The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-03-08
BUSINESS MEN
NATURALIZATION
Complexion CT Political Affairs in
Santiago Has Changed.
CUBAN INDEPENDENCE RUlNOUS.
The Sugar Crop. Their Main Deepen
dcncc, wonid be Practically
Worfhiess-Not So Bad IL Porto
Eico Had Not Been Annexed

0~orresuondence OF the Associated Press
SANTIAGO. DE CUBA. FEBRUARY %
The cpmpieAIOn of political ahais III INC
Province OF santiago has Ueeh siiuua"S
changing since the beginning OF January.
,tnt- ,- ,.ur t1 more tuan one cause, hut
the main reason IS probably the iact 'h@l
the people themselves are out oil eyihpd-
Inv Muu ever ytutug, even bthti"'tio"'
that comes TO them through h"Nd"d'
Men wuo lew short weeks as" were
entirely in favor Of annexation are 100
day taking about declaring war against
the tmled states II the troops are Ho1
removed from the Island by july Ist
BUSINESS MEN GLUM
The business men Of Santiago are very
glum over the condition OF anairs ana
SAY that 1t is impossible FOR people 40
invest any large sums Of money ID lhe
island until some settled form Oh gov
eminent is established, and that ioI
cuba to be an independent republic Woud
mean the utter rum Oul the lsidnu even
surprising that the CUbans were better
able TO govern themselves than any peo-
no in me word. Tor At one blow the
sugar Industry would be annihilaled. as
the United States is in possession OF
Porto Rico on the one side and Of HAWAII
an the other. which are also two great
sugar producing islands and the sugar
from those places would go INTO the
1nited States free Of duty. whereas even
on the best terms the sugar OF tuha' "n,
less the island was annexed. WON"
have 10 pay some duty and wouid oe en-
,iretv unable 10 compete with ihal oi lhe
other islands. ,,,,,>-v
No,I.D PLEASE GERMAN
Herr schumann. the German consul
here an influential business man. SAYS
that nothing would please Germany MOI
ian for cuba TO become INDEPENDENT
because IL would mean that they "oui9
stiu be able with Cuba sugar 10 ho'u
trelr own with the great United STATES.
te believes that Cuba has great business
rossibilitfes before her. but from a pure
business point Of view he thinks IL iihpo7-
sible for ibe islands TO succeed unless m
neNed to the United states. ~.Aa
C1ber men here are In favor or OnDd
getting home rule, believing mat thsF
Should have the night TO govern theih-
selves in the matter OF local iAAa'lon u,
,re elections and every matter m mat
connection. But "a s. simply imposSioie
IN 6nd in Santiago any man of business
e,a-dfno who owns any amount OF iahu
or Of ordinary intelligence who does u"'
saw no is strongly IN favor OF annexation
IN ,he United states. rot AZ q matter nj
continent but as a matter OF purely bus
mess common sense. though WduF "
,bem agree that had Porto Rico and Ha-
oaii not been annexed they would rave
bsen I'm favor Of Cuba being an inaepeh-
den republic. -, -,.~-,,-
Many thousand men have graduaiiY
5rifted into the city expecting WORK
This however. Il was impossible 10 sup
DIV them with for the work that was 10
have been given them has 10 be suspend
od owing to the complaint from Havana
mat the estimates are very large for ms
province. although $4,000 Of the revenue
of last month was sent to Havana.
The work OF road making ON an extern
sive scale has practically been stopped
and the dredging OF the harbor and nu-
merous improvements that We're intended
have had 10 be delayed on this account
All these causes combined have tended
10 raise a spirit Of dissatisfaction TO say
noting Of the long delay in the payment
of the employees who are paid from Hav-
ana. A..
Am this province in the course 81 the
next three weeks there will only he the
four REGULAR regiments and the Eighth
Immunes A regiment of cavalry is badly
needed in the Department TO TOOK alteI
the Cubans taking to the woods.