The Topeka state journal., 1898-05-14
CUBAs PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY

CUBAS PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY
The United States, through its govern
ment, has disclaimed any intention of
possessing Cuba. The Intervention TO
end the barbarous hostiIities on the is
land was prompted by humanitarianisrn
and not for the purpose of territorial ac-
ouisition The aims and objects were
purely and wholly unseIfsh 1t cannot
be said that the United States could not
take Cuba, or that it is not rich enough
to be considered a prize, for there are
few spots on earth richer in natural re-
sources and productiveness of the soil
than Cuba. Its very name is signih-
cant of it's wealth. The Lucayan Indi-
ans, the first known inhabitants OF the
island, called their country Cubanacan,
meaning the land of gold. After being
called Juana Ave Maria island, Ferdi-
mania and other names, the first four
letters of the original name became its
final one.
Almost all metals and minerals ap-
plicable to industry are found in Cuba
Gold, silver, iron, copper, quicksilver.
lead, asphaltum, arsenic, copperas, al
um, salt, ochre, etc, are to be found
easy of access. Coal that is fit for COM
bustion is not found. Nature, in the
distribution of needs, saw little use for
coal in a country where the average
temperature is n degrees and the mini
mum so degrees. Marble and Jasper
of very fine quality are found in many
places. Immense deposits of pure white
sand border the beautiful coIored
pure white marble quarries. This sand
is used with beautiful effect in earthen-
ware.
In forestry Cuba is rich. Wood al
most as hard as iron and practically
imperishable makes the island rich in
quality, if not in quantity. Lignum
vitae, ebony, rosewood, mahogany and
other rare and costly woods are abund-
ant The fruits are those common to
the tropics. The pineapple is indigen-
Gus and the banana requires little or no
attention. The easy cultivation of
sweet potatoes is well known. 1t was
intended by nature that Cuba should be
a peaceful country. There are wild
animals and no birds of prey, and none
were ever known to exist on the island,
except Weyler and his cohorts. Turtles,
fish and oysters flourish; in fact nature
apparently favored Cuba with a lavish
bestowal of good things.
But it is in the wealth to be titled
from the soil in which Cuba is partic-
ularIy and dominatingly great. The
ground is covered with secondary and
tertiary formations and in the compact
and cavernous layers are contained fer
ruginous veins, and the red earth so
common in Cuba. The central part con-
tains caIcareous formations of clay and
limestone. The mind of the 1ayman
cannot grasp the Importance of this,
but can appreciate the wealth by pro-
ductive capacity. In Cuba there are
sections of land containing thirty-three
% or sa0I I11 IaT-in A ho1 10T%io
of land will produce on an average the
following crops:
Sugar, $4,000 pounds; tobacco, 5000
pounds; cotton. 5000 pounds; cocoa, 25,-
600 pounds; corn, 10000 pounds; coffee,
1880 pounds; indigo, 1,500 pounds; rice,
$4,000 pounds; sago, SO, 900 pounds; yuca,
$4,000 pounds; bananas, 1000 punches.
There are LOSS, ,432 caballerias in Gu
ba, of which SO,6S2 are devoted to agri-
culture, which could produce 4S4, ,092, 900
pounds of cotton and 726, lbs, 900 pounds
of tobacco, to say nothing of the i'm
mense results of other crops that can be
found by simple multiplication. The
worlds consumption of cotton in 1856
was 4,931, 42S, 400 pounds, of which the
United States furnished 3,116 176, 200
pounds. Cuba can furnish one-tenth of
the worlds need of cotton. AS of to-
bacco, she can produce nearly twice as
much as was raised in the United
States in 1897. when 4O3, ,OO4, 900 pounds
was the estimated crop. Remembering
that Cuba could raise 726, 13s, 900 pounds
of tobacco on the same caballerias on
which one-tenth supply of the worlds
cotton, the million pounds of rice, sugar
and other products were raised, the re-
suit is bewildering.
But the S0,6S2 caballerias is not all
the tillabIe or productive soil of Cuba
There are 466, ,331 caballerias of forest
and 1924 of pasture. OF the barren
land there are 225, 1876 caballerias. 1t
is not that Cuba is not rich or desirable
that the United States declares no in
tention OF possessing the island. If re-
suits just recited can be obtained when
the soil is titled by the indolent Cubans
under the supervision of the lazy, am
bitionless Spaniards, and with crude
implements and machinery, Yankee in
genuity and industry would accomp-
iish much more.