The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-03
A NEW REASON FOR ANNEXING
CUBA.

Perhaps the easiest thing in the
world to do is to find reasons in sup
port of the things people wish to do
There are many people in this country
who would be glad to see Cuba an
nexed to the United States and who
have no difficulty in furnishing plenty
OF arguments why the island should be
annexed. The Atlanta Constitution
! furnishes one of the most ingenious ar
| guments that have been produced. At
ter reciting that DR.. Guiteras, the yell
| low fever expert, is of the opinion that
there will be no yellow fever next year,
his opinion being based on the fact
that the government is taking steps to
fumigate every house and every local
ity in every city and town where the
fever has existed this year and that it
is hoped that in this way that the
germs will be effectuaily destroyed, and
the disease entirely wiped out, the
Constitution says:
This is a praiseworthy experiment,
ana the government authorities are 10
be congratulated on their energy and
activity in the matter. But it is idle
to close our eyes to the fact that, so
long as the United States government
has no authority to funigate Havana,
just SO long viii guarantees and fu-
migations on our coast and inland
cities infected by refugees prove in
effectual
Science may totally destroy every
vestige of the yellow fever infection.
every germ, in the south; and yet the
first bottom from Havana that an
chors in a south Atlantic or gulf har-
Dor may give teemins millions of germs
TO be blown ashore, there to ripen I'M
til they fasten on human life. Havana
is the danger point. There the fever
exists from years end to years end.
The inhabitants are practically 'im-
mune," and it is only when new ar
rivals-such as q fresh army of Span
ish troops-make their appearance that
the infection takes the shape of an cpl
demic.
To the citizens of Havana the aver
age case is not as important as the loss
Of a package of cigarettes. They have
lived with it. ate with it, and slept
with it all their lives. Why should they
trouble themselves about stamping it
out?
II there were no other argument in
favor of the annexation of Cuba by the
United States, this would be entirely
sufficient. 1t involves the safety of tens
of thousands of men, women and chill
dren, to say nothing of the sacrifice of
millions upon millions of money in the
way of trade and commerce.
There is no doubt as to the origin of
the yellow fever in this country. 1t
comes here from the West Indies, main
ly from Havana. When our govern
ment has control of the sanitation of
Havana and other Cuban ports, the
danger of infection in this country Will
be reduced to a minimum: but until
that time comes, it will be impossible
to prevent the appearance of the
plague on our coast.
1t is not only a question of dollars
and cents; it is a matter of life and
death So long as the port of Havana
blows the infection in this direction
Through a funnel as it were), just so
long will our measures or precaution
no matter how scientific and thorough,
prove totally Intellectual.
The experiments that the government
is engaged in may prove effectual next
year, but what about the year after?
They may prove effectual indeed for
two or three years. During that time