The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1901-07-31

nearer to being fully developed than
any other province.
The province of Pinar del Rio is very
largely uudeveloped. Its riches consist
principally at present Of fine tobacco
aud, and probably much Of the undo
veloped country many in the future be
successfully used for sugar culture.
Even the little Isle Of Pines holds
millions Of dollars of und.veloped
wealth in the way of marble an iron.
Its timber has been pretty well out.
merely because its small size and the
fact that vessels could easily reach it
made transportion comparatively
easy. Between the Isle of Pin % and
the mainland are famous sponge fish.
cries, and on the island in many places
are fine mineral springs, which when
investigated will doubtless prove to be
of great medicinal value. This makes
1t possible that the island will some
day beeome sn important health re :
sort, although that Of course is still
a long way off.
When asked whether he would sd
wise y lung Americans to look for op-
portunitles In Cuba, Gen. Wood an
swered: 'Of course. Where else in so
comparatively small an area within
such easy access of Of the markets of
the world can any such range of un.
developed we.lth be found? | have
the most unbounded faith in Cuba. If
L were millionaire looking for invest.
ment certainly should bring my money
hers, knowing what 1 know Of Coba's
dormant wealth"
Interrogated about the people of
Cuba, Gen. Wood replied
am glad to have chance to say that
with every day have been in Cuba my
admiration for the Cubans has incre.s-
ed. The Cubans have their faults, but
they have no more than the average
run OF plain humanity, and it must be
remembered that they have labored un-
der many disadvantages. The Spsni
ards on the island are as fine a class of
people as L ever knew. They are hon
est, industrious, and as faithfu,i in their
devotion to the island as If no war with
Spain had ever happened. The word
of the average Spanish merchant il .s
good as his bond. | have heard almost
no complaint about sharp dealing
among Spanish merchants. The native
Cuban Is good farmer, whether as the
owner and mansger of plantation or IS
worker on it. Most of the professional
men In Cuba also are native Cubsus,
and many of them are of great ability.
The Cuban physicians and lawyers are.
as a rule, good men; these are the great
elements of strength in the population.
The element OF weakness is the drift
ing population of the towns. This ele-
ment-which offers serious problem
is direct and natural out ONE of the
long war with Spain; it will gradually
eliminate itself, however in all prob.
ability. So far as morals 20, the pop.
ulstion here will average up about ss
other populations average, ISsuppose.
L will say this emphatic ally; the aver.
age. OF crimes against property and
against person Is much smaller than
we have any right to expect in the cir
cumstaDccs. After the war there were
many bandits 10 the country; they have
disappeared. There were bandits in
our own country after cur Civil War"
The correspondent here diverges to
cote the outcome of sensational let.
ter from the head of the Cuban cigar
trust indicating that the tobacco region
was overrun with bandits. Inquiry
By the American officials proved that
this alarmiss letter WAS based on a
sheer invention; that thore were no
b,nditti whatever. On this point Gen.
Wood said: There is no more need
for the traveller in Cubs to fesr violence
than there is need for man to expect
assassination on the most quiet and
peaceful street Of the calmest village in
the United States. should not hest
tste-this with emphssis-''t put my
wife and baby into volante q two
wheeled carriage peculiar to the coun.
try districts) with only the driver, and
he unarmed, and send them over any
road in Cuba. They might drive from
here to Santisgo in this way without
giving me one qlslm Of fear that they
would be molested by robbers or other
lawiess PERSONS" Could there be
stronger testimony than this2
Gen. Wood expressed himself rs sur
prised to see in American papers con-
slant reports of Cuban hostility toward
the United States and pronounced them
'ceri ainly not true. 1--WE have done, I"
said, 'all that we could do to meet any
Just and reasonable demands Of the
Cuban people, and they have certainly
done great deal TO show their sppre-
citation of what we have done"
1t was predicted by the governor gem
erAl that if the commercial and agri-
cultural elements Of Cuba would enter
the struggle of politics and accept office
good government could be formed.
He believed in and had advised, he
said, the reduction Of duties by the
United States on Cuban sugar and to-
bacco, and the Cubaus would be more
than willing TO give corresponding and
oompensatipg reductions on American
produts, affording to the United Sta tes
a magnificent market for almost all
manufactured goods, and for the sugar
ma ,hinery."
1t was pointed out by Gen. Wood
that the Cuban municipalities were be-
iug assisted, but assisted out Of Cuban
funds drawn from customs and inter.
nal revenue taxes. "All of tho expenses
of the United States troops, as to the
building Of cImps and barracks and
the cost of sanitary york of the whole
island has also been paid from the
Cuban funds" This is fac. that is
hsrd to get into the heAd0 of some of
our imperialists; they cherish the the
ory that the United States is paying
out money for Cubs's rehabilitation.