Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-10
READY FOR REPUBLIC
Preparations for President
Palma's Inauguration.
HAVANA'S HOLIDAYS
FESTIVALS WILL PROBABLY LAST
A WEEK.
All Glasses Participating in Prelimi-
naries-Good Effect Of Mr..
Palma's Speeches.
HAVANA'S HOLIDAYS
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

HAVANA, May g. 1902.
Havana Is making ready for the republic.
At first it was slow. Now it Is In the glow
and warmth of the enthusiasm which grows
as President Palma comes this way. He is
to be received as an individual, a distin-
guished parsonage, and after him the re-
public proper.
The fiestas or festivals promise to be trop-
ical. They are more ELUSIVE than in the
north. The whole city will be a mass Of
arches triurnphal and arches notable, OF
garlands and wreaths and colors and flow
ers. The fire trees, or fiamboyantes, in the
parks are in their first bloom of crimson
The laurels have been freshened by the
spring showers. and the city is more at
tractive in itself than at the later season,
when the rains are too heavy, or the To-
liage parched and dry. The Cuban dream
ers think it all symbolic, and that the re-
public is opening up like budding rose in
the spring time.
That is what one of them told me- He
has complained of everything about the
American control, but he sought to make
amends by confesSing that the season
chosen by the American authorities for
inaugurating the government was perfect.
The Real Feeling.
The real feeling is better understood by
outskirts of the city. There the prepara-
tons. il not SO gorgeous, are more extern
sive and more spontaneous. These humble
efforts should crafty President Palma
They are a genuine tribute from the people
who believe in him. and the ideal of a re-
public for which he stands. Most of them
are spending more than they ought to spend
in these decorations. Many of them will
go without breakfast and dinner to do it.
and a good many also would sell their last
shirt in order to have their share in the
demonstrations, and as a rule they do not
have large supply of shirts to sell.
Some distance away from the city 1 met
muleteer who already had his mules
decked out in the Cuban colors. There
were four of them. tandem, and each had
Its nag. The combination was a little in
congruous. but the muleteer was happy
Already he was reduced to his undershirt,
but that did not seem to worry him.
In Havana itself there is rivalry and COM
petition among the different streets and
sections. OReilly street does not propose
to be outdone- by Obispo street Muralla
means to make showing that will eclipse
both of them. Every shopkeeper on Mu-
are from the Asturias. I walked through
that street three years ago and more, when
1t was like graveyard lane. At that time
the Cuban and American colors were plen-
tiful. for the Spanish troops had Just gone.
Muralla then shut itself UP.
lime has worked change. The Spanish
shopkeepers have mellowed. They hate the
United states less than they did then, and
while they have not got to the point of
liking their Cuban neighbors, they are more
tolerant, and are willing to help welcome
the new government by decorating their
stores. Policy also has something to do
with their Willingness to take part in the
celebration. From the business point of
View not one of them would like to be
pointed out as one who had sulked when
Cuban independence was inaugurated
Merchants Have Their Troubles.
The merchants in the business districts
who are engaged in friendly rivalry to see
who shall make the most gorgeous showing,
privately admit that they have their trou-
bles. So many various funds have been or
ganized for the celebration and so MANY
committees have waited on them for con-
tributions. that they have found it neces-
SaTy to cry halt and to keen the matter
In their own hands. irresponsible political
committees who go about leVying contribu-
tons are one of the supposedly necessary
eFlIs or free government, and the Havana
merchants in getting their first taste of il
are being prepared for the future In the
past when they Were blackmailed, which
was often, it always was by a Spanish Off
ciai He is gone and the irresponsible COM
mittee takes his place. There is not much
difference. but If they could have their
choice, these merchants would go back to
the old way.
These incidents are blemishes and moth
ing more. Some of them are merely exag-
gerated instances of the rivalry Of com
mittees and the jealousies of individuals.
which are to be seen in Washington on, for ex-
ample, at inauguration time. They do not
effect the fact that Havana is going to give
President Palma a warm welcome, and that
his inauguration is likely to be the occasion
of some remarkable demonst rat tons
write of the Spanish share in it, because
mat continues to be the most noticeable
feature. Leading Spaniards now congratu-
late themselves that in deciding to make
the best Of something they did not want,
they have taken wise course The bene-
ncial and other societies such as those Of
the Asturias and the GalIegos which number
many thousand members. must get along
IN CUBA under the republic, and it is better
that they should have some heartiness
about it.
Some Criticism of Spaniards.