Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-24
Something About Its Wasted Indus
trial Life.
TIE ISLAND NEEDS fOMBSrONES
Very Little Sugar Product Ex-
pected This Season.
7 II E r Z n I'd PEOPLE

Economic conditions In rural Cuba show
little change. Some day the war must
end. When II does the building I'D must
begin at the basis economically. as well as
politically. The island is so largely agri-
cultural that the future must he studied
in the country districts. The wasted It's
sues of its industrial life can only draw
fresh blood from the soil. L have been try
ing to find whether the new blood has yet
beSun to circulate.
An American sea captain took part of
the inland voyage with me. He thought
he could learn more from the platform of
the railway train than from the deck of a
coastins vessel. He had known the coun-
try in the days of its prodigai prosperity.
Its present desolaticn affected him queerly
hut he soon forgot the landscape of palm
trees. anG had eyes only for the people he
saw. These were both reconcentrados and
soldiers. 1t must be said they were not
healthy looking persons. After time his
comment was forthcoming. What this
island needs he said. lis tombstones."
The Agricultural Aspect.
The people. whether reconcentrados or
soldiers, had become such an old study to
me that paid more attention to the agri-
cultural aspect. In one hundred miles l
more fresh and green than the canefields.
! here is still plenty of cane standing The
smoke and flames can be seen in every di-
rection; yet where SO much of the area is
given over to the production of sugar fires
may rage for long time, and a consider
able portion of the crop be left unframed.
Much of 1t is choked with weeds, and
VIC uld not yield the full amount of Juice
yet il would be worth cutting anu grinding
If Maxine Gomez would only give permits
mt hax al
ready given permission, and have guaran-
teed large proportion of their soldiers
who are out of the hospitals on the planta-
tions. They claim that this is military
protection. 1t is good way of providing
for the troops who are convalescent. Guard
duty does not tax them too heavily. When
they get better they can be utilized in the
field. The planters do not think this pro-
lection is sufficient. You cannot get in
your crop and GRIND cane in the midst of
war" planter told me. He did not speak
of ii as Instruction, but as war. though
have seen few signs of actual warfare
three or four wounded soldiers, one Of
them with his read bandaged to cover
some machete strokes. However, there
has been skirmishing, and the reports are
of fighting not far away. The same plan
ter told ME the country would be suffering
q more acute food famine three months
from now because nobody had thought to
plant vegetables and such things within
the zones of cultivation and the garrisoned
places. They had all taken to planting to-
bacco, because 1t save promise of better
results. The insurgents cannot stop the
production of tobacco as easily as they
prevent grinding the sugar cane. and they
are less disposed to interfere with il. New
ertheless they have to be taken into ac-
count. A tobacco farm on which the crop
was III unusually good condition was point
ed out TO me. At every corner was a small
fort with soldiers. That tobacco" L was
Informed, belongs to the captain of the
local guerrillas. Those soldiers who are
guarding his place are part OF the regular
Spanish troops which he gets detailed at
the expense of the government Never
theless, he is paying the insurgents not to
modest him.
Inquiries as to Investments.
Inquiries are coming from the United
States about the opportunities for invest
ments in Cuba. Enterprising capitalists of
a speculative turn of mind have their eyes
turned this way. They will find plenty of
individuals who are ready to accommodate
them. DO you know any one in the states
who wants to buy 10000 acres of the finest
sugar land on the island?' asked Havana
capitalist, who was a fellow-passenger- L
did not. In present conditions / would
rather have a garden patch i'm the Missts-
sippi bottom lands of Illinois or Missouri
than 10000 acres of the finest sugar lands
here 1.-The soil of Cuba said my fellow
traveller meditatively. lis too rich That is
what ails the island He may be right.
A few Of the Americans who are on the
ground are hopeful enough of early peace
to begin making investments. Several of
them have bought tobacco lands. They are
also going into sugar. The representative
of New England syndicate told me he had
invested 5000 In a sugar estate near Trini-
dad. Some folks. with an eye for a quick
turn, have been asking about scrap iron
and junk of that kind. Nobody has thought
to buy up the boilers and other machinery
of the sugar mills that were destroyed.
They could be had cheap, but to make the
deal profitable market for the scrap iron
would have to be found In the United
States. There Is none In Cuba The
bricks and mortar of these sugar mills
would hardly be worth buying, The wild
vines and the grasses are growing over
Them softening their harsh outlines and
leaving them a picturesque feature OF the
landscape. Outside of the boilers and other
machinery. that is the only use to which
these ruined mills can be put, and 1t is not
an element in building up the resources of
rural Cuba.
The Sugar Crop.
1t was a question at the beginning of the
season whether the labor and the oxen
could be found to insure the grinding of
the sugar crop. At that time it was thought
the product would amount to 100000 tons.
Now it is not believed that the total pro-
duction will be much more than 100000
tons. and there is labor enough to take
care of this crop. An exception to the
general rule of burned canefields and idle
mills is in the southern border of this pro-
vince around Cienfuegos. There fair crop
is assured, though IT will not be up to the
estimates made. In the northern district
the few mills that grinding will be sat
isfied IL they secure one-quarter Of the nor
NAL production. In Consul Barkers ONCE
at Sagua the other day l saw the first
manifest of sugar shipment for this year,
though the season is half ended. 1t would
be to the advantage Of the Spanish govern
ment II 1T could give the needed protection
and keep the mills grinding till summer.
find q general understanding that when the
grinding stops the insurrection will receive
new recruits from the sugar plantations.
Gomez knows this, too. and the ineurgent
general, besides showing that the Spanish
authorities are unable to afford military
protection, appreciates the advantage of
bringing the season of grinding to an early
close. Unless peace comes with a rush the
wasted tissues of agricultural life will
draw little fresh blood from the canefields
this year.
One Type of the People.
A depression from economic conditions in
rural Cuba may be permitted to say a word
concerning one type OF its people. They arc
of the soil. and the failure Of the soil to
y ield rruAd,,cfion has t,aused their ruin