Reports of starving people in the country reached him. He sent out an officer, who looked the situation over, put himself in touch with the officials of the places and the women leaders in charitable work, and then had sent in reports as to about the number of rations that would be needed for a given time. Blank forms of requisition were left to be filled up, and the first wagon-train with food to sustain these people was sent out early in February. It was a pleasing sight to see these heavily laden wagons starting on this errand. There were twenty wagons, each 'drawn by four mules, and each having one non-commissioned officer and four privates to deal out the food. The wagons made a noise as they rumbled through the streets like an enormous circus outfit coming into a stone-paved city at night. The train seemed to be fully a quarter of a mile long, and it left town with signs of public approval on all sides. In a few days all the needy within reasonable wagon travel of Havana had been supplied with food for at least ten days. The work was to be kept up until there was no longer occasion for it.

In all this work of relieving the destitute there were bound to be some unworthy cases. When the machinery was organized thoroughly Captain Greble began to look for these. He began to study the requisitions, and here and there he was able to find a case where there was imposition. The day before I left town he had discovered a flagrant case of fraud. A woman of refined appearance had simply been filling up her place with rations secured by misrepresentation. It may have been fear that the food would be cut off some day, or it may have been just an ordinary desire to steal, that caused her

to do as she did, but the result was that she was arrested promptly and placed in jail, to be dealt with by the courts.

Thus not only was the city cleaned inside and outside, but the people were built up in health. There was no complaint, from those whose suffering had been relieved, of the military occupation of Cuba by the United States.

Although in no way connected with the military occupation of Cuba, the branch of the Marine Hospital Service established in Havana contributes largely to the protection of this country from infection, and therefore is part of the general system of health restoration there. As far back as 1878 this government established an office in Havana, under the National Board of Health, to study yellow-fever, and to protect this country from it. In

1883 this work was transferred to the Marine Hospital Service, under the Treasury Department. Its work is to inspect vessels and passengers coming to this country. Dr. W. F. Brunner was in charge of the work until July, 1899. He was one of the last to leave Havana when the war came, and he was one of the first to return.

He played an important part in the visit of Americans to Havana. It was essential that all visitors should appear at his office. Unless the visitor had been vaccinated and had "good marks" to show, he could not leave the island for the United States until vaccinated and the vaccination had begun to "take." The day before one left he had to go to Dr. Brunner's office and get a bill of good health. No steamship line may sell a ticket to this country without such a certificate. One of the office assistants goes to each vessel, and leaves it just as the anchor is pulled up. He takes a final look at all the passengers before they sail.

This office is one of the busiest places in Havana. A dozen cabs are to be seen in front of it at almost any hour of the day. The authorities have given orders for a disinfecting-vessel to be stationed at Havana under the Marine Hospital Service. Passengers and sailors, baggage and other goods, can be disinfected thoroughly by such means before sailing. When Havana really becomes clean, and when all these precautions which have been adopted are in working order, doubtless, not only will Havana and other parts of Cuba be freed from the dreadful scourge of yellow-fever, but the southern part of the United States will no longer suffer from that form of epidemic.

CHAPTER VI

AN HONEST CUSTOMS SERVICE IN CUBA

Ο

NLY a few days had elapsed after the Spanish evacuation of Havana, and after the United

States army officials had taken charge of the government in all its branches, when the merchants of the city began to realize that the strangest thing in all the world had happened. The Custom-house was being run honestly. Even money collected in overcharges was being refunded, and the fortunes of war could have brought about nothing so unexpected. It was almost impossible to believe that honesty ruled there. Tests had to be made. A blackmailer made one of the first of these tests. Corrupt officials still in the service made another test. It took the form of a strike, but it was nipped in the bud in a flash. Merchants who preferred evil ways to those of honesty tried to force a return in part to former crooked paths. A show of firmness and the turning of the light upon them sent them scurrying away. Attack after attack was made in the dark to reveal weak spots in the system of honesty, and every man left in Havana of the gang of thieves, blackmailers, pilferers, and plunder-sharers that had infested the Havana Custom house turned away discouraged and forlorn.

The last refuge of such men, the dissemination of plausible lies, seemed to have no effect. Alas for the stupidity of American officials! Would they never learn the lesson that they could not become rich by being honest in custom-house dealings! And such a chance as they had!

The astonishment of the people of Havana over the new situation centred upon two men. The first man

was Colonel Tasker H. Bliss, Collector of the Port of Havana, and in charge of all the other custom-houses in the island, reporting directly to the Secretary of War.