New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-10
.uERICAN POLICY IN CUBA
rs LIMITATIONS AND CONTRADICTIONS
WHAT THE FORAKER AMEND
MENT HAS DONE.
Havana. April l.

MENT HAS DONE.
Havana, April l.
,ov three months since the Spanish flag
,orered from Moro and SPANS exhausted
~.,rrtv over this island and its people was
"-,.rred in trust to the United States. In
.or,hs a military occupation has been es-
"s,.,sd so pacific and unchailenged in charac-
,,a, Il has already been found practicable
",sx by more than half the severity 90 its
-,a, grip Since January l. too. through an
illustration, half military. half civil the
S,..a states has been sincerely seeking 70 dis
.-~re the pledges II gave the world when. as
,.,srvening power 1t forced Spain to relin-
~ sovereignty here. But in spite OF all that
hsen accomplished in the last three months
n..s,action Of these self-assumed obligations
s,,rues 10 he an infinitely puzzling and tan
80 labor and the termination Of American
s,,,ssship seems to-day as far ahead in the
..r-e as Il has ever been.
Tss role given the American military admins
,,on ~ play in Cuba has been shifting and
:. ,,rnes a contradictory one. Two distinct lines
:. roI,cv we're open TO the government estab-
,...aa here: vet neither could be made to square
.xoc,,v with the purposes proclaimed by Con-
-,uss IN the declaration Of war against Spain.
g. uas 10 treat the occupation as purely
.nu,,srv and temporary. with no other aim than
49, suhstitution at the earliest possible mo-
~, q, q native government chosen by the peo-
=. ond democratic at least in form. From this
-, ~ view no serious interference with the
.o,,,icsl status quo was desirable. The civil
.a,r;,istration was 10 proceed under the old
e..r,s, laws The postal. customs. police and
-.-,,orv services were 10 be remodelled only so
os immediate military necessities demand
- M municipal or other improvements were to
=. oorntenanced. and the island was TO be
,u-,sa over 10 It's new and untried Cuban rulers
:. n,.c,icaly the same state OF commercial ex-
..'.,,or and political chaos in which it was left
nv the struggle against Spain.
THE FORAKER AMENDMENT.
~r..nuch as Congress disclaimed for inter-
ro,,,on any other purpose than TO set up in
Crbs free and Independent native govern
want this rigid view Of the functions or tenn
norsrv military administration is perhaps en-
,,,lsd 70 considerable respect 1t has undouot-
sv exercised a controlling influence with
American officials here. and that II Is accepted
IN eood faith by many leaders in Congress is
.bovvr nv the enactment in the Army Appropria-
,on bill Of March Of the so-called Foraker
amendments provision which by its sweeping
Inhibition of all internal improvements Will
have the unfortunate effect Of deadening COM
rnerce and industry In this island for perhaps
another full year. That such policy DEFEATS
,,s own objects when seriously applied is plain.
For II II Is desired to hasten the establishment
~ a satisfactory native government. no step is
more essential than the revival OF commerce
and agriculture and the reabsorption Of the idle
and unoccupied classes-now a menace TO any
experiment in autonomy-in productive work.
But with authority denied the military authori-
ties and the municipalities as well TO issue fran
chises or to undertake on an adequate scale the
improvements which public health and public
interest demand. distress, stagnaton and lack
OF confidence will continue. The union Of the
native elements in any stable scheme Of self
government will be impossible. and the United
States will be called on to guarantee indefinitely
that security OF life and property 10 whose
maintenance Il stands pledged before the world.
Though in the main the military administra-
ton here has been guided by the narrower policy
laid down In the Foraker amendment and the
rulings thereon Of the Attorney-General. the
second and broader theory Of intervention has
also all the while materially Influenced its acts
In this second view Congress has bound itself
70 set UP IN Cuba a stable as well as an indie
security are the ends toward which American
guardianship is moving rather than mere au-
tonomy on the Central and South American
plan
AMERICAN INNOVATIONS.
So II rs only natural to find the more ener-
getic American administrators aiming at more
than mere hand-to mouth management Of the
departments intrusted 10 them, and paving the
way for substantial and permanent reforms in
the various branches Of the Cuban service Cen
eral Brooke has himself. through a Board Of
Revision. recently abolished many Of the bur
densome Spanish taxes on occupations con-
sumption and real estate. IN Havana General
Ludlow has organized a police force on the
American plan which bids fair TO become a fixed
municipal institution Colonel Bliss in the Gus.
toms service, has swept away a mass Of rnusty
abuses and introduced methods OF order and
accuracy which, with a gradual change OF per-
sonnet. are likely 70 bring the Havana custom
house eventually IN touch with modern business
requirements. Colonel Rathbone. the head Of
the Department OF Posts. has drawn on Wash
;ngton for his executive staff and Is endeavor-
ing TO infuse an American spirit Of energy and
trustworthiness into the postal service; so that
even with a native administration installed in
authority lItIc may DC no feidpSeS herea ~
10 the old Spanish custom Of throwing incon-
venient or troublesome mail matter into the
nearest waste-hasket Colonel Davis. though
hampered by inability to undertake the con-
struction of new and modern sewers bas &.
three months almost transformed the sor,.a.,o-
Of Havana. and his work. IL its fruits sbo,, g.
next summers fever record. will perhaps have
gone further toward establishing stable o,d
permanent civil government in Cuba tbon oar
other influence Of the American occupation
But though much has been done alone 81.
lines in Havana-as IL has also under c.,
WOODS wise and farseeing administrator a.
santiaeo-to justify the broader view OF Aro-,
can Intervention. the attitude Of the r,r,,ar,
government has been necessarily a. more mr. L.,
ambiguous and shifting one Ieg1sIat,o, =,
oesoOn