New-York tribune., 1901-04-24
WOOD HERE, TALKS OF CUBA
THE GENERAL THINKS CONDITIONS ARE
GOOD AND THAT THERE IS NO
UNFRIENDLINESS.

Brigadier- General Leonard Wood. Military
| Governor OF Cuba, arrived here from Havana
| last night the steamer MORO Castle. He
| proceeded Immediately TO Washington by the
Pennsylvania Railroad. one Of whose tugs, the
| President met him the Ward Line pier and
took him to Jersey City. He was met at Quar-
antine by newspaper men, who came up to the
pier with him on the steamer.
He appeared to be in the best Of health and
talked freely of the conditions in Cuba. His OBJ
1ect in coming to this country, he said was
that Of introducing the commission from the
Cuban Constitutional Convention. which is now
its way to Washington by way of Florida
He said he would start for Havana again on
Thursday, going by way of Jacksonville.
In speaking of Cuba he said:
Everything is tranquil in Cuba at present
Our soldiers and citizens travel through the
island as freely and safely as they do in TINS
country. Less than two years ago the Ameri-
cans dealing out 100000 rations day
Not ration is being dealt out to-day. There
We're only a few schools when the United States
took control. There 10000 children
enrolled in the public schools. OF these, l32ooo
are attending school There are no beggars in
Havana Just before l started Lieutenant Lit
tlebrant. of the 9TH Cavalry. reported to me-
after a 6O0-mie trip through the island He
found the people everywhere friendly
Most of the stories of friction between the
United States and Cuba have no foundation in
fact. The only questions which there may
be a difference are intervention and the estab
lishment of naval stations. There are about
400 soldiers in the island present and in
TWO of the proVinces-Pinar del Rio and Puerto
Principe-there is not The relations be
tween Cuba and the United States are excellent
but there there, as elsewhere ambitious and
disappointed people who may complain. The
last case of yellow fever was reported on March
D. The Rathbone- Neely case is nearly ready
for trial.
Speaking of the Platt amendment General
Wood said:
The less said about II now. the better. The
Cuban convention knew of the desires of this
government before the Platt amendment was
passed by Congress, because the Executive had
communicated to II through the proper chan
nels the issues There has never been a
vote taken the Platt amendment by the con-
Venton. Some things akin TO 1t have been re-
Jected, but vote has been taken on the
amendment a whole. The delegates to the
convention do not understand what this govern
ment means and the Foreign Relations Com
mission has come to find out. The convention
has not adjourned, but Is in statu quo.
Continuing, General Wood said that only two
questions need be settled in order 10 open the
political question and the economic question.
The first settled, the island will be in a position
10 deal with the second THE economic ques-
ton he said, lis tax sugar. There must
be a reduction in order to establish prosperity"
The paper La Discussion" not suppressed
General Wood said The edition containing the
was likely TO cause trouble in the island Only
one copy left Cuba.
Maxine Gomez, General Wood said intended
to visit this country soon.