Evening star., 1898-11-02
The New Conquest of Cuba.

Col Warnings death from yellow fever is
a sad commentary on the foul condition of
the Cuban capital. Having been sent there
to survey the city and plan methods for its
sanitation. he fell victim to the disease
which his work was intended to subdue.
But fortunately his report had been written
before he was stricken, and this govern
ment will have the benefit of his observa-
tions and recommendations, based upon his
long services in this most important branch
of the municipal service. So it is fair to
believe that Havana will be attacked gen.
erGlly in accordance with his views, for he
stood so high in the ranks of the sanitary
engineers of this country that the .authori-
ties can do no better than to accept his
suggestions as confidently though their
author were alive and acting in their fur
therance with his characteristic energy and
ability. Yet it would have been interesting
to observe Col. Waring at work in Havana
That city presents a gigantic problem Its
unwhOlesomenesS is a type of the general
state of the island. Cuba has been freed
by the American genius for soldering The
conquest of Spain in the island has been
complete, sharp, decisive. Now appears
the need of new conquest this time of
Cuba's filth, lack of drainage, and indif-
ference to the laws of health. Cuba is
organization. Col Waring had good train
ing for this work. His task in New York
was, Of course not as difficult yet
it in itself monumental He had
TO fight not only the dirt of the streets
often the acCumulations of months. but the
apathy of many of the people, the intrigues
of the politicians. the resentment of certain
shOrt-sighted taxpayers who failed to see
the good of spending millions in cleaning
the metropolis and in keeping it Clean
Against all these obstacles Col. Waring
struggled successfully and for the first
time in years New York was clean. The
problem in Havana is far greater and
deeper than any which has yet been at
tackled by American engineers. 1t involves
more than the mere cleaning of the streets
and the provision of proper means of dis
posing of the filth thus gathered. The har-
Dor, a CssspoOl which stands as type of
the many years of Spanish incapacity for
municipal administration, is to be cleared
cut. in itself gigantic task. Then some
new method of dispOsing of the city's sew
age is to be discovered and executed. This
is a difficult problem because of the pecu-
liar location of the city. 1t will cost heav-
lily ard will take a long time Mr.. Pepper's
latest letter to fhe Star printed TODAY
while perhaps ST., ,O00. 900 may eventually be
ne eded for the complete renovation of Ha-
vana and its harbor. the immediate expen-
diture of Sl,GooOOO would bring about
heavenly conditions of cleanliness and
feaithfulness. Havana represents today
tie Indifference of generations. Its SANTA
ton will mean the sanitation of all Cuba
and the labor will not be confined to the
capital alone. Whoever goes there must
have great executive ability, engineering
capacity, unfiinching will and courage. 1t
Is. Of course, too much to say that Col.
NarIng was the only man who could sue
cessfully cope with the case There are
scores, perhaps hundreds of other sanitary
engineers who can make Havana, and even
all Cuba wholesome. But there was Ger
tain sentiment attached to the hope that
Col WarinS might have the opportunity to
compare his achievements in New York
which marked new era in the metropolis
with those in one of the dirtiest and most
unhealthful OF the cities for which Spanish
rule in the western hemisphere is RESPONSE
BILE