The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-06
CUBA'S VAST RESOURCES.
a NATURAL WEALTH THAT EVEN
SPAIN CANNOT DISSIPATE.

Her spendthr,ft Mother Country Have
I.ert Her Hiddsn Riches Untouehod-
Her Wide virgin soil and Her Minerals.
Most recent discussions Of affairs in Cuba
have been about the progress of the war that
the Cuban patriots have been waging for their
Independence. 1t has been asserted frequently
BY almost every public speaker that the war has
made the island "a bowling Wilderness and
thai should Spain win she would have gained
nothine but tho continued right to rule and tax
o people already ground down TO the point OF
starvation by unjust taxation. and because Of
these statements tho questions most frequently
asked have been: why should Spain want
70 hold Cuba2 Why should she. in her bank
rupt state. spend almost 500, 900, 900 in o single
year to subdue q people who hate her rule, who
never have submitted willingly TO It, who never
can be made to do SO 2"
In the interest the heroic struggle of the
patriots for freedom has aroused, siEhthas been
lost of the wonderful natural resources Of the
island itself, of the wonderful fertility Of Its
soil. of the millions of hidden wealth that taxa
lion. almost to the point Of conascation, has
made Il unprohtablesto secure from Its hiding
place. The Spaniards know theae things, and
In them they SEQ the possibility of further plum
der almost endless and almost limitless.
Raimundo Cabrera, In his book, CUBA and
the Cubans." ,ays:
OH we are truly rich!
From 1921 TO 1926 Cuba, with hor own re-
sources, covered the expenditures OF the Treas
ury. Our o%pulence dates from that period.
We had already sufficient negro slaves TO cnt
down our virgin forests and ample authority to
force thom to work.
"By means Of our vices and our luxury. and in
upite Of tho hatred Of everything Spanish which
Moreno attributed to us, we sent in 1897 the
nrst little million Of hard cash to tho Treasury
OF the nation. From that time until 1864 No
continued 10 send yearly to the mother country
two and q half millions of the same stun. Ac-
cording to several Spanish statisticians these
sums amounted in 1864 TO $50, lo7. 2s7. We
were very rich. don't you see; tremendously
rich. We contributed moro than So. 900. 900
toward the requirements of the peninsular war
SIS. 372. 205. We paid in great part the cost
Of the war In Africa. The individual dona-
lions alone amounted to fabulous sums.
But, OF course. We never voted for our own
lmposts; they have been forced upon us be-
sause We are so rich. In 1862 we had In q state
of production the following estates: Two
thousand seven hundred and twelve stock
farms. 1881 sugar plantations. 1872 coffee
plantations, q. 175 cattle ranches. 1s cocoa plan
tations.:. IS cotton plantations. 22. 74s produce
y hhos 1920 NtoSA oEhlb 41,o tOudISo
plantations. 1871 apiaries. 153 country re-
sorts. 243 dis,flleries, 4es tile works, 5o4 lime
kilns, SO charcoal furnaces. 81 casava bread
factories, and 81 tanneries. To-day I do not
know what 70 possess. because there are no
statistics. and because tho recently organized
assessment is o hodRe-podge and o now burden:
but we have moro than at that.time; surely
We must have n great deal moro.
For a long time we have borne the expenses
of the convict settlement at Fernando Pc. We
paid for the ill-starred Mexican expedition,
the costs Of the wars in San Domingo and with
tho republics Of the Pacific. How can we pos
sibly be poor? While England, France. and
Holland pay large Gums for the requirements
of their colonies. Spain does not contribute =
single cent for hers. We do not need It. We
are:wading deep in rivers of gold. II the for
ttllty Of our soil did not come to our rescue, we
must perforce have become enriched by the
system Of protectioa to the of the
mother country. The four columns of the
tariff are indeed of sublime.invention. Our
agricultural industries require foreign ma
chinery. tools, and utensils which Spain does
not supply. but as she knows that we have gold
70 spare. she may mako Us pay for them very
high. and since our sugar is to be sold In the
United States, never mind what they cost.
When there are earthquakes in Andalusia and
foundations in Murcia, hatred does not prevent
our sending to our afflicted broth rem largo
suIns. We are opulent? Let us see II We are.
From the earliest times down to the present
tho officials who come TO Cuba amass in the
briefest space of time fortunes to be dissipated
in Madrid. and which appear never to disturb
their consciences. This country is very rich.
intellectually rich. In 1880 we contributed
Sc. 120. 934; in 1910. 49, o .s77; In 1850, Slo,-
074.677; in 1850. SEE, o10,7 79. During the
war we did not merely contribute, we bled.
We had TO carry the budget of $50. ooO, 900.
W count 1900, 900 inhabitants; that 10 to
say, one million and q half nf vicious, yoiuptu-
Gus, pompous spendthrifts, full of hatred and
low passion, who contribute to the public
charges and never receive a cent in exchange:
who have given as much as 500 per capita, and
who at the present moment pay to the e:ate
what no other Taxpayers the world over have
ever contributed. Does any ono say We are not
prodigtously, enviably rich?"
This bit of irony from the pen Of q Cuban.
while intended to SHOW the poverty that
spain has forced On Cuba. gives q deal of
truth that goes to show the wonderful re.
sources of the island and Its people. They
have been mulcted. as the writer says, and In
spite OF It they arc still able TO carry on q war
like the present one, that In its infancy has
cost Spain moro than IS to every acre on the
s~
island. II can be valued In acres II the pres.
emit destruction keeps up, for there may be
nothing left but the land to Sight for.
A Sun reporter talked a day or so aeo
with o celebrated man, q resident of this city,
who has large interests in Cuba and has tray.
elled In all parts of the island. who knows its
people and Knows moro about the possibility of
their development under q proper government
than does any other man In this city.
Tho people of this country" he said. have
no idea Mt all Of the natural resources of tho
beautiful island. As It stands to-day It is
worth $500, 900 900. not counting Its value as
. naval station, which In itself Is almost in
salculable. for It commands the Gulf of Mexico.
The nation that controls Cuba controls the
mouth Of the Mississippi River. There is no
denying that fact. But / don't care to speak
of that feature. 1t Is OF the wealth of the ISL
aud and its recuperative powers after such
wars as have been waRed there that you want
TO hear. The island contains about the same
- .ura,o H. -.