New-York tribune., 1899-03-24
A BETTER OUTLOOK FOR CUBA.

Light begins TO dawn in Cuba The decision OF
nearly all the Cuban generals to disband the
army uphold Gomez against the Assembly and
influence their men to accept the money offered
hy the United States Is a long step toward
modification of the island. No one need doubt
that the presence of these fighters, who have
taken all sorts Of chances against Spanish tyr
amy for years in Havana and also In other
towns throughout the country, with arms In
their hands and no means Of subsistence, has
been q reason for serious apprehension. with
their disbandment. which now seems TO be as
sured, the Assembly melts away into nothing
ness since 1t never had anything purporting to
be authority except from these same bands of
troops. and with them upholdng Gomez and
his arrangement with the United States the so
called Assembly is not worth dispensing. Credit
may be allotted to General Brooke for realizing
this. although authorized TO dsperse the Assem-
bly, by force if necessary. for the latter step
might have gained for the morbund body some
sympathy.
The next steps for Cuba are to restore order
to organize n sufficient force in different dis
tricts to suppress crime and brgandage and TO
give industries fair chance. There is much
indication that American commanders are max
ing preparation for such measures and will be
enabled to engage therein a good many Of the
most substantial and best behaved men of the
late Cuban force, though not combining their Sc
lection TO that body by any means. The United
States will necessarily meet all classes and sorts
of inhabitants with equal hand. giving all pro-
lection In their liberties and rights and giving
all such share In the conduct Of local affairs as
they are ready TO take with full loyalty of spirit
Selection will be obviously difficult and many
mistakes may be made. as some appear 10 have
been made in the selection Of police officers for
Havana. But those mistakes can be corrected
as they appear, and In time there should grow
up strong administrative force in Cuba, CON-
posed mainly Of its own inhabitants, for tho
preservation Of order and of peace.
Dispatches state that the absurd conduct Of
the Cuban Assembly has done more than sew
eral years of argument could have done TO in
cline the substantial and property owning people
toward annexation. However much this may
be regretted it is natural result. The Cubans
must, unfortunately. be Judged at present by
the men they have put forward. If those are
men TO whom nobody In his senses would in
trust the administration of henroost pract-
cal opinion is sure TO seek some other safeguard
for order and peace. But It is essential TO re-
the qualifications of the substantial inhabitants
of Cuba for self-government as indicated In the
least degree by the behavior of this so-called
Assembly. II Will wait to hear what the real
people want little later.
Financially Cuba should bo a success. It's
revenue from customs already covers a large
part of the proper expenses OF administration
and will enormously increase with the estab-
lishmcnt Of order. The United States Govern
ment will have TO help in many ways toward
the expense Of sanitation, drainage better trans
portation less burdensome exchanges. and can
thus lessen at the start the burdens which the
commerce and the business Of the island will
have to bear. But Cuba will have to pay liber-
ally for the expense Of getting to be civilized
country, and after paying literally will realize
profits many hundred fold. No one disputes the