The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-02-20
Mai. Runcie on cuban Affairs.


In the February number Of the North
American Review appeared an article by
Mai j. 2. RunCie The writer seems to
have made a close study OF the conditions
existent in ;he island after year Of our
occupation. and he finds as little ground
for satisfaction with the state OF affairs as
The Post has found. He refers especially
TO the mistaken policy of Installing in Of
fee the men who represented the insurrec-
ton, and notes, as The Post has already
noted. the entire willingness of these
gentry to perpetuate. now that they are
in power, every political iniquity and op-
preston OF which, two years ago, they
complained so loudly. He leaves us no
alternative save that Of concluding that
the only grievance the insurgent leaders
ever had was their inability to profit by
the governmental corruption they saw
around them, Maj. Runcie says:
1T may be stated, IN brief. that wher-
ever CUbans. under nominal American
control, have been trusted to exercise the
functions of government. the result las
been even worse than failure. The courts
ere corrupt and incompetent: the police
forces are hopelessly inefficient; the public
schools are unorganiZed; the municipali-
ties are all bankrupt dependents on a
political machine; the offices of govern
nent, high and low, are filed very
largely. with unworthy and incompetent
officials; The laws, the courts. and the
methods of procedure are unreformed;
and, finally, almost every abuse against
which Cubans rebelled and to remedy
which the United States interviewed is in
operation to-day under American author
ity. There exists throughout the island a
condition Of tame anarchy, which awaits
only the withdrawal of the American
forces TO burst out into anarchy Of an
other type"
There are just two departments Of the
public service in Cuba which Mai. Runcie
regards az having been purified and eIs-
waited, and to them he refers as follows:
"In two branches only of the pubic serv-
ice has there been great and highly sat-
iSfactoTy advance from the previously ex-
istinS conditions The receipts from the
custom houSeSNhaVe greatly increased in
spite Of the reduction IN trade due to the
exhausted condition of the island and the
reductions made in the tariff rates This
will be understood when il is remembered
that an American, an officer Of the regu.a T
army, collects and accounts for the re-
ceipts m every custom house in Cuba and
that regular officer is treasurer and an
other, is auditor for the whole island In
the department of sanitation and public
health, also. the American control has
been absolute, and no Cuban has been per
United to interfere with the operations Of
that important branch
This agrees with the conclusions reached
by eight out of ten Of our army officers
who have been stationed in Cuba during
the past fifteen months and whose duties
cave brought them into contact and asso.
citation with the class Of Cubans our au-
thorities have chosen to occupy the civil
Offices and take part in the administration
Of the government. When, however. MAI.
Runcie declares that mot one step tas
been taken toward realization Of the
purposes of the Intervention" he ignores
the census. ordained by Secretary Aiger
and so energetcalIy carried forward 10
completion by Secretary Root. That is a
step and. most important one 1t was
mysteriously delayed from month TO month
by the United States authorities in Cuba.
although it was known 20 be an indis-
pensable precedent 10 any realization of
the solemnly declared purposes Of our in
E lfINtItlbiir anu l4hl until the W at DEPART
ment took It in hand. independently of
the Havana government, was there the
slightest prospect of its consummation.
Gen. Alger lost patience at last. however.
and ordered the census, so that now the
way is open for the popular elections
through the medium of which the Cuban
/ people may declare themselves.
Maj Runcie must not overlook this
step" though 1t is still a fact that no
good may come of ii. There still remains
! the possibility that the Havana govern
ment may nullify all the benevolent and
/ enlightened efforts of the War Depart-
ment BY opening the polls TO the nIiterate
and shiftless classes and placing property.
culture, and civilization at the mercy of a
vicious and irresponsible prO1etariat THAT
| Gen. Wood may protect US all against this
/ calamity is the prayer of every one who
wishes peace and prosperity and the name
OF honor and good faith for the United
/ States.