceeded with, as well as the establishment of soup kitchens, which may settle and cheapen such services.
Art. 4. The expenses which the compliance with this proclamation (bando) may originate, as far as they may exceed the means disposed of by the boards of relief, shall be charged to the extraordinary war credit.
Art. 5. All previous instructions issued regarding the reconcentration of the country people and all others which may be in opposition to the compliance of this proclamation are hereby derogated.
Havana, March 30, 1898.Mr. McGarr to Mr. Day.
No. 137.]
Cienfuegos, January 10, 1898.
Sir: All the sugar mills in this consular jurisdiction, 23 in number, have been grinding since the first of the mouth, and at the busy centrales the various industries incident to the gathering of the crop and the manufacture of sugar are in full and steady operation.
Several of the principal estates are owned by American citizens and corporations, and most of their skilled employees are brought from the United States.
The demand for labor on the sugar estates has drawn from the towns a great portion of the unemployed laborers and given employment to the male "concentrados," many of whom were in a state of enforced idleness and destitution. As a consequence, few of them are now seen here and the labor "congestion" has been relieved.
Small predatory parties of insurgents make frequent attempts to fire the cane fields, and it requires constant and active vigilance to prevent their destruction. The dry weather and the high winds prevailing at this season render it a simple matter for one person (who can easily conceal himself in the tall cane) to start a conflagration that will, unless promptly extinguished, destroy hundreds of acres in a few hours.
