Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-26
SAN TlAGO De cURA
The Most American City on
the Island.
A NEW SCHOOL HOUSE
COMMON PEOPLE LEARNING TO
SPEAK ENGLISH.
Politics the Chief Topic, Business Is
Dull-Developing tho Mines
Agricultural Resources.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

| Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
| SANTIAGO DE CUBA. April q. 1902.
Santiago, with its Spanish traditions and
| It's radical Cuban politics. Is the most
! American city In the island. There Is no
| contradiction In this statement. The as
| phalt pavements. the clean streets, the good
| roads which were begun when General
Wood was In command, the splendid new
| school house on the hill. which was partly
| built by gift from Boston, are al char
| acteristic of an American town.
The Spanish colony, which is very strong
and very intense in its mother country pa
| triotism. does not like to see so many signs
of Americanization, neither do the Cubans.
who thought that by keeping up the revolt
against Spain for forty years they would
have Cuba of their own, without what they
call 1.-The mark of the alien race" But Span
lard or Cuban, whatever his sentiments. is
forced to admit what he sees going on
about him. Americanism in the eastern end
of the island has taken root too deeply to
be destroyed. though on the surface the
| soil may seem unfruitful. These patent signs
should make Americans more patient with
| the radical politics of Santiago province
and with Santiago politicians, who, In fact,
| are not nearly so hostile as they make
| themselves out to be.
Result Of Americanization.
| I have had the Americanization of San
| tiago impressed upon me In a dozen ways.
| 1t came first In paying the bills of hack
| men, BARRIERS, bootbiacks and the other
| petty expenses which make such a hole In
| the travellers pocket book. had come into
| town with a pocket full of Spanish silver,
| careless as to what the circulating medium
| might be.
Nobody would have it. Everybody was
| surprised that al old resident of Cuba
| should be trying to pass off Spanish silver.
| 1t was forgetfulness on my own part, for
| knew that one of the first results Of the
American military occupation had been to
establish a single circulating medium.
! Thirty thousand troops who were here af-
| ter the surrender put the American money
| into circulation and kept it going. The re-
suit was to drive out the Spanish gold and
| silver in business transactions. At the
| bank they told me that 1t was very rare in
deed for the old Spanish basis of gold and
! silver to be used in the larger transactions.
| The evidences of the senses showed that in
| the small transactions it is not used at all.
| 1t Is pity that Santiago's example could
not have been followed throughout the is
| land If that had happened one of the grav-
est tasks Of President Palma's government
| would have been made easy. This is to
| remedy the evils caused by the existence of
| two or three circulating mediums.
Learning to Speak English.
| Another proof of America nization Is in
| the language. The cab drivers all know
some English. They take you to San
| Juan Hill or Ell Caney and tell the main
| points of the battles They can also argue
| their overcharges in very clear English.
| With the BARRIERS and bootblacks it Is the
| same. The lad who blacks my boots on
| the hotel portico assures me that he gives
| in aptio 10 =
| talk slang. but in very precise language
| tells me that he goes to the public school
| and has a lesson in English every morning
! In most of the cigar shops and the retail
| stores the clerks resent the effort to talk to
| them in Spanish. They want to practice
| their English.
Out in the country the other day a fine
| looking young fellow came trotting up on a
Cuban pony and saiuted, my companion
| and myself in this wise: Good afternoon
! hope you find yourselves well this morn
ing. 1t was not bad try and we encour-
| aged him: Il learned some English" he
| said, "in Santiago. When l get back there
| go to school and learn some more En-
| glish." He was a jewelry peddler and had
| been over in the French muIatto settlement
in the coffee mountains. They talked
| French there he explained, but 1 prefer
| to talk English" Several times he dropped
behind and we thought he had disappeared
give us fresh greeting. His disappear
| ances were to enable him to think out some
| new sentence in English
These are a few instances among In
| Vulnerable ones. They are petty and would
not be worth mentioning except that they
illustrate broad general fact. They are
a corollary to the handsome new school
house the hill. Spanish will be the
language In that school and in other
schools. as it should be, but English will
be taught because there Is a strong de-
mand to know the language of the North
Americans How strong it Is begun to
| appreciate when a radical Cuban editor
| after arguing that he was glad the Amer
leans were going. tried to say goodbye, but
| compromised on welcome"
knowledge Of Politics.
Another sign of Americanization is in the
| knowledge shown here Of politics in the
| United States 1t Is more intelligent and
more thorough than in Havana. Santiago
| has accepted the benefits of military rule
| while protesting against military authority,
| from its inherently arbitrary nature. At
| the same time it's politicians have shown
| CROUCH understanding Of the American peo-
| pie to know why the military authority
would command popular support in the
| United States so long as it was achieving
| results in Cuba.
| On this subject heard a fine tribute from
one Of the leaders of the radical Cubans, a
man of intellectual force and of eminence
| In his profession. 1--WE have not complaint
ed he said. "of the American military Off
| GERS. because there has been nothing about
them Of which could complain. They
have been American gentlemen. What we
have objected to is the military authority
in essence, because 1t is essentially despotic
| and without responsibility to the people
over whom 1t set up" He also praised
| General Whitside. who has been in COM
mand in the province.
Santiago. while 1t understands politics In
| the United States, bubbles with it's own
politics. More turmoil has been experienced
| here than in any part Of the island. The
| fight of the factions has heen fiPrcpr and
the line of division has been more clearly
| drawn: They have had election riots and