The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-02

laws passed on the experience ana
characteristics of a New England COM
munlty would be both oppressive and
futile
It is pointed out that similar course
10 that above outlined was successfully
followed by ourselves in Louisiana and
by the English in Lower Canada. Much
stress is laid on the industrial distress
resulting from the inability Of the Porto
Ricans to market their products owing
to the withdrawal of the Spanish mar
ket, which was their former reliance.
The secretary says it is essential that
Porto Rico should receive substantially
the same treatment at our hands as she
received from Spain while colony and
that the markets of the United States
should be opened TO her as We're the
markets of Spain and Cuba before the
transfer of allegiance.
In Trust for Cuba.
Concerning Cuba the report says the
control which we are exercising in trust
for the people of Cuba should not, and
of course will not. be continued any
longer than is necessary to enable us
to establish Il stable government to
which the control shall be transferred
when it shall really represent the peo-
pie of Cuba and be able to maintain or
der and discharge International obliga-
lions. That government when estab-
lished must solve for Cuba the problems
we are to solve for Porto Rico The
conduct of the Cuban people Is said to
be admirable. There have been agita-
tors, but the substantial body Of edu-
Gated Cubans have shown themselves
to be patriotic, appreciative and help
ful, while the great body of uneducated
Cubans have been patient and law-abid-
ing. 1t is pointed out that the ina ability
Of two-thirds of the people to read and
write, their lack of experience in gov
ernment and the factional feeling left
H.,
to proceed somewhat slowly in the
formation of government. 1t is said
by the termination of the year allowed
by treaty for the Spanish population to
elect whether to become Cubans or re-
main Spaniards it will be for the first
time possible to determine who are Gu
ban citizens entitled to take part in
that government BY that date-Apr pril
IL neXt-the census will have been COM
pleted and We shall be ready to provide
Tor municipal elections, placing local
government in the hands of the citizens
and these local governments will form
representative convention to frame
constitution and provide for a general
government of the islands to which the
United States will surrender the reins
of government
The secretary devotes some attention
to the unfortunate plight of the Cuban
sugar producers owing to the competi-
ton of European beet sugar, With pos
sible free sugar from Porto Rico and
discriminating duties in favor of West
Indian sugar He shows that paying
our duty the Cuban sugar would realize
but 2.69 cents per pound for the pro-
ducer against I'll for the German. and
he suggests as a curative measure some
tariff arrangement which Cuban
products may be imported into the Tn
tied States on the same terms as those
proposed for Jamaica in the pending
reciprocity treaty
Extended statements as to govern
ment in the Philippines is waived be-
cause of the full report which will be
presented by the Philippine commits
sion. Reference is made to the negotia-
t!ons between General Bates and the
sultan of Su1u and it is pointed out that
it is not only subject to congressional
approval, but the sultan has been in
formed that such approval should not
carry with it the consent of the United
States to the existence of slavery in the
islands
A Pacific Gable.
A strong recommendation is made for
the laying of a Pacific cable as a matter
of great military and political import
ance. The cost of such cable is placed
at not exceeding $S500,000, running by
way of Hawaii. Wake island and Guam
from San Francisco to Manila.
The secretary deals in u forceful man.
ner with the subject of post exchanges.
He expresses his agreement with the
construction of the statute on this point
laid down by the attorney general and
produces statistics from the United
States forces at POSTS and elsewhere to
show that the overwhelming testimony
of the army is to the effect that the
present regulation has promoted the
temperance, discipline, morals and
health of the enlisted men and that in
the interest of morality and effective
services / ShDn1d he re Ebn
retary says:
The practical question to be consid-
cred is not whether soldiers should
drink or not, but whether they should
be permitted to drink beer in camp sur
rounded by the restraining influences
Of discipline and good association, or
whether they should be driven to drink
bad whiskey in the vile resorts which
cluster around the limits of every mill
tary post and camp, especially around
those in which prohibition is maintain
I'd. | have no doubt that the present
furnishes the wise answer to
this question
Under the head of river and harbor
the secretary, whila
the estimates as gener-
ally merltorious, states that he has felt
It necessary, in view of the eXtraordn-
ary appropriations for military pur-
poses, to reduce the estimates of the
chief of engineers from $2l.906,S21 to
fl4 993,I4l.
Other recommendations are that Gen
,ral Shafter should be retired with the
'ank of major general and that statue
of General Grant be erected in the ma
tional capital.
One of the most important chapters
Of the report deals with the subject of
army reorganization and on this point
the secretary makes some most radical
recommendations, pointing out the in
adequacy of the present system and in
sufficiency of the force. Starting with
The promise that the real object of hay
ing an army is to provide for war, and
that the regular army would never he
by itself the whole machine with when
war would be fought the secretary pro-
leeds to outline a scheme of reform,
a each stage by succinct ar
gument to demonstrate its necessity.
He first lays down the necessity of a
systematic study by responsible officers
>f plans of action under all contingent
lies of possible conflict and points out
he lamentable disadvantage we are IN
n this respect as shown by our past