Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-02-02
SHOULD DETER
NINE ITS CUBAN POLICY.
IDLE MEN THE GREAT MENACE
HANNIs TAYLOR TALKS OF THE Ex-
ISTING CONDITIONS.
Ex-sIinister to Spain Advocates an
Immediate Settlement and a Re-
turn to Civil Form of Gov
;ernment-CondftiOn
Distressing.

MOBILE, ALA, Feb. 1.-Hannis Taylor,
ex-minister to Spain, who returned yes
terday from a two weeks visit to Cuba,
has given the Associated Press the follow
ing interview or the Cuban situation:
while in Cuba upon purely private bust
Eess, 1 came in contact with the leaders
Of every faction into which the population
is now divided. The extremes of opinion
are represented on one hand by Cuban mill
tary chiefs demanding immediate and abso-
lutte independence, on the other by the
purely Spanish element. seeking protection
under our flag. Between the two extremes
is ranged the main body of the people,
standing in an expectant attitude. ready to
give their approval to any plan that will
re-establish law, order and material pros
perity upon permanent basis. Upon one
point all agree, American officers as well
as Cubans, and that is that outside of the
cities the country is in a condition of want
and misery that can hardly be exaggerated.
AS an aggravation of that condition stands
the Cuban army, composed of at least $4,000
idle men, waiting with arms in their hands.
for such settlement Of their dues as will
enable them to resume life again.
when asked those who had right to
speak for the army what sum would suf-
flee for a satisfactory settlement, they
said 900 or 81 100000 at least. sum
that would give about $500 to each man.
With that they said the small farmers
could proceed and continue to live until
they could make a crop. The Cubans
neither ask or desire for us to contribute
penny for the maintenance of their army.
All that they ask is that loan should be
made for the purpose, charged upon their
custom house. now yielding from sl2. 900 GOO
loan to be paid to their soldiers through
our military authorities.
Every class in Cuba is now demanding
that a settlement be made at once SO that
menacing and consuming body Of idle
men may be converted into peaceful pro-
| ducers. In that way the industrial ener-
gies of the country could be revived and
force dissolved which, like the army of
Cromwell, is not only a military body, but
the dominant political power in the island.
81 cannot doubt that If the just claims
of the Cuban army are treated with 1njuS-
| tice and contempt and the present military
regime continued indefinitely. in a short
| time we will be hated by the Cubans just
as the Spaniards were, and a condition Of
| things brought about that will force us
either to withdraw from the island or to
govern there just as Russia does In Poland.
| Wise and humane as our military govern
ors are, the fact remains that they govern
| by the sword, in defiance Of the civil pow
| er. and the result is that impatience and
discomfort are already clearly manifested
| on every hand.
1.-THE urgent needs in Cuba now are
prompt and satisfactory settlement with
| the army Of the revolution and establish.
| ment as soon as possible of a provisional
| civil regime in which Cubans themselves
can have voice. The president should
labor increasingly to attain both ends and
in the effort to do so he should have the
| cordial cooperation and support Of all pa.
triotic and liberty-loving men, regardless OF
| party. We should learn from the English
how suicidal it is to carry our party diff.
| ficulties into our foreign affairs. The sen.
| ate should end at once the present situa.
| tion SO detrimental to all our foreign in.
| terests, while congress as a whole should
give to the president every facility neces
| sary to enable him to settle every foreign
| question now demanding an immediate So
| luton"