| Show PEACE WORSE THAN WAR spanish prisoners at santiago reduced to skeletons santiago cuba aug 9 corre of the associated press since the surrender of santiago one thins baa been uppermost in our minds namely the health and condition of the brave american soldiers who fought and were victorious and this very proper the men certainly deserve whatever could be done for them on this score with the protests from commanding of ficere the orders from washington as to the disposition of the army were changed and our troops are embarking daily for the north today the lerat of our spanish prisoners were put on board the transport we have hired to take them home ten thousand of the men have been in camp or more than three weeks just outside of the city limilo they were much nearer to the palace than our own men ahey were our and we one and all avoided the roads that led near their camps because of the vile odors that arose today as the spaniards passed through the cay on the way to the decks we baw eights that brought tears to the eyes of men who are not readily moved to tears down on the doa in a narrow strip of shade ut a warehouse some spaniards awaited orders to move on to the lighter which would con vey them to the much talkea hospital chip alicante these men were thin and of a pallor hollow checked cheeked and weak we are the well men who have brought the sick into the town on littlie litt cie they explained pla ined down on the wharf being loaded on the steam lighter long lines of stretchers each with its pitiful burden faces that looked like deaths heade every of the skull marked on the yellow akin protruding over which aps would not chloee one man grasped in a claw that bad crushed them three american hard tacks others bad food hidden auder their coant covering their weight was as nothing yet four well men staggered under ahn burden of one down the city streets came other pro sessions cessions ces of stretchers vanquished and gick weak pitiful moaning staggering they drifted into the gewn all day long when the city surrendered the prospective return to spain joy to many hearts the fulfillment of the promice was sad the american ambulances have been detailed to help carry in those unable to walk aud we have erector tents on the docks where the eick can wait until the is ready tor them it was not a camp out there said a spanish officer it wan a graveyard between two and three hundred went into the hospital daily it waa not a hospit althere were no medicines there was no attendance forty men were dying every day and alie trenches are full of the dead we have you lauy a 20 for passage money to spain that camp has been more hell chaa anything in tho fsr anere are out there yet boly a thousand camo in today but they wont last long dysentery atop dysentery we call it and it is worse than the plau elis carrying abtin off A walta baided with atari and bands on bis sleeves but eo thin and weak and pale that be looked more like a skeleton than a man walked down abo wharf supported by his wife who was 03 much in need n as he was himself over a loose board they both tripped ami fell there are two dounn children in the party who cry almost continuously finally they all got on board the women to spend ten days on a filthy horrible troop ship there are many women wives of officers who cannot pay for a passage the spanish troop ships bid fair to rival old time slave ships in the masry and ballering Boll ering that will bal confined within their sides on the voyage back to spain our own soldiers were sick but the conditions of the spaniards are many times worse than our men who are strong and healthy compared with them the spaniards were not in this condition when they marched to their death camp just three weeks ago how far we are expected to provide care for a foe is a question now being in this town every one admits and has admitted that alie spaniard has been a good enemy a good fighter and the americans who took off their hats to the spanish on the of july did eo with true homage to brave men As abo pitiful lines of spanish prisoners staler through the streets of this city for the next week or so feebly stepping out of the way ot pedestrian looking fearfully at rattling carts and in ead contrast to our strongmen strong men in brown the americans who see them will be inclined again to uncover their asada prompted by the same feeling of homage to braad men |
