Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-01
CUBA INDEPENDENT
Waiting for the Result Of the Con-
stitutional Convention,
some FEELING AGAINST TIE D. s.
Effect of American Authority is
However,, Admitted.
ERSONAL OBSERVATIONS
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.


HAVANA Cuba, December %, 1900.
Cuba is nearing the recognition of a real
ity. Echoes from the United States awaken
an interest in questions of much moment
both to the American and the Cuban peo-
pie. General Fitzhugh Lees speeches and
guarded Washington statements do no
harm. They help to bring to an issue up
permost topics which foreshadow the strug-
gle between the radical and the conserva-
tism element in the island. 1t is as the
Cubans themselves call it, mot a crisis.
but the reality with which they are face to
face"
The central committee which was charged
with the duty Of drafting the constitution
thinks its work Is well enough advanced
to insure resuming public sessions early in
January. 1t also thinks that differences
which heretofore have seemed almost in
superable will be surmounted. 1 do not
pass an opinion on that point.
Nevertheless, it is well, in view Of these
confident statements, to explain the exact
conditions. The convention itself under
the original proclamation Of the governor
general was to frame and adopt consl-
tuition for the people of Cuba and as part
thereof to provide for and agree with the
government of the United States upon the
and the government of Cuba. In the United
States the notion yet obtains that the con-
vention is acting under this order. The
reverse is true. Cuban sensibiiity was
affronted by the suggestion that the rela-
tons with the United States should be
made part of the constitution. So in his
opening address to the delegates Gov. Gen.
Wood, as the representative of the Presi-
dent Of the United States, modified the
original order so that the first duty Of the
convention was to frame and adopt con-
stitution, and when that was done to form
ulate what in it's opinion ought to be the
relations between Cuba and the United
States.
An Important Notification.
This modification is important While
the Constitution makers do not find it
possible to ignore entirely the relations of
the new commonwealth with the United
States. their real work is more restricted
than appears from the original proclama-
ton. This situation explains why they
think 1t possible to agree on a Constitu-
ton and have it forwarded to President
Mckinley in order to be submitted to con-
gress at the present session.
While the central committee has been
considering the document by sections and
articles, most of the members of the con-
vention have taken advantage Of the leis-
ure afforded them to visit their constituent
cies. 1 have improved the time likewise to
spend some days in the country in order
to learn what is the state of the public
mind, for Havana is no place in which -,
gain such infOrma ton. Correspondence
with persons in various localities has sup
plemented personal observation made in the
central region of the island. AS to imme-
date affairs, 1t may be said that the peo-
pie generally are looking forward to some
thing tangible from the convention after
the holidays.
They have a political party in the prov
inces of MatanZas and Santa Clara which
staggers under the name of 1.-The democrat
republican-federar party. 1t represents
the controlling influences In politics so far
as there is such thing as politics. and it's
influen in the convention is likely to be
exerted as unit. The party does not yet
know Just where it stands on ia question
palpitante," or the burning issue Of aoso-
lutte independence, but the drift is a con-
sentative one.
Conditions in the country are tending
toward what was thought desirable by the
United States before the Cubans were called
upon to determine their own status. That
Is, the moral influence of Industrial re-
vival has had time to work. This Is es-
pecially true of sugar, which Is the chief
product of the central provinces. The mar
velous recuperation is going right along.
In spite of last years drought a heavy
crop of cane is in sight, and the planting
is from two to three times as great as
year ago. The guajiros, or countrymen.
are filling the fields, as 1t was hoped would
happen. They have time for their holiday
bales zapateos, as the country dances
are called. But in spite Of the notion that
they spend all their time at the zapateos,
the cane fields everywhere are being titled.
where have found a discontinued country