The Washington times., 1901-08-05
A new PROBLEM FOR CUBA.
Islanders Exercised Over the QUes'
ti0n of Immigration.
Complaint Against the Importation
of Negroes by Sir William van
Horne's Company-Precaut Not
Taken Spanish Settlers Wanted.

Taken Spanish Settlers Wanted
HAVANA Aug AFTER the economic
problem and the political campaign, per
haps the most important question now
coming up for settlement relates to imml-
grafton. Here in Cuba the number oi
farmhands continues to grow less every
day and this is also true of other klnus
of workers industrial and agricultural
European immigration to different parts
of America continues but without refer
ence to this island Here no serious ell
fort has vet been made by the powers
that be TO take up for consideration and
action this extremely important question
All that has so far been done in this re-
spect is limited to a few slight efforts
too soon vanished and apparently forgot
ten
But this is a matter that cannot be
easily brushed aside. 1t demands earn
est and serious attention, because much
of the future welfare of the island Is
wrapped UP in it In Cuba, as in many
parts of the United States. every day
sees an increase in the towns and cities
of the numberless crowd of aspirants for
public office. for positions of high ana
low degree. The number of those who
flock to the centres of population to seek
a means of earning a living in various
commercial and mercantile occupations,
notably in the manufacture of tobacco,
grows apace And while the number thus
increases of those who in the cities live
at the expense of the producers of wealth,
the population Of the fields, of the farms
and plantations decreases. and 1t is be-
canning more difficult every day
To find workingmen who are willing to TIL
4Al.4
The dangers which arise from such an
abnormal state of things are no remote.
They are only too near at hand, as the
newspapers are beginning to find out and
the public is beginning to understand. BY
no means the least or more remote Is the
possibility, which has in several cases be-
gun to be fact, that the foreigners who
have already invested capital in the
island and those who may hereafter do 50
will take advantage of the decrease of
farm laborers to start toward Cuba cur
rents of Objectionable immigration, which
in time will afford new elements of dis
order and constitute a grave menace TO
the future welfare of the island, both on
account of the sources from which the
immigrants are brought and because In
many instances they will be difficult of
assimilation by the present population.
As the chief organ of the commercial
element in Havana pointed out The other
day this is exactly what has happened
already. In spite of the promise Of Sir
William Van Horne's Cuba Company TO
bring in ten thousand Spanish workmen
at once, and as many more as might be
needed. it seems that the! prefer negroes
from Florida and Jamaica. Many of
these have lately arrived at Santiago de
Cuba and it is announced by the man
egement. If the press of the interior may
be credited. that this importation Of ia
maican and Florida negroes will be con-
tinued as far as the Cuban company con-
siders convenient
II is for this and similar reasons that
Cubans and Spaniards alike have every
now and then complained that an Ameri-
can conlr any. concerned more with pro-
noting its private interests than with the
welfare of the island. has undertaken TO
build the Central Railway with no other
rule than its caprice. and no other law
than its will and wish. and ali without
any objection on the part of the authori-
tics, who ought to keep the industrial
and mercantile activity of the company
within reasonable bounds. OF course.
nearly everybody agrees tiat the Central
Railway should be constructed: nor is it
necessary to rehearse the reasons why
the construction of this backbone line
should be completed. But this must be
done with due regard for the interests OF
the public. Neither the public welfare
nor the future of the island should be
compromised or jeopardized. Otherwise
the construction of the railroad will be
too costly. and, so far from being useful
to the country, will in the end cause its
ruin.-
After the decision of the Porto Rican
cases by the Supreme Court it was known
here in Havana that the Treasury De-
partment at Washington was considering
how TO prevent undesirable immigrants
from getting into the United States by
way of Porto Rico Congress never
guarded this gate as carefully ii
might, and it is only necessary for the
Objectionable class of immigrants to get
safely into that island in order to go 10
the United States at pleasure. To guard
against this the United States Govern
ment has taken precautions To keep out
the prescribed classes there, and to watch
carefully the departures from Porte
Rican ports TO the United States.
No such precautions have as yet been
taken in the case of Cuba The Cuban
Immigrant door has not been guarded in
say that Cuba is foreign territory, and
that, therefore, the United States cannot
adopt the same precautions with regard
TO Cuba as have been adopted in the ease
of Porto Rico. There is other Gov
ernment here than that established and
maintained by the United States and
Cukans and Spaniards alike are power
less to apply the remedy The danger
& one for Cuba as well as for the United
States. From Havana to Florida the dis
tance is hundred miles. and travel is
contant between the States and the island
Naturally. smuggling Of unlawful irnmi-
grants must be looked for through this
channel. 1t is common talk in the streets
of Havana that a great deal OF that sort
oil thing has been done, Cinnamon being
willing to pay SO piece Tor a safe land
ing in the Southern ports of the United
StItes.
Some discussion has taken place In the
local press concerning the probability Of
Cuba becoming a halfway house for pau
perS-Sand disea sed persons from abroad.
Criminals and convicts in many instances
are willing and able to pay for round
about trip by way Of Cuba to tho United
States. IL The circumlocution aids In COW
ering their tracks. The Chinese VIII 90
anywhere. endure any hardship. and pay
almost anyy price for the privilege OF
reaching the United States, which to them
IS land of gold.
II * perhaps TOO early to write with
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