Evening star., 1901-03-27

even-handed justice is not being meted out.
At present, / desire in this connection to
add only that from information accorded
me / am convinced that neither the ad-
ministration nor Gen Wood Is at all re-
sponsible for the delay, which, regardless
OF what the verdict may be, ought to come
to an end in the near future
Surprise I'm Havana.
"To the average American visitor Havana
affords many surprises. not the least OF
which are some features of it's social life.
One of these Is the Centro Asturfano,
unique club of twelve thousand members,
rich and poor alike, which had the pleas
ure of visiting Each member pays into the
treasury $50 a month. which affords an
aggregate monthly income of $4,000.
1.-The organization is an old one, and has
been the recipient of many considerable be-
quests, so that it is quite largely endowed
1t owns a large three-story building neal
the PradO, in the center of Havana. On
the second floor Is a large, handsome hall
filled with tables, at which men were play
ing chess, checkers and other games, Dut
none of a gambling character. AT right
angles to this hall and continuation OF II
was another, in which were billiard ana
pool tables. Passing by these, we came TO
the open door of a room and. looking In,
we saw man at a blackboard fnstructing
a class of about twenty young men In hlsn-
er mathematics. the subject being loga-
rithms. Billiards and pool on one side OF
the partition and 1ogarithms on the other
struck me as being unique in club life
Passing along, We saw other apartments
each with its class of students. In the
third story Is another spacious hall, where
are held the principal assemblies and social
gatherings of the organization. On one or
the walls was list of the physicians. dem
lists and other professional men-amonS
the very best in Havana-whose services
are free to the members of the club. The
organization also owns flfty-four acres OF
land within the city limits, in the center
of which are commodious hospital build
ings, where members of the club receive
gratis medical and surgical attendance.
Il was informed that there are othcl
similar organizations in Havana, one OF
which has several thousand members The
conservative, careful manner In which
business is done Is another source Of sur
prise One day, to my astonishment. q
Cuban said: There has been no business
failure in Havana since the war began
The next day a Spanish banker corrobo-
rated this statement with an evident feel
ing of pride in the sound methods of doing
business which generally obtain In Havana.
The streets of Havana are as clean rs
those of any city in the United States, not
excepting Washington.
Good Work of Gen. Wood.
General Wood and his assistants do
ing prodigious amount of work, and ar.
doing it exceedingly well. 1t is impossiblo
to form a true idea of how great and ardu-
Is this labor without visiting the isl
and. The general has taken dirty olo
Spanish cavalry barracks, infantry bar
racks and caSt-on buildings of other kinds
and transformed them into comfortable
thoroughly clean and well-appointed hos
pitfalls. reformatOrieS, kindergartenS and
asyIums. He has established a laboratory
which in most important particulars Is rs
well equipped as any in the United States
i visited number OF these institutions.
In one, formerly Spanish cavalry bar
,~,ltru Il r S11l zrIt HI
pool of filth. but now clean sweet-smelling
and wholesome. with modern plumbing and
sanitary arrangements complete, saw
about ninety fatherless. motherless. home
less little girls. from four to eight years of
age. collected from all over Cuba-the
driftwood of the island. / was told that
when brought to the institution many of
the poor little things were apparently ig-
norant of even the commonest of civilized
habits
Now. in this cleanly. comfortable home.
provided by the forethought of an Ameri
can officer, they are being taught the
things which. by and by will help them
to lead useful and happy lives 1 visited
another similar institution. which was
tablished by Gen Wood, few miles out
in the country, where observed the same
happy conditions The principal prison OF
the island is located in Havana. and at the
time of my visit contained $50 inmates
doubt If there be in the United States
penitentiary more Immediately clean and
thoroughly we'll kept
Gen. Wood and his aids are also devoting
attention to the care and renovation of the
fortresses and other ancient places of in
terest in and about Havana, hereafter to be
Mecca for tourists. All of the local po-
litical offices throughout the Island of
Cuba are occupied by Cubans. who are thus
being taught practical local self-govern-
ment as necessary preliminary to their
successful conduct of the affairs of the
Cuban republic.
Surplus in the Treasury.
Gen. Wood has been doing all of these
things with the island moneys, and vet,
notwithstanding these great expenditures.
the treasury now has a surplus of 81. 500 900.
1 have heard Gen Wood and his methods
severely criticised, both In this country
and in Cuba. Some of his critics are un-
dOubtedly sincere in their criticisms, but
cannot help but believe that the faults they
find are of no real Importance when COM
pared with the great good that he has
done Gen. Wood is in many respects an
extraordinary man. His training ply
sician and his thorough knowledge of hy-
giene have tended to broaden his Sympa-
thies. and have enabled him to understand
and appreciate things vital to the future
health and happiness of the Cuban people
which Il man of military training only
would not so easily comprehend. He is
man OF tireless energy, with big heart,
which. fortunately, does not operate as
in any wise to soften his head
Il do not wish to exaggerate, nor to over
indulge in SuperlativeS, but. in my opinion,
Gen Wood. in what he has done, and is
doing. for Cuba and her people, Is the
greatest practical reformer in the world.
Some Cubans already understand this. for
they have told me. By and by they
will all understand it. Ii will be well for
the Cubans if he be permitted to finish his
work