Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-08-02
CUBA 5 FUNDS ARE LOW
Heavy Falling OFF in Customs
Receipts Causing Great
Uneasiness.
Cubans Discouraged and Annex
alton Talk Is Again
Revived.
Sanitary Plans OF the Island
Are Being Neglected..-Many
Problems.

Washington. Aug. 2.-The economic
conditions in Cuba are causing uneas-
mess in administration circles The
icustons receipts at Havana are no
/ longer reported daily, and this is said
1 to be deu To the fact that they have
| fallen off heavily in the last two
months While Col. Taskar Bliss of the
4 United States army was in charge of
the Cuban customs the average daily
/ receipts amounted to $4,000. Ii is re-
| ported that they have fallen off to less
| than ne-quarter that amount, and on
some days have reached $4,000
There are other rumors regarding
| Cuban customs that are disturbing, and
there is some anxiety over the new re-
! public lest President Palma and his as
sociates in the government become dis
couraged and give up the effort to keep
| it going in a conservative way.
Governor Wood left a number of
| American officers in Havana to aid the
| CubanS with their experience in hand
| ling the customs service and the sani-
tary regulations. These officers have
nearly all returned to Washington.
| They are not inclined to give their rea-
sons to the public but they have re-
ported to the war department.
Several clerks who remained for a
| time in Havana are also back in Wash
| ington occupying less salary than they
| had in Cuba. They are not allowed to
| talk.
| ii is not a matter of surprise that the
customs receipts should decrease, since
| the Cubans have not been able to dis
| pose of their sugar crop and are unable
| to buy as they would. 1t is not SUR
| prsing that the Cubans should be dis
| couraged in their efforts to make their
receipts cover the expenses of their
government. This condition is said to
| have revived the talk of annexation
among the Cuban planters.
| 1t is predicted by some of the officers
who were in Cuba with Gen. Wood that
| before congress meets next winter there
will be a strong movement for annexa-
tion in Cuba just as there was in Ha-
waii a few months after the indepen-
dent government was inaugurated. The
planters have been so m-@h discour-
aged by their failure to secure recinro-
city with the United States that they
are talking annexation.
Sanitary Plans Neglected.
1t is not through animosity toward
the present Cuban government, but
with the hope of saving themselves
from bankruptcy and ruin. that they
seek annexation. The reduction of the
4 >,,1.,,
eminent to curtail its expenditures, and
i; is doing this in some of the most
Important reforms inauguiated by the
United States while in control
1t is neglecting the sanitary measures
linaugurated by General Wood In Hav-
ara and Santiago. There is already
fear of a new outbreak of yellow fever
in those cities Should such danger
appear ii will be incumbent on this
government to inquire why the sanitary
measures have been abandoned after
the Cuban constitutional convention
adopted the Platt amendment, provid-
ing that Cuba should execute plans of
sanitation to be mutually agreed upon
to prevent the recurrence of epidemic
and infectious diseases.
Without any desire to embarrass the
Cuban government the United States
government must insist on the contin-
uance of these plans of sanitation as a
means of protecting this country from
yellow fever
Watch Situation With Concern.
Governor Wood stamped out the
disease and made Havana and Santiago
ports as safe as any in the world for
communication With the ports of the
United States. He showed that by
sanitation this dread disease could be
held in check and eradicated.
The Cubans are already neglecting
many of the sanitary precautions fol-
lowed by General Wood. and are getting
back to their old ways in the cities. The
surgeon generals of the army and navy
are watching the situation with con-
Germ. and fearing Il recurrence of yell
low fever in Cuba.
The whole situation is said to be most
embarrassing to President Palma in his
experiment of plotting Cuba as an in.
dependent government With expensive
machinery and a reduced income. 1t
may drive the whole Cuban people to
seek annexation before congress meets
in December