The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-22
FAITH IN CUBA'S FUTURE.
Representative Dovcuer Gives His
Impressions of the Island.

Representative Dovener of West Nir-
GINA returned yesterday from Cuba.
where, with party consisting of several
members of the River and Harbor Com
mittee and two other Representatives, ne
spent about four days. he trip was
made merely as preliminary to the more
serious business of inspecting harbors on
the south coast of Florida. which was the
main object of the visit to the south
made by the party
The party consisted Of Representatives,
Dovener and wife, Representative Bur
ton. Representative Morris and wife, KEEP
resentative Acheson and wife. Represen-
tative Davidson and wife. Representative
Alexander and wife, Representatives,
Moody and Gllctt
We wentg first to examine Tampa
Bay" said Mr.. Dovener at Wizards yes
terday. The people of Tampa have ask
ed so many times for appropriations for
deepening the harbor that we thought 1t
necessary to look over the ground in or
der to be able to face any committees
that may come next year. OF course
nothing was decided upon, but the pro-
ject seems to be n meritorious one. Then
we also had the harbor at the mouth OF
St. Johns River, near Jacksonville TO
look into. and the harbor at Miami, IN
Biscayan Bay That was the business
portion of the trip. Leaving Tampa Bay
we went to Key West and. dropping our
official capacity, went as a party of pri-
vate individuals to Havana.
While Havana is by no means as
cleanly looking as AN American town, Il
is wonderfully clean for a tropical town.
General Wood has done wonders. and
do not think that anything too good could
be said for him. He has worked night
and day and displays an energy in that
enervating climate that would exhaust
any ordinary man. He does not confine
his attention to Havana. There is hard
ly a municipality that he has not visited
personally and does not know about in
detail.
He goes practically unattended any
where. without any regard for his life
with perhaps only an orderly as his at
tendant.'
Mr. Dovener has confidence in the ulti-
mate supremacy of the more conservative
party in the island. He does not think
that those now at the head of affairs rep
resent by any means the best thought of
Cuba.
THE Cubans divide themselves very
definitely into two classes ne explained.
One is the office-gra bling class, that
does not represent any money 81 proper
ty. the aim of which is to gam i"depend-
ence for Cuba as quickly as possible IN
order that they may be able to gobble up
the receipts of tie customs and taNc>-
These people have no money themselves.
and have everything u gain and ching
to lose. These men have Desa aale TO in
fluence the sullible and ignorant latc rers
on the plantations in the hills, and have
thereby been able 10 gain .rdnsient
power. The other class is conservative.
They represent the business and the
money. They are anxious Tor independ-
ence. too, but they are not i'll too great
hurry for It Ihe believe that the island
has ye- some important lessons to learn
before Il Will be able to govern itself, and
consequently they are IN sympathy with
the Plat amendment.
The constitutional Convention does not
seem to be a particularly busy assembly.
We paid a visit to IL one dSv during a
recess, when, Of course, there was moth
ing being transacted on the floor. Com
mites were supposed to be in session,
but they did not seem to be particularly
busy. ! met a number of the delegates.
and it did not seem to me that they were
quite as well informed upon the trans
actions of our Congress as they might
have been. They did not seem to know
much of the debates In Congress on the Plat
amendment. and several asked me to send
them the documents. so they might read
up on the subject.
There is no doubt that Cuba has
great future, politically and financially.
selves that. since the war. the trade be-
tween Cuba and the Southern ports of
the United States has increased wonder
fully" 'H I'd. -...-s