Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-05-05
INTEREST IN CUBA.
SPANS Task of Subjugation
of Island Seems Hopeless.
Sentiment Favors Interference But It
pfags on in Congress.
While American Capital in Cuba Is Suffering
Great Loss.

ing tangible hns been accomplished toward
putting an end to the rebellion In Cuba,
great many public men here are saying the
time has come for tho United States TO in
terfere. In q quiet way, under the surface,
l believe the sympathy for Cuba is stron-
ger than it ever was before. 1t is not as
dcmonstrativo as it onee was, not so likely
to break out in resolutions and denuncia-
TONS but there is a more general recogni-
ton of the hopelessness Of Spain task.
Coupled with this find a realization That |
the interests Of the people of the United
States are beginning to suffer. We have IN
the past enjoyed - large trade with Cuba |
If the island Were at peace, we should nave
n large and growing trade now. Cuba Is
naturally customer of ours. We buy the |
greater part of her products, and II trade
relotions were normal or were encouraged
by closer political connection, we should !
find in the fertile island Il fine market for /
our agricultural products and our manu- |
featured articles.
PROSTATE business.
Hitherto commercial influence has been !
paramount in suppressng interference on
the part Of this government with the Gu |
ban rebellion. Whenever congress has
ban question business men and hnanciers
and the representatives of large interests
have brought an influence to bear in the
other direction. They do not want war or
rumors of war. They want peace and pros |
perity So far they have managed to choke
off everything of a tangible nature sug-
gested in Cuba's behalf. At last the tide
is beginning to turn. Even business men
are beginning to perceive that if Spain ever
reasserts dominion over Cuba it is going
to take very long time to do it. Years
will probably elapse before there is even q
semblance of peace there under Spanish
rule. Meanwhile the commercial interests
of the United States are suffering ami
must continue to suffer. Spain, as is well ,
known, maintains Cuba simply as place
to pension off her politicians and rs n
market for her wares. She contrives Il tar
iff which forces tho Cubans to buy in
Spain, while Spain buys where she can get
things the cheapest.
The coming of the summer has practi !
cally put "a stop to military operations in
Cuba for several months. This means an
other period Of delay. American capital
invested in Cuba is suffering a terrible
loss Trade is paralyzed, and many bust
ness men are forced into bankruptcy. Tho
revenues of the United States government
are curtailed on account of the diminution
of tobacco imports. Citizens of this coun-
try are thrown out of employment on &C
count Of the disturbed state of our trado
relations with Cuba. The question which
conservative and cautious statesmen are
asking now is how much longer will it be
fair to permit this state of things to con-
tinue? Is Spain entitled to indefinite timo
in which to assert her authority? If a for
eign power can govern an American prov
ince only by the sword if the people are
so much opposed to her rule that perna
ncnt peace is impossible if one rebellion is
sure to be followed by another, if present
trade disturbances are only precursors Of
more of the same sort in the future, is it
not time to give serious consideration to
the question what our duty to ourselves
and to humanity is?
Cuba's Vast Riches.
If it should ever como about that Cuba
attains free government either under in
dependence or by means of annexation to
the United States, Americans will find in
that island many opportunities for trade,
Investment and activity. 1t is one of the
richest islands in the world, ard It's re-
sources have not been developed to a fifth
part of their limit. About as large as the
state of Pennsylvania, and infinitely
more fertile, Cuba is capable of supporting
u population twice as great as that Of tho
keystone State. Yet the present pcpula
ton of Cuba is less than Il third that Of
Pennsylvania. Although settled moro
than 50 years before the United States,
there are still in Cuba is, 600 COO acres of
primcval forests which have never heard
the echo of the woodsmans AK. These
forests contain mahogany, logwood, rcd
wood, ebony, lignum vitae and caiguaran,
the last named being reputed more dura
BILE in the ground than iron or steel.
1t is said by good authorities that if all
the land in Cuba suitable to the growth OF
the sugar cane were devoted TO that pur-
pose it might supply the whole western
hemisphere with sugar As it is, great
quantities of sugar are brought over from
Germany. In Cuba half the sugar ground
that is supposed to be under cultivation is
wasted by bad methods. The coffee fields
arc only expcrimentally developed. Cuba
will havea great future as a coffee produc
ing country if political peace can be Sc
cured for any considerable length of time.
Its Mineral Ores.
The vast riches of mineral nature which
repoSo IN the Cuban mountains are llbtlo
understood by the world at large. Copper
was mined in Cuba before Columbus dis
covered America, and there is pretty good
evidence that this metal was carried across
tho straits of Florida for barter with the
continental Indians before Europe knew or
dreamed there was an America. Professor
Sanders of the Academy of Sciences at Phil
ndelphia has recently made an analysis of
copper found in the mounds of Florida and
also of ancient copper found in Cuba, and
has found them to be identical. The cop
per deposits of eastern Cuba offer promis-
ing field for capital.
Cuba contains some of the best iron ores
in the world, Already there is a large ex-
portation, an American company having u
great plant near Santiago. But peace and
development might build up a still great
er industry. In southern Cuba is a vast
deposit of manganese, an ore which is in
dispensable in the manufacture of steel.
Most of the manganese used in the United
States at this time is brought all the way
from the Black sea. An American COM
pany did endeavor to improve the manga