The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-18
CUBAN ANNEXATION.
NOT MUCH FEAR OF YELLOW FEVER

Would Not Suffer In Event of Invasion.
spain's Navy weak-To Capture Hsv.p.
without Cruelty.
WASHINGTON. April 16.-[Special. Ito
occupy Cuba, that is the programme Of
our naval and military experts. They cal.
culate that 1t Is not going to be a very
difficult task either At the present time
Spain has no fleet In Cuban waters that
san stand before the squadron of Captain
Sampson. Only two OF the Spanish ships
now on this side the Atlantic are good
fighting craft, the Oquendo and Vizcaya
They are first class and able to meet any
thing we have, numbers being equal
Spain has two or three other so called
cruisers at Havana or in Cuban waters
but they are small affairs or in such bad
state of repair that they are not capable of
offering any resistance at all to ships of
first rate power. Then there are lot of
little gunboats, such as Spain has used in
patrolling the coast of Cuba in vain ef-
fort to catch filibuster expeditions. But
these are not given moments thought
by our naval men, for every one of them
would run to cover at the first approach of
an enemy
How to take possession of Havana with
out bombarding the city and thus infiict-
ing dreadful loss of life upon the inhabit-
ants as well as great destruction of prop
erty Is problem which has bothered both
our civil and military leaders. Any I'M
necessary destruction or cruelty would not
be compatible with the instincts or desires
of the American people. 1t is not the wish
of the United States to make savage or
severe war In Cuba. 1t Is not war of re-
venge or of conquest. The duty in Cuba
which the people and the government of
the United States have been gradually
getting ready to perform is one of human.
ity.
Concerning Yellow Fever.
The president would like to obtain con-
troll of the chief city of Cuba without put
ting in execution a policy of undue sever
ity. II 1t is possible to attain the surrender
of the city without a Il >ardment, that
will be regarded as the Lest possible way
out of the difficulty. Naval authorities say
Havana can be blockaded by our fleets and
that blockade would starve the city into
subsection in short time. In a few hours
the question of how to solve this problem
may be decided. Events are now moving
with great rapidity, and almost anything
Is likely to happen during the next ~
hours.
If the United States occupies Cuba with
military force, there are fears our troops
will suffer greatly from yellow fever and
similar diseases In the hot, wet climate of
Cuba, but this fear is not shared by the
medical corps of the army. They point to
the fact that yellow fever is city disease
1t is present only in the cities and towns
of Cuba where the drainage is inefficient
or lacking altogether and where the water
supply is tainted. Some of the Cuban cit
les are inexpressibly foul. Santiago de
Cuba is said to DO the dirtiest city in the
world. Instead of sewers the drainage of
the town is carried in open bitches by the
sides of the streets, exposed to the air and
fostering in the hot summers sun. 1t is
not surprising that yellow fever RACES In
such places. 1t is pointed out by our med
ical men that away from these unsanitary
cities the climate of Cuba is healthful and
that our troops, with their good medical
corps, their admirable sanitary arrange
ments and with intelligence enough on
the part of the individual soldiers to enable
them to take care of themselves, ought not
80 suffer much.
Mortality Among Spanish Soldiers.
There has been a great mortality among
the soldiers sent out from Spain because
they were for the most part young boys
who did not understand how to take care
Of their health. They would eat to their
fill of fruits, lie about in the hot sun and
expect to keep we'll. OF course the fevers
caught many of them.
One difficulty about occupying Havana
Is going to be what to do with the volun-
teer forces of that city These volunteers
have been strangely loyal to Spain AL
though many of their kinsmen are in the
rebellion, they have stood by the flag in
season and out of season. They are said to
constitute a formidable force, and before
they surrender are likely to put up still
resistance. Even after the United States
obtains possession of the town the volun-
teers are likely to give good deal of trou-
BILE.
Future Of Cuba.
It Is now rather too early to speculate
much about the future of Cuba, but 1t is
noteworthy that there is growing In Wash
ington quite q sentiment In favor or an
nexation of the island. The feeling that
after all the Cubans cannot be trusted TO
set up and manage stable, permanent
government Is constantly growing. They
may be able to do so after time, but Just
now the chances are fractional strife Will
break out among them. The Spaniards
and the Cubans are pretty sure to carry
their bitterness into civil life. struggle
will follow between them for mastery, and
II left to themselves no one familiar with
the island would be surprised to see anoth-
or OWL war break out.
The Spaniards are the property owning
class, the men of affairs, the professional
men, the natural leaders Of things In the
cities and towns. They are likely to stand
together to see to 1t that the mountain
rangers under Gomez and Garcia do not
obtain control of the new government
which Is to be established after the author
ity of Spain shall have boon broken down.
For these reasons 1t may be necessary for
the United States to keep Cuba as sore
OF suzerainty or colony managed In truse
for at least time, and there are plenty OF
astute observers here who think the OUT
come of the whole affair will be direct an
nexation to the United States. They Do,
lieve that is the only solution which VIII
DO pprmauent and satisfactory The span