A suggestion to this end was aquiesced in by the Spanish
authorities. On the twenty-fourth of December last, I caused to be
issued an appeal to the American people, inviting contributions, in
money or in kind, for the starving sufferers in Cuba, following this on
the eighth of January by a similar public announcement of the formation
of a Central Cuban Relief Committee, with headquarters in New York city,
composed of three members representing the American National Red Cross
Society, and the religious and business elements of the community. The
efforts of that committee have been untiring and have accomplished much.
Arrangements for free transportation to Cuba have greatly aided the
charitable work. The president of the American Red Cross and
representatives of other contributory organizations have generously
visited Cuba and co-operated with the consul-general and the local
authorities to make effective disposition of the relief collected
through the efforts of the Central Committee. Nearly $200,000 in money
and supplies has already reached the sufferers and more is forthcoming.
The supplies are admitted duty free, and transportation to the interior
has been arranged, so that the relief, at first necessarily confined to
Havana and the larger cities, is now extended through most if not all of
the towns through which suffering exists. Thousands of lives have
already been saved. The necessity for a change in the condition of the
reconcentrados is recognized in the Spanish government."

And yet Spain resented these charitable efforts, as being opposed to her
policy. The people of the United States, in sending this money and these
supplies, had nothing else in view but charity, a longing to do all that
they could to relieve the anguish of an oppressed and tortured people.
There was no ulterior motive whatever.

A large amount of the sums contributed was diverted to a purpose very
different from that for which it had been intended.

The Spanish government, more through fear of the condemnation of the
other European nations than anything else, voted about six hundred
thousand dollars for the relief of the starving reconcentradoes.

But this was a ruse, a sum chiefly on paper. General Lee, and his
testimony is incontrovertible, says:

"I do not believe six hundred thousand dollars, in supplies, will be
given to those people, and the soldiers left to starve. They will divide
it up here and there; a piece taken off here and