The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-19
SUGAR ESTATES IN CUBA
THEIR DESTRUCTION SURE TO RE-
SUIT UNLESS THE WAR SOON ENDS.
Many Owned by Americans, Who Are
Money Used Against Them.

George Bronson Rea, in Harper's Weekly.
During the last two years of the insur-
rection in Cuba immense damage has been
inflicted on the valuable sugar lands and
factories to which the island owes so much
of her wealth and prosperity. Since the
commencement of the outbreak report after
report has reached us concerning the de-
struction of these valuable possessions by
the armed forces in the field. BY far the
larger part of the destruction has been
caused by the insurgents, though the Span
ish regulars and guerrillas have also applied
the torch rather freely on property of
minor value
The underlying motives for this policy of
humiliation are many and conflicting, but
are no doubt justified by the accepted rules
of warfare. in which all means to cripple
the enemy and destroy his chances of rails
ing revenue are considered as perfectly le-
Ultimate.
The first nine months of the war were not
marked by any great excuses in this line.
The reasons are clear. In the east, where
the uprising broke out, the majority of the
inhabitants living in the country were
Cubans who Favored the cause and conse-
quently, their property was respected. Their
countrymen in the west, the contrary,
were lukewarm in their efforts to aid the
cause and made no serious attempt to Sec
ond the movement. Their only desire was
to be let quietly alone and to be permitted
to harvest their crops, and perhaps make
a profit on the product that would insure
them against want in the hard times sure
to follow The rebel leaders decided that
some extremely harsh measures must be
employed to shake their brethren from
their apathy.
They also argued that, while Spain could
continue to gather in the taxes on the prin-
cipal industries of tobacco and sugar. she
would never consent to abandon the island.
They fondy believed that once these pros
poets were destroyed it would be a question
of only few months when the Spaniards
would give up the struggle and evacuate
the island.
Another strong motive was to force the
Intervention of foreign governments by de-
stroying the property of their citizens.
French, German, English and American
capital is largely represented In the wealth
of the island, and it was expected that
these governments on the presentation of
the claims for damages, would demand i'm
mediate determination from Spain. AS the
| Spanish treasury was known to be in de-
pleted condition, and that it would be i'm
| possible to meet these demands they felt
| it would surely result in some controversy
or conflict which would rebound to their
| benefit.
| During the nrSC INVASION THIS pOlICy
| was accordingly put into operation, and the
march of the insurgents was marked, like
| that Of the Israelites of old, "by a column
| of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by
night though in this case the signs were
| reversed, and followed, instead of leading,
| the rapidly moving bands. Thousands of
| acres of the finest of sugar cane waiting to
| be harvested, and scores of factories where
| the raw juice is transformed into crude SUI
| gar, were devastated and destroyed.
BURNING THE CANE
Under ordinary circumstances the burn
| ing of a canefeld does not materially injure
| the value of the cane, for if cut promptly
and sent to the mill there is no perceptible
| loss. But If left standing for more than
| eight days the juice begins to ferment and
turns sour, destroying the saccharine mat
| ter
In times of peace many farmers first burn
a troublesome field to facilitate the work
of cutting, but then they see that it goes
| directly to the mill. But this was not the
| case with the cane burned by the rebels:
| for, after having fired the fields, strict or
ders were issued against cutting it, and
| any one caught disobeying the decree was
| executed Mile after mile of the richest
| fields were thus completely ruined
Fllled with CONSERVATION at the rapid
| spread of the movement, and alarmed at
| the devastating policy so persistently pur-
| sued by the rebel leaders, the planters
| called a meeting in Havana to devise a way
| financially to aid the sufferers Business
was at a standstill, traffic was temporarily
| blocked on the railroads, and a feeling Of
insecurity pervaded the community from
| the awful effects of the insurgent raid
The success of their movement had far
surpassed the widest dreams of the insur-
gent cnlets; and Gomez, probably mistak-
| ing the alarm and excitement, with the in
| cldental paralyzation of business. as a d.
| rect acknowledgment of his supremacy
grac1ously ordered that the destruction of
| cane should cease
This order, issued on the 18th of January
1896, at the sugar factory Mi Rosa (province
| or Havana), stated that as enough cane
nad been destroyed practically to end all
Iurther hopes of grinding, the burning of
canef1elds was no longer necessary Ha
MADE 1t a crime amenable to the seyerest
military laws and then went on to saw that
II any planter should disregard this order
ms machinery and boiling house would be
destroyed by dynamite
Gomez seemed to forget that men with
enormous capitals at stake would go to the
IasI extreme to save their interests So
Whlle the rebel chief thought himself mas,
Ter or the situation, and was marching
around the country issuing circulars nroc7
lamations, and DEGREES, which only tended
10 awe the supplemented peasants WHO
couIa not read, the planters were steadily
WoThng 70 place their factories in forti-
ned condition to be able to defy him later
on -t'0A
One fortified. the mask was thrown off
and Gomez and his subordinates were omen,
ly deied to come and prevent the grindino.
or Destroy the factory OF course to do this
required ready cash. and as the two nre
VlOuS years in Cuba had been almost min
Gus for the smaller planters thew were
unable to defend their property on the same
scale as their more fortunate companions
1t is a fact that cannot be denied that
when the insurgents. incensed at Wevler;s
guarantee to the planters that thew could
resume work on the 18th of March staytad
IN to burn the factories, they did not wreak
their vengeance on the. wealthy planters
whose estates were fortified. but contented
themselves with burning all the small undo
Tended factories of their poorer country
men.
AMERICAN CAPITAL
Owing to the comparative freedom from
internal revolutions in Cuba during the last
decade, American capital has steadily in
creased it's sphere of investments. MANY
owners of large estates placed their build
ings in the hands of promoters who have
formed large stock companies and svndi
Gates, controlled by prominent sugar brok-
ers in this country.
Among the foremost of such concerns is
the Constancia Sugar Company. under the
presidency of Mr. Osgood Welsh, of New
York. Their estate the Constancia. is the
most extensive in Cuba, and only one other.
factory (Caracas) exceeds them in the
amount of sugar turned out in CROP
This estate was formerly owned by the