The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-06-20
LATEST REPUBLIC
Trials and Tribulations Of the
Island Of Cuba.
STORY OF IT'S INVASION BY SPAIN

R8WBOkS 4
FROM Its Discovery by Columbus Up /.
to the Present Tme-What Amert- !
cans Have Done For h Good VI
the Isaa- !,
The islar,d Of Cuba, which has JUST
started out under Uncle Sans aus
pices as the youngest American repub-
lie. ts associated with the very begin
ming of American history, says the
Philadelphia Times. Cuba was the
island reached by Columbus on
his first transatlantic voyage IN 1897,
and 1t was named Fernand1na IN hOn-
or of it's d~iscoverer's royal patron. MOI
until after the death Of Columbus, VINO
died with the belief that it was q part
Of a great continent, was there an IN
vasion Of the island from the neighbor-
ing Spanish colony Of Hsspanola, wnere
1t was believed that there were rlcn
mines in Cuba. The natives oHereu
little resistance to the armed force sem
TO subdue them, and Don Diego YEAS
uuez was appointed governor IN loll.
| During his rule Velasquez founded
many towns, introduced b systematic
cultivation of sugar cane and hr1niy
established the slavery of the aboflgi-
mes, a system that was not abolished
until 1888, when the efforts Of Padre
Las Casas secured the almost univer-
sal release Of the natives.
From 1911 to 1907 the island was IN
termittently racked by violent dissen-
sions among the Spanish officials n
oyerrun by pirates Of all nations. I'm
most memorable event of this period
was the departure from Havana OF
Hernando de Soto with a fleet brought
from Spain to accomplish the conquest
Of Florida.
From 1907 to 1852 the island lay In q
state Of lethargy, but on jun +, l76z,
an event occurred which awoke Spain
to some realization Of the worth OF
Cuba. A large English squadron, Win
) 10000 men, under the Duke OF Albe-
marie, suddenly appeared of Havana
and laid siege to the town, which was
taken after stout resistance by d u
numbered and surprised garrison. From
this time until July, 1903, the English
held the north Of Cuba, imported negro
q labor, shipped in much European mer-
-chandise and gave the first impetus
which pushed Cuba from her old leth-
argy toward the development OF her
, latent wealth. In 1868, by the treaty
: of Paris, which ended the seven years
war, Spain received back the Engllsn
seizures in Cuba. BY 1901 there wal
established a steady increase OF popu
lation.
About this time there began a series
er Of instructions on the part of the ma
y tive inhabitants, which showed thel
et desire for greater privileges and, free
w dom. In 1928 there was a society call
1g ed .soles,' headed by. IL Lemus. l
Y made plans for an uprising which wa
never accomplished. In 1929 q revolu
re tionary conspiracy of the "Black Ea
le- ples.n involving many Mexicaus, wa
NJ discovered and crushed. In 1874 tn
OF instruction of the blacks, who had tn
er intention Of killing all whites on tn
he island, was remarkable for its con
pleteness of plan. The rising in 1851 Q
ID Narciso Lopez, with 300 men, was
IN daring but short lived stroke for fret
mt dom. and it was not until 1868. whe
his the ten years. war for independence
"a instigated by the outbreak of b rev
o. luton in Spain, began, that the corte
EN- felt the full force of an expensive
W. draining struggle with a stubborn Pc
pie fighting on from year to year. Tn
ac- revolt closed in 1873, when promise
of such as representation i'll the SPANS
.el- cortes. which We're never kept, we
ed. made by Spain.
Of In 1895 the Cubans, tired of the br
,ed ken promises Of their governors al
their ministers III Spain, reyolted aga1
of as President Palma, the then insurge
representative, wrote to Wash1ngto
.sfor the same reasons as thOse viii
~ had forced them into their form
struggle The history of that w
is fresh in the memory. The sic
g struggle, carried along on the guerril
lines of past years, stretched on to t
. 80 blowing up Of the Maine In Hava:
80 harbor in 1898, the Spanish-Americ
war, the final treaty of peace and
military goyernorship conducted by
United States just ended.
eiv- Since the evacuation of Cuba
an Spain the administration Of the
'uee land by American army officers =
aes. attained in a comparatively short til
unusual results. The entire munich
ing government of the cities and tow
olu held by the Americans for three We
has been remodeled. Nficient pol
by and harbor forces have been tra11
e In and established. Sanitation, VIII
A1el. was formerly in a most PRINT
It is state, has been modernized, and e
.ons. nomic conditions, which were desI
'oint ate at the end Of the war, have b.
more relieved. Crime has been checked,
'ork- death rate has been reduced, empl
ment on public works has aided
hang poor, and by the mastering out of
for Cuban army agriculture has recei
akes. an impetus which it had not IA Il
.n~~o ~--al..ao ND = thn 81