Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-07
A FOREIGN COUNTRY
Cuba Now in That Relation
to the United States.
EFFECT OF THE CHANGE
PHRASES OF THE ENGLISH LAM
GUAGE STILL REMAIN.
Some of the Old Customs Returning
Movement for Lottery-Revenues
Keeping Fairly Up.

HAVANA, June s, INV.
How does it seem TO live in a foreign
| country? The question came to me In a
letter the other day. 1t was startling as
| showing that Cuba now is foreign as re-
CARDS the United States. Here it does not
| seem foreign.
Yet there is nothing left of the American
authority, except the artillery corps, under
! the command of Col Haskins. / do not
know where the corps is located. Anybody
who wants to know has to ask, and then go
and hunt up the artillery. That is all the
| ofense to Cuban sensibiIites of which some
| people were afraid in case any American
troops remained in the island. Seemingly
the Cubans are not conscious of their pres
ence, nor the Spaniards, nor their Ameri-
can fellow countrymen. They are friendly
troops in a foreign country, or foreign
troops in friendly country whichever way
the phrase runs in international law. The
lack of knowledge that they are here Is
only cited to show that when coaling and
naFaI stations come to be esta blished, the
shadow of the United States is not likely 70
oarken the clear sky for the Cuban re-
public
While several thousand American soldiers
ana good many civilians have gone a
few hundred remain. They are getting
along very well under the new conditions
lt is not so bad for them as some of them
thought 1t would be. They still stroll down
the prado along the malecon or sea wall
without being jostled. Whenever they have
to dispute the right of way on the narrow
sidewalks along O'Reilly or Obispo streets
notice that it is the Cuban or Spaniard
who is crowded off The American in Cuba
though in a foreign land, is managing to
take care of himself pretty comfortably.
The English Language.
1t was thought that one of the first
things n 90 he
would be the English language Officially
that is So. Actually the change is not no.
ticed. AT the palace there is an English
speaking aid, who sees that American call
ers receive courteous attention. At the
OFFICES of the various members of the cabi-
net, II they do not themselves speak Eng
ilsh, there is certain to be an under secre-
tary or assistant who does. Cubans and
Spaniards who have some knowledge of the
language still prefer to practice II with
their American friends rather than let
their American friends practice on them
In the cafes in the center Of the CITY one
hears English almost as constantly as a
year ago. In the hotels there is less be-
cause they are now filled mostly with Gu
bans from the country, who are waiting an.
pointments to Office.
Nevertheless, the official tendency neces-
sarily is toward the use of the single
tongue. Under the American authority
English was the official language, and was
81 SoiiSlIueu All the DEGREES ana orders
and official acts had to be promulgated and
published in both languages. But the
Spanish was the translation. Some won
derfui poiygiot patchwork was the result
OF formulating Latin laws in English and
then of retranslating them into Spanish.
Now, all those inconvenience are ended.
The Official Gazette contains only DEGREES
and orders in Spanish When the graceful
little speech which Minister Squiers made
on his presentation to President Palma
was printed in the Gazette in English. Sec
rotary of State Zaldo was raped over the
knuckles and told that this was not in
accordance with diplomatic usage, and that
it should have been printed only in Spanish
though delivered in English.
Other incidents of trifiing character also
show this desire to keep English the foreign
language, as it is, and must be, under a
Latin republic. Some of the ultra-patri-
otto Cuban clerks who were employed I'M
der the American authority and are con-
tinued under the present regime rejoiced
when the checks for their pay were made
out after the Spanish form, although the
payment is still in American money.
The dropping Of one language enables
some economies to be practced by the
new government. A good many translators
become "cesantes," or ex-oftice holders, be-
cause their services no longer are neces-
sary. With the exception of the custom
house there has been a marked disposition
to drop the TRANSACTIONS. In the customs
they are still needed.
Not Entirely Gone.
While officially the English language has
gone with the American authority, the
Latin republic does not seem able to get
along entirely without it. Base ball and
horse racing, which were encouraged by
the officials of the army and the civilians
from the United States, introduced many
terms which had no equivalent in Spanish.
These sports remain, though with dimin-
ished popularity, and the terms with which
how nod auiv he
pers also occasionally break out with an
English phrase or sentence, because they
have nothing in Spanish terse or ex-
pressive. These phrases may be slang, but
they are English.
In the proceedings of congress this ten
dency is very noticeable. 1t is so much
easier to call a bill bill than to explain
1t as project of law" that the congress
sional reporters are beginning to use the
word. In the same way II is so much ca
ser to call the men who control legislation
and formulate policies leaders than to des-
ignate them as 1.-The group Of patriotic and
influential personages who are concerning
themselves deeply with the welfare Of the
republic that before long leaders will
be naturalized and given Cuban citizenship
in the Latin language. Meeting" without
the G, is already at home. have also seen
the word boss" put out cautiously and
tirnidly in some of the recent criticisms Of
the leaders.
These are surface observations by for
eigner. To understand fully all that is pull
sating among the Cuban people it is peces-
sary to get into the language which they
speak and think. Then it is possible to go
below the surface.
Neither the Cubans nor the Spaniards yet
fully understand the process of popular
education which is going ON among them
selves The newspapers are filled with the
reports of the proceedings OF congress and
with the measures of President Palma's ad-
ministration. Hay ideas exist among the
masses as to the relative functions Of the
nd Of fhn iva nf4 ~,
government, as personified in the president
and his cabinet, but they are making head
way in knowledge.
The Spanish papers, in starting out with
the stated purpose Of keeping free from
Cuban politics, have to give up much space
to the new government. Its measures and
policies are of great interest to the
Spanish colony. with its control of COM
merce and industry, as to the Cuban senti-
mentalists. During the Spanish sovereignty
1T was not the custom to discuss the acts
or the policy of the government except
with hats off, and in Consequence all dis
cuSSiOn often WA e.