The times., 1901-03-22
FAITH IN CUBA'S FUTURE.
Renresenfativc Dovener Gives His
Impressions of the Island.


Representative Dovener of West Vir-
ginia returned yesterday from CUBA
where, with party consisting of several
members Of the River and Harbor Com
mittee and two other Representatives he
spent about four days. The trip was
made merely as preliminary to the more
serious business Of Inspecting harDors 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 Norris and wife Rep
resentative Acheson and wife, Represen-
tative Davidson and wife, Representative
Alexander and wife. Representatives.
Moody and Ginett
We wentA 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 It
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 a meritOrious one. Ihen
we also had the harbOr at the mouth Oh
st. Johns River, near Jacksonville, 10
LOOK lIlO. anu Ile HdIDol ctb -hiAtAAAAAi -
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 party of prl-
vate individuals to Havana.
While Havana is by no means as
cleanly looking as an American town, 1t
is wonderfully clean for a tropical town.
General Wood has done wonders, ana L
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 conhne
his attention to Havana. There Is hard
ly d 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 conservati'
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 he explained.
a
does not represent any money u proper
ty. the aim of which is to gam i"depeild-
! ence for Cuba as quickly rs possihle IN
order that they may be able TO gobDle up
the receipts Of tie customs 3nd taN1>-
! These people have no money themselves
and have eYeryt hing u gam and Cthlng
to lose. These men have Desh a'le 10 IN
fuence the gullible and ignorant latC ferS
on the plantations in the hills, and have
thereby been able - gain n transient
power. The other class is c1nservatlye.
! They represent the business and the
money. They are anxious Tor independ-
ence. too, but they are not III TOO great a
hurry for it. They believe that the island
has yet some important lessons to learn
before il will 5e aplc t0 govern itself, and
consequently they are IN sympathy with
the Platt amendment.
The Constitutional Convention does not
seem to be a particularly busy assembly.
We paid visit to IL one daV during a
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.
great future, politically and financially.
We were told and could see for our
| selves that, since the war, the trade be
| tween Cuba and the Southern ports of
| the United States has increased wonder
fully"