Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-02
THINGS ARE SIMPLY DRIFTING
TooMuch Amesieanand NotEnouph
Cuban ADMINISTRATION.
-RESTLESSN ESS

De known whether the Cubans. are capable
/ Of governing themselves until they have
| chance to do It, It cannot be said this
chance has been given them until the re-
straining authority Of the Americans has
been removed and the Cubans are thrown
| on their own responsibilities What is more,
there will be no advance at all until the
American administration announces some
| definite policy. AS said, so far as we can
| see, things are Just drifting along and
| there is a natural inquiry on our part as to
| what the United States intends to do"
The man who said this holds an impor-
tant office in the present government, but
who. Ike nearly all his confreres, does not
| curb his views or language on that account
There is little servility toward the Amer
leans among the Cuban officehoIders, for
they take these Offices as their natural
right. and begrudge to the Americans those
they are not allowed to hold. His senti-
| ments are those OF nearly all the Cubans
now in power.
1.-THE American administration of affairs?
| I asked him. He shrugged his shoulders.
The Americans did well for us when
they interviewed in the war with SPAIN
Their power is now good for the preserva-
ton Of peace. Their administration of
Cuban affairs, however. is not successful"
I asked him why and where the fault lay.
He was apprehensive of being quoted. The
fractional differences among the Cubans
are SO great when it comes to officeholding
that each one is careful not to give cause
Tor complaint politically. but he finally said:
Too American, Not Enough Cuban.
"TheSAmerican administration of Cuban
affairs has been too American and not
enough Cuban. The new methods are too
violent. The Cubans are not original
| though they will follow readily when shown
| the way. But the customs of the country
| the habit of thought of the people and their
| disposition are so different from the Amer
lean that what may be good in New York
| Is not good in Cuba; what may seem good
and wise and perfect to American does
| not always appear so to the Cuban; and
who shall say that he. knowing his own
The Cuban people are capable and
| intelligent. The world is filled with
c o.sban occupying s,,,, high positions.
ers st are ans cpaps n
| the United States. This is especially true
of South America, where you will find the
Cubans occupying many responsible posi-
tons. II they can do such things for 9TH
ers, they can do them for themselves If
they are given the chance. The Americans
are acting in Cuba on the superstition that
American ways are the only ways which
can lead to certain results which are de-
lisired. They are mistaken In this, In the
Judgment of many Cuhans. against whom
the Americans can y, nothing as to their
ntneSS Tor the highest ,OfnceS.
THE Americans seem to think that be-
cause Cuban is small in stature, thin,
and, as you say, insignificant looking. he
must necessarily be incompetent. We know
and every man familiar with life in the
tropics knows. this Is. not so. When the
Americans took hold of the telegraph lines
of Cuba they discharged many Cubans and
put Americans in their places. The results
have not been good, as you Will find by
asking the business men of the island. The
Americans criticised because the Cuban
operators took their messages on the tape.
and said this was done because they could
not read the instrument. They did not
know. perhaps, that the Spanish law re-
CURED the tape record in every office. The
Cuban can hear as well as the American,
Then there Is the post office about which
the Americans have claimed so much.
There are many complaints now from the
merchants Of Cuba. We hear them every
with any fault of the old system. but with
the American way Of doing business which
is not suited In some ways to the CONNER
cial life of Cuba
Cuban Lawyers Could Remedy De-
fects.
American laws are good in the United
States. but Americans cannot reform the
laws in Cuba. Laws made by the Americans
for Cuba will fail. There are many Cuban
lawyers perfectly familiar with the defects
| of the Spanish law in Cuba and who would
be more competent than are the Americans
to correct the defects In these laws if they
were given a chance. The Americans are
modifying the laws Of procedure in the
| Cuban courts, but it is known to lawyers
that none of these laws be changed
without affecting and disturbing other laws,
about which nothing has been done: in
brief disarranging and confusing the whole
legal system. The Cubans believe that all
this work should be left until after some
representative body has been elected to sup
1lpa1 pf ha nd M hot
civil laws should not be issued'in the shape
of orders from American army headquar-
terS."
DO you think Cuba is ready for that"
! asked.
why not? We see no reason why Cuba
cannot enter at once into her right of self
government If we are ready to elect local
bodies We are ready to elect a general legis-
lature. We will never know whether we
can govern ourselves until We try, and so
long as the responsibility can be thrown
on the Americans there it will rest. We do
not object to the presence of the Americans
here. 1t insures order until such time
real order is esta biished by the Cubans;
but we believe we should be allowed to go
ahead and govern ourselves without the
Americans trying to teach US, The Cubans
are not children or fools. We have capable
and wise men who would take up the bare
htM of government and carry 1t on teHtflai
Satisfaction of the people most Interested
the Cubans. There will never be any fsalf
test of Cuban government until there is one
without an American head"
do you think tff&teiwill be any trouble
S sns fp% do ne ste RS should there be?
There was never any trouble at the cleo
tons in Cuba undSf sl4nish rule. and then
there was universal suffrage There is talk
of these local or tS@a governments electing
delegates to genefal assembly. but I I'm
the Cubans to gevefn'a themselves in that
way We , are to Ra and see If Cuban
to bring them foryafd. HIT is an expectation
impossible of Realization
There are no PARTY fines in the coming
election: 1t will Pc one conducted on the
personality of thslcandidates. except that
do not believe siagle man will be elected
to office in Cuba unlesseile is an ardent and
open advocate of complete independence.
There is small aAHRrican protectorate
party but 1t is very unpopular with the
masses of the people
Not Pleased With Limited Suffrage.
This talk of limiting the suffrage is not
especially pleasing to the people of Cuba.
for even under Spanish rule we had univer-
sal suffrage. but it is rather a matter of