The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-30
SUNDAY. DEC. 80, 1900.
THE NEW CUBA.

1T is a matter of some general interest.
that while a new nation is in the throe.
OF birth on the shores of the Caribbean
sea, within a brief reach of the shores
OF the American republic, the American
press and the American news agencies
concern themselves so little about the
event that even the most careful readers
OF. newspapers are able to secure only the
most fragmentary account of the circum,
stances attending the great occasion.
Or course there has always been some.
thing altogether abnormal affecting the
currents of news radiating from Havana.
1t has been the same since Spain was
evacuated as it was while she was in
power. Actual, living, tangible facts are
as hard to get hold of now as they ever
were. Even Gen. Wood seems to have
fallen under the SPELL and to have been
caught in the act of giving out informa.
ton for pubic consumption, and which
was not warranted by actual conditions,
while Withholding that which was.
There are, however, occasional straws
which show which way the winds of
ottsciaiism blow down in Havana. How
ever the work of the constitutional con-
vention may eventuate we know at least
that very little if anything is being said
on the subject of the Cuban army or
navy of the future, about what Cuba's
relations are to be toward this and
Il the other nations of the world, or on whar
basis her national finances are to be es-
tablished and administered The little
scrap of intelligence which has been al
lowed to leak out concerning what kind
of. political confederacy is going to be
established was just harmless enough to
make the reader wonder whether the
future president of Cuba would be chosen
by tunta or by the people, and how and
TO what extent the elective franchise
would he exercised. Just about the time
that the average American was discov.
ering some human interest in the news
reports from that convention he found
himself metapherically up a blind allev.
end there he has remained ever since.
OF course it would be hazardous to as
sumo that the recent little story pub
lshed in one OF. the magazines by Walter
Nellman is inspired. 1t certainly reads
that way, Notwithstanding the recog-
nized literary skill of its author. He tells
us, whether with the needed authority
or not, what the president believes and
Secretary Root thinks" about what
would be best for the Cubans. And this
believing and thinking has certainly an
ominous sound for the Cubans. as well
as for those who believe that this nation
is under obligation before the world to
fulfill its most sacred pledges.
If Mr.. WcIlman is in any sense an ora
cte the- new Cuban republic will be
unique as free and independent nation.
There may be some question as to wheth-
er England did reserve to herself suzerain
rights in the TransvaaI republic; but
there will be no such question raised
concerning the relations" between the
Cuban republic and the United States
unless Mr.. Wellman happens, in the pop
aular pariance, to be talking through his
hat. For the new Cuban republic is not
likely to have either an army or navy.
1t will have farmed out the right to make
treaties. and it cannot negotiate nation
al loan. It will be, of course none the
less palpably the "free and independent,
state of Cuba; but its possession of the
distinctive characteristics of free ma
- ton will be, so to speak. in -chancery.
1t is best not to take the little fee.er of
MIR. Wellman, if it is a feeler, too serious
~. nor indeed to attach too much impor-
lance to the beautifully evasive phrase
ology of all recent American official ut
terances relating to Cuba. We can wait.
All things come to those who wait We
will not have long to wait to learn what
all this enforced silence and patent am
bIguity means. Let us hope that the Gu,
bans will have no longer TO wait for the
realization Of their freedom and inde-
pendcnce than we viii have to wait to
learn Just what the relations" are