The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-05
A Warning as to Cuba.

Beginning with the assumption that
the United States wants Cuba, an off,
Ger of the army of occupation, writing
in the North American Review for
July, gives n recipe for getting 1t
along the lines of least resistance. He
correctly believes that American pub
lie sentiment would not support an ad-
ministration which should attempt to
annex Cuba by force, that, in other
words, the only way to get Cuba is to
secure a voluntary proffer of it from
the people thereof; and he then con-
siders what policies of administration
would be most likely to induce or facil-
itate such proffer his conclusion be-
ing that 'if we hope for the eventual
annexation Of Cuba we should at once
fix an early date for our withdrawal
from the island and for the redemption
of our pledge to the Cuban3 and to
the world. We will then withdraw
with honor; and We shall leave in the
hearts of the Cubans sense of oblga-
tion that, added to a community of in
terests, will someday bring about the
union"
We went into Cuba, this officer re-
minds us, dsclaiming "any disposition
or intention to exercise sovereignty,
jurisdiction or control over said island,
except fer the pacification thereof" and
we solemnly asserted our determination
when pacification shall be accom-
to n nd
the control of the island to its people"
This is our pledge-Wise or unwise, II
obviously must be kept. Is paciflcGtion
accomplished? This writer gives an
affirmative reply. "City for city" he
says, "the towns of Cuba are more
peaceful and orderly than those of the
United States. There never was a more
docile. quiet people" Last December
our generals thought We should need
$4,000 soldiers 20 keep the peace in
Cuba Today they have less than 12.-
oar and these have nothing to do
Stories of brigandage are grossly eX-
aggerated but where true represent a
smaller percentage Of lawlessness than
is continuous in our own frontier com
munlties. As for the danger that upon
would fall to cutting each others
throats, the officer from whom we are
quoting dismisses it by saying: The
Spaniards in Cuba do not need oul
help. They are forgetting their hate
for Cuhans in their overwhelming hate
l,1s.. F,.
way, they are exciting the suspicion OF
the Cubans against US. They hope tc
make common cause with them agains
us, TO force them into an attitude OF
hostility to us, and, independence once
achieved. to throw Cuba, as far a:
trade relations go, into the arms oi
SPAIN"
The officer gives a picture Of Ameri
can military rule in Cuba which 1:
most discouraging. 1t is too full of de
tails to be quoted; but in substance HI
shows that our generals, with the bes
Of intentions, but utterly ignorant o.
the peculiar susceptibilities of the ma
tives, have, by their brusque, direct anC
often dictatorial manner. by their in
ability to get into the hearts Of tn,
people and by undue emphasis upon tn,
military instead of the civil way o
doing things, filled the island Will
smouldering irritation. This has no
peen helped by the lordly manner II
which the American private soldier
when not under the eye of an officer
shows his contempt for the "dago" ma
tive. His contemptuous attitude cut
deeply into the Cuban's inordinat
pride but the Cuban says nothing a
the time; he nurses the wound and tn
resentment. Worst of all. under tn
drifting policy of military oc
;upation capital is unwilling I
invest the industries of tn
sland, which should be our tirs
,oncern, remain moss grown an
tagnant. the laws are neither Ameri
can in spirit nor wholly Spanish bu