Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-01
To Be Solved by fastening the Date
Of Independence.
REVOLUTIONARY PARTY TO CONTROL
Americans and Cubans Drifting
Further Apart.
Drifting
WHAT THE LATTER WANT


Written for The Evening Star.
There Is no question as to the purpose of
the administration to withdraw the hand
of the United States from Cuba as soon as
this car possibly be accomplished. 1t Is
equally certain that this intention Is only
the development of the past two or three
months and did not exist during the early
occupancy of the island by the American
forces This change of purpose has been
brought about, first, by the difficultles
which have arisen from the remarkable
relations borne by the United States to
Cuba, and secondly, by the hopeless tangle
into which affairs have finally gotten In the
effort to maintain these relations with
profit and credit to both parties.
What Was mt First Expected.
During the first year of American adj
ministration of Cuban affairs 1t was De-
lieved that the annexation sentiment would
prevail In course Of time, and that the
United States flag would never be re-
moved from Cuban soil, not because It was
maintained there by force, but that this
would be the will of the people of Cuba.
With this theory as a foundation for
action, it was the intention to thoroughly
police the island, adjust all Of the various
branches of the government 10 III AmeIl-
can ideas, give the Cubans home rule in
happy and employed. 1t was no part of
the plan that Cuba should do anything
without the consent of the United States,
or that there should be any Cuban army
or Cuban navy as distinct from that or this
country.
AT first this plan worked well enough
Six months after the Americans entered
Havana the annexation sentiment certainly
was strong, and while things were going
slowly, it appeared that both parties to
the arrangement were satisfied.
The Revolutionary Party to Control.
Since the Spaniards were driven from
Cuba the fear of all foreigners and nearly
all men Of large property in Cuba has been
that the United States would abandon the
island to the heroes of the late war; and
it is believed now that If the United States
leaves Cuba to herself next week, or a
year from now, the revolutionary party
will be In control Of the island. to it's in
evitable disturbance and retrogresston
Many of the conservative Cubans say that
the United States did nothing for Cuba,
and perhaps more harm than good when
she drove the Spaniard from the island but
to put the power in the hands Of more
ignorant, less capable and more dishonest
faction of the people.
The Sooner the Better.
Two months ago. after Secretary Root
visited the island, the situation seemed to
have become hopeless.
The only solution Of the difficult problem
seemed to be to carry out in the spirit, as
we'll as the letter. the promise made to the
Cuban people that they should be made
free and Independent. and the sooner the
better. In the wording of the call for a
constitutional convention some time before
such a call had been originally contem-
plated, the United States authorities at
tempted to retain some control over the
politics of Cuba by announcing that when
the constitution was framed at this con-
vention Cubas relations to the United
States would be defined. The wary Cubans
were pleased at this evidence of haste, but
they Immediately smelt a rat in the clause
mentioned, for they have not only pro-
tested against it in every publication in
the island and on the stump, but they have
sent delegations of prominent citizens to
Washington to present such protest by
word of mouth A majority Of the consti-
tutional convention will be Of the national
or revolutionary party. This party Is in
favor Of giving the United States no more
than it gives any other country. This party
does not consider that the United States
has done anything for Cuba which entities
II to greater consideration than Germany,
or France, or Italy, and the Cuban leaders
announce that one of the first acts of the
new republic will be to conclude treaties of
commerce and friendship with European
nations with which they have dealt for
many years under Spanish rule.
United States Not a Favored Nation.
The constitutional convention will, there
fore, object seriously to making the United
States favored nation, and In the carry
ing out of the plan this will be waived by
the American authorities and Cuba will be
allowed TO do as her representatives see fit.
Under the present scheme 1t is doubtful
whether the American flag will fly even from
the Notifications of Havana harbor within
q ne Ara o Ct fIYV1a ha
Is to eventually arrive at the same end
which was desired during the early part of
the occupancy. 1t will take a little longer,
but it is believed that 1t will come about
In such way as to remove even the scru-
piles of those who might have claimed undue
influence if the island had declared for an
neAation under a restricted franchise.
Cuba Will He bankrupt
To those familiar with the conditions in
Cuba the only result Of a prompt and i'm
mediate withdrawal of the United States
from that island seems to be inevitable dis
order, not to follow at once perhaps, but
within a reasonably short time. A con-
gress elected by the revolutionary party
would be at once confronted with demands
for enormous amounts of money, most of
which would go into the pockets Of the
constituency. At the time of the municipal
elections 1t was decided to allow all those
to vote who could show discharge papers.
AT that time the rolls carried about 40, 600
names. Since that election has been held
1900 more heroes have been discovered,
and the total amount of money due this
army of about ~, 900 men is nearly $50 OOO,-
600. In addition to this vast amount there
are several million dollars Of Cuban bonds
outstanding, and every municipality in the
island will clamor for money for public
improvements. AT the rate at which Cuban
bonds issued by the new republic would
have to be sold 1T is probable that an issue
of at least $16O,O0O,0OO would be required to
meet the military obligation alone. The
total revenue of the island under the Amer
lean occupancy IS now about $17, 600 600 per
annum. Allowing that it could be made
SIG, 600 600 1t is evident that the interest on
the war debt alone would consume over
nne-third of the entire national incnnno