The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-07-31
TRUTH ABOUT CUBA.
What Gen. WJod Thinks of the
Island and It's Pes pie.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS.
He Says the cubans Are Like
Most Other People, No
Bitter, Nor Any Worse
Than Othe1e.

Than Oshsrs.
The current number Of The Outlook
contsins an interview with Gen. Leon
ard Wood, governor general Of Cubs,
which is very interesting. It vas re-
ported for that journal by Edward
Marshall, the American war CORES
pondent who was so badly wounded in
the battle Of Lss Guasimas, and was
transcribed for Gen. Wood and sp-
proved by him before publication. Gen.
Wood begins by declaring that ''Ameri-
can writer's have written as if We plant
ed brains in virgin soil when We enter.
ed into Cuba, as if the first bright
flicker Of honesty had lighted upthe is.
land when our Aag went up, as if intelli
gence had been unknown there before
We bought it With Us. All this is
wrong" Please observe that it is the
presidents very close friend, the head
Of the American administration in
Cuba, who says this. Surely be has
no incentive to make statement min
im;zing the influence Of his own lsbors.
Gen. Wood continues:
After the war was over Cuba was of
course practically in state Of chaos.
A man may be i'll without being an idiot
and when he is i'll he requires the ser.
vices of 6 ph7sioisn, and perhaps Of
nurses; he may even become helpless
for time without rehscting on his
normal sbility to care for himself and
work for others. So it was with Cubs.
Torn and racked by war, disorganized,
dismayed, disheartened by years Of
conAict-she was i'll when by the act Of
the American occupation We came to
help her. It would be folly to say that
she is wholly recovered. There are many
lingering effects Of the trouble through
which she had passed, but with her in
creas ing heslth she will throw them Of
as easily as We threw off those which fol-
lowed our War Of the Rebellion.
I feel no more concern about the fu.
ture Of this island than I feel about the
future Of my native State. Its resources
are 50 vast and splendid that pros
perity is sure to come. Its merchants
and planters are intelligent and ener-
getic, and under the conditions Of
peace and industry which have come
to them since the close Of the var they
will hasten the advance Of that pros
perity.
This is we'll said, and it is true. Cuba
was crippled because Of the wounds,
not the vices, Of her people.
Gen. Wood declined to discuss the
politics Of Cuba, saying that there was
''good and bad in Cuban politics" as
there was "good and bad in the poll
tics Of any country. When people cry
out that there are dishonest men in
politics in Cuba" he added, II wonder
If they ever recall to mind the fact
that there have been dishonest men in
politics at home" A home thrut, in
deed, but it has been made before with
out closing the mouths Of Cubs's eager
censors. Gen. Wood gave this attrac-
tive summary Of the natural resources
Of Cuba, resources certain to induce
great immigration, a great Investment
Of capital and great prosperity:
No house will stand without founda-
tions, no countay csn be prosperous
unless that prosperity is built upon the
God given resources Of fertility and
richness in the actual earth which
forms it. Take Cuba, province by
province. What State in cur own land
shows greater variety or greater
wealth Of possibilities.
Santiago province perhaps offers the
greatest opportunity Ct development ir
mines, in coffee, in cacao. In this one
province alone there are immense un-
developed areas Of the finest sugar
land and enough magnificent land un-
planted to equal the present total out
put CT the islsnd. Fine forests Of val
liable timber, consisting largely Of
splendid native hard woods, including
much mahogany, have never known
the az and are only waiting foi de-
Velopment to become great source Of
wealth. But Santiago's greatest riches
are mineral; its vast deposits Of cxiae
Of manganese and high grade iron-ore
are as rich as any in the world. There
are mountains almost made Of iron
which will run so per cent. to the ton
when semelted. Less is known about
copper in the province, but I known
enough to freely state that enormous
deposits exist there. Besides this,
Santiago proince in general is good
farming land and offers magnificent
agricultural opportunities to settlers,
It cannot he said that any part of Cuba
has been throughly developed; indeed
the island may be called brand-neT
country. OF all the provinces Santiago
probably holds the most Of the unde-
7eloped wealth, its greatest resources
being mineral.
Puerto Principe is good cattle coun.
try. Tnere is also much fine timber
standing in its southern part, and
much entirely undeveioped wealth in
the way Of copper and iron ores. As
phalt is another source Of riches in this
province. Much Of this asphalt is SO
fne that it is used not for paying but
for the manufacture Of varnishes. The