The record-union., 1895-10-05
WHAT OF CUBA2

economic and progressive government.
WHAT OF CUBAs
The revolutionists of Cuba, according
to yesterdays dispatches, have set up a
Government and elected officials upon an
adopted Constitution providing for Re-
public. They now appeal to the nations
OF the earth for recognition. That recog-
milton will not be accorded until they
have proved their ability to maintain the
new government for a considerable time
In the meanwhile they ask recognition
as belligerents. That recognition should
be granted at once, if for nothing else
than the sake of humanity.
But what are the chances of Cuban sue
cess? Clarence King, who is well adj
vised of the facts, considers this question
in the Forum in review of Cuban his
tory from 1911 to this hour. He finds
that the record establishes as fact that the
whole time between the two dates re-
veals policy on the part of Spain of op-
preston and cruelty toward Cuba. Mis-
rule, persecution, oppression and injus-
tice then for $50 years fortifies the de-
mand of the Cubans for their independ-
ence.
Can Cuba win it in this struggle? AS
to that Mr.. King is very much in doubt.
He states the case somewhat in this way:
All the harbors Of importance. all the
roads within the theater of war, and all
the fortresses are held by the Spanish.
Through these avenues Spain can pour
all the resources of war of which nation
Of is, 900 of people ara capable of send
ing out to the island. Spain in times of
peace maintains an army of 100, 900 men;
in time of war she swells this force ten
times or more. Spain likewise has the
ability to command loans ample for the
conduct of the war. though her ready
means are very limited.
On the other hand Cubans suffer by
division. All told the population is
about 100000 or these, one-half are
within the garrison cities, all of which
Spain holds. These people are over
awed, or are in spoken sympathy with
the oppressor, either sincerely or through
fear. The Cuban patriots therefore are
not in excess of 100000, men, women
and children. Mr.. King might have
added that these have among them a
large class of ignorant blacks who side
with the power that is most immediate to
them. At heart they are with the revo-
lutionists, but they cannot be relied upon
when the enemy appears in their front.
The Cubans have slender means. What
they get, as we know, they must take.
They have no treasury resulting from
lawful taxation. Their money comes
from seizure or contribution, mainly the
latter. They have no arms manufactory
and can import by stealth only, and they
have no navy.
But these are the same men, or the sons
OF the men, who for ten years held the
Spanish nation at bay and yielded only
on stipulations and promises that were
broken the instant the arms of rebellion
were laid down. The men are un-
daunted, courageous to the degree of
desperation, and have absolutely no fear
whatever of Spain. They are somewhat
of The nature of a forlorn hope, perfectly
willing to die, and going into the strug-
gle with full knowledge of the fact that
defeat means the garrote, the bullet or
the bayenet.
AS to supplies of food we know that the
insurgents are well off, and that Mr.. King
does not refer to this fact is surprising.
They will never suffer then on that ac-
count What they are really short on is
money. medicin es and arms.
These revolutionists who are battling
for the right of self-government, and
nothing more nor less, may, says Mr..
King, be defeated this time, unless early
recognized az belligerents we should
say. which recognition would be greatly
TO their advantage. But in the end. he
adds, they will win. In the nature OF
things they must triumph. The spirit of
determination that fires them they will
transmit to their children, and against
such spirit it is impossible for the mis-
rule, the oppression and the cruelty of
Spain to prevail for much longer time.
AS TO what the Cubans ask OF us Mr..
King gives US some new light. They do
ask any active assistance. They are fully
aware that we cannot give it and main
tain peace with Spain. They do not ex-
pect good samaritan offices. They look for
no American Lafayette to draw sword
for them and share the penury and
hardships of their camps. In fact, they
ask nothing from US but sy mpsthy. They
cannot comprehend how we VINO have
won our liberties on precisely the ground
of their contention can withhold our SYM
pathy, and that recognition OF belliger-
ency that would insure to them the con-
duct OF the war on humane levels. They