The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-08-01
HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE
CUBANs DO NOT BELIEVE UNITED
STATES WILL vACATE.
Opinion OF Gen. Carpenter, Who Was
Nine Months Military Governor
OF Puerto Principe.

NEW YORK, July 3l.-Brigadier General
l. H. Carpenter, who was military governor
of the province of Puerto Principe Cuba I'M
til the recent merging Of that province into
the military department of Santiago. arrived
in this city on the Munson line steamer Olin-
da. When the two provinces were united
he was mustered out of the volunteer serv-
Ice and assumed his former rank colonel
of the Fifth United States Cavalry, which
is now stationed in Porto Rico. Col. Carpen-
ter was seen last evening at the Murray
Hill Hotel by Tribune reporter He is we'll
bronzed and the picture of health. About
Cuba. her climate, her resources, her people
and her future he is enthusiastic.
My term as military governor Of Puerto
Principe he said, extended over a period
of nine months. In that time 1 had very
good opportunity to study the Cubans. and
must say that found them to be docile,
kind and faithful sort Of people. They are
sentimental. however. to the last degree, and
this sentimentality is causing them to chafe
good deal under the American yoke
Among the classes which furnished the SOL
diers. the leaders and the patriots there Is
strong desire for immediate independence.
These men have nothing to lose and they
are set on establishing a government Of
their own. This desire may be augmented
by the growing feeling Of dstrust of Ameri-
ca. The opinion seems to be gaining ground
that America does not intend to vacate the
island. and that all this talk about educat-
ing the people to self-government is simply
means Of prolonging the deception. But
among the wealthy men Of the country and
the Spaniards no such feeling exists. They
are just as anxious for speedy annexation
to the United States as the other class is
for independence They realize that annexa-
ton would mean free trade with the United
States. whereas If they were independent
they would be compelled to pay a heavy
duty on their goods. There would be no mar
ket open to them, and the republic would
md 1t hard matter to WOO prosperity. The
sirable class of citizens. They own nearly
all the stores and are, almost without ex-
ception, well-to-do men. yet they never in
vest their money in Cuba. They hoard il or
invest IL In Spain,' and, consequently they
impoverish rather than benefit the island.
Havana, l believe. Is the third largest port
IN the Western hemisphere, but, despite that
fact. the city is poor because most of the
business is done by Spaniards and they are
not at all public spirited.
Ihe province of Peurto Principe probably
suffered more than any other from the
devastations Of war. 1t is next to Santiago
province in size, but has ALWAYS been
sparsely settled, because of the lack OF
transportation facilities. Cattle raising has
Deen the leading industry there. Before the
rebellion began there were more than a
million head OF cattle in the province. Now
l don't believe there are twenty thousand
Moreover, the ranchmen haven't the means
to renew operations on the old scale. They
are financially ruined. Capital must lie
introduced and employment must be fur
nished for the thousands of men who earned
their living on the big ranches They
Hooked into the city of Puerto Principe In
hordes, and L gave them work best
cleaned the city as well as 1t could be done
with the money at my disposal but Puerto
Principe can never be healthful until II
has sewerage system and a water works
a considerable expediture, and 1 did not
have the means to attempt them.
puerto Principe boasts of having some
of the most aristocratic families in Cuba
been In the city for 300 years. The city
shows the decadence of the people, One
might think he had been transported to the
sixteenth century merely by walking
it was a very wealthy city. The planters
lived in fine town houses and used their
plantation mansions very much as people
in this country do their country homes to.
day. Instructions and their consequences
did away with all this, and now there Is ar
air of departed splendor about the place
that is depressing.
The proposed Cuban Central Railroad
should be built at once. 1t would be won.
derful boon to the country. Then there
should be railroad from the city of Puerto
roads would not only furnish labor for the
unemployed ard bring capital into the
province. but they would open up an i'm
mensely rich territory to agriculture. III
store Puerto Principe to its former degree
of prosperity.