The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1902-04-02
MAJOR MILLSAPS ON CUBA
He Talks Interestingly of What
lie Saw on the Island.

lie Saw on the Island.
From the Clarion-Ledger, March a.
Major r. W. Mil.saps and wife re-
turned this morning from a three
weeks trip to Havana and other Cuban
points.
81 was agreeably disappointed with
my trip, and the conditions as / found
them in Cuba" said Major Millsaps.
THE city of Havana instead of being a
graveyard, is beautifully located and
quite healthy and instead of finding
that suffering condition we have beard
so much about in the discussion of
the reciprocity question, the inhabi-
tants of the island are doing we'll, and
prosperity is manifest from the work
ing classes up to the merchants and
capitalists.
"We went from Havana to Matanzas,
city of about $1,000 population, and
this trip gave me an opportunity to
see the country districts and their
people. / saw some signs of devasta-
ton caused by the late war, few
burned sugar mills and uncultivated
plantations, yet on all sides were many
evidences of great recuperation. Fine
fields of sugar cane, bananas, oranges,
pineapples, etc, indicated soil of in
exhaustible fertility, and if Cuba had
the open door to allow capital to come
in, the island would develop in way
never known before.
81 talked with the people about an
neXation, and tried to find out their
sentiments on the subject. | ascer-
tanned that the merchants, capitalists,
business men, in fact, all responsible
people, without exception, we're in favor
of annexation to the United States at
the earliest possible moment. Much
to my surprise, even the laboring
classes favor it, and particularly is
this sentiment apparent among the
native Cubans and the negroes.
THE politicians, like all politicians,
are inclined to be non committal, and
while they talk muchly about wanting
independence, they don't believe it will
ever come in substantial form. Ere
quently | heard remarks ma lie in a
significant way among thes, politicians
that they do not believe Gen Palma,
the newly elected president, will put
in his appearance in May to take the
oath of office, and many of them were
doubtful if he ever leaves New York.
The time must inevitably come when
Cuba will be annexed to the United
States.
The business of the island is being
rapidly absorbed by Americans who
are taking the lead in everything and
assuming all positions from clerk
shipto the position of general man
ager of a railroad, owner of a sugar
plantation or proprietor of large
mercantile establishment. They have
American newspapers, daily publica
tions with large circulation and me
| tropolltan appearance, and Americans
are the owners and managers of all
the starship lines running between
| Havana and other Cuban ports and
New Orleans, Tampa, Galveston, New
York, Miami, and other American sea
coast cities. All these vessels are
crowded with passengers en- route on
visits to the island to seek investment
of capital. Many are also going for
their health, and | will make the pre-
diction that Havana, and Cuba in
general will soon become the greatest
health resort patronized by the people
of the United States.
Gen. Wood, the governor general of
the island, has already killed out the
mosquito and the cool, dry and de
| lightful atmosphere of Cuba, sur
rounded as it is on all sides by water,
is far superior to the climate of the far
famed Florida coast. Why, even Fla
gler, the great multi millionaire who
has built the finest hotels on the
Florida coast, lately offered 100000
! for post near Central Park in Havana
on which he desired to build a hotel
! finer than all others he now owns, and
! for which he expected the patronage
of American health and pleasure
| seekers.
II went over on the Olivette from
! Tampa to Havana. and among the pas
sengers we had on board we're Miss
Alice Roosevelt, daughter of the presi-
dent, who was met at Tampa and eS-
corted by Gov. Gen. Wood to the Cuban
capital, and Mrs. Beal, daughter of the
late James G.. Blaine, Senator Thomas
G. Platt and his two daughters and
many others of lesser note. Miss
Roosevelt was the recipient of many
distinguished social attentions and
honors during her stay in Havana, and
a number of notable receptions were
given in her honor.
THE passage from Tampa to Havana
is twenty four hours, and we returned
to the port at Miami in eighteen hours
We Set sail in high spirits, flying col
ors, jOvial humor, and with fair winds,
but we soon reached the gulf waters,
and its choppy pillows and, without
exception, all on board had seasickness.
They soon recovered. however, and the
trip will live in my memory as one of
the most pleasant | have ever en-
joyed."
Messrs. Hiram Cassidy and David
Cohn, two we'll known citizens of
BrOOkhaVen are in the CITY for the