BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-01-31
SAN JUAN, JANUARY 81
Historic Light On cuba's
Future.

Mai,r-General Leonard Wood probably
knows as much about Cuba and is as well
qualified to express an opinion about iti
future 60 any other American. In last
weeks Independenp he predicts that al
the end Of rwenty years Cuba will have Q
population Of 10 100000, considering The
prospective rate Of immigration. Iu the life
Of nstion twenty years are q very short
time, though ia this case their passing will
decide destiry. Prediction - to that de-,
tipy 10 . m liter Of common sense forecast
rather than OF unverifiable assumption. 4
Illustrations lie close at hand. It is worth
while to follow out the main suggestion Of
General Woods article and examine
whether the causes which have wrought
spch deteroration in Hayti and, SO far as
industry ID concerned, in Jamaica and the
the other West Indies, will not operate with
undimin;shed vigor in Cuba If congress shall
refuse reliet. History has made onr special
duty to that island as plain as pikestaff.
This view, though familiar to the political
student, has not been very obvious to the
average voter and has quite escaped the cal.
culstiQn OF beet sugar. Hayti, for example,
illustrates practically the collapse of an at
tempt at civilization on the political aud
social as well as the industrial sid ia
maiCa and other West India islands illus
trate the atrophy Of industry by exclusion
from it's nearest and best market From
both thege e1smples Iessons Of wisdom tsem
for our instruction in regard TO Cuba.
Hayti has had no political tuselsge ard has
been unabls to attajn my assured political
stability Neither b1s aka had any genuine
IzsIasizzeI prespszisy. Deprive o5 aiI dvioIfs
id n in1ussfy, hsr irIlebitAnls have follow
I'd il alter1ats s5scurity and nstoliety the
path of revolutionary comInunity, cbisd5
nmarkable a. training school 0f pslitical
asssssins. There is no assurance that Ouba
would not |. How . similar course II tie
Plat amendment were to cease to be part
Of her organic law. Gen. Gomez, who was
nurtured and trained in Hsytian surround
ings, had just a. sane suggestions of govern
ment to Offer bis adopted compatriots Of Gu.
BE- 90 had the revolutionary leaders at Ha-
vsna, and that is not saying much: Here,
therefore, 10 an object lesson on one side Of
the Cuban prospect, though happily there
10 little danger thas it will be practically
needed 49,.
But If Hayh will serve admirably for one
example, Jamaica surpzsaes 1t for immediate
use. La Jamaica We have seen the justly
famed quality OF British adm nistrstion lea
vening c.1ple Tor nearly two hundred and
ffty yesss. We have seen all kinds Of poll.
ticai ezp; nnss applied, and in most cases
applied suscesfully, to establish . Tranquil
and efficient civil order. But prime re-
quisits to complets that order has been lack.
ing Jamaica wss far distant from the
markets OF Great Bdlsin and contineEtal
Eurors, and she had scarcely any access to
oar fovr. Her sugar, ike that OF Cubs,
wss N active factor Of destiny, and there
vas no ssls Tor H. lfit could have been
irssly sold II the Uai,ed States during Ih~
Isst City years, J4ns;e industry would
have t1rivtn b>yo1d aIl Wesl Indian prsee-
dsnk Al ihis momens Nr Chzmberlsia 10
cudGsfll1G his uifs % divi<s plan Of relief
~ uk;6b cCuEIne1<xi baunlies may b cpnn
tsrvnlIed b Bdush dati<s f,r The special
1Qn<G< e lhat is,snd, snd svsn thea the
sn<ar ex7ors uoa.d " h4sdlcseped with al
eosslder1bls oeean ir<isbk H's success is|
pre1Ismaziosl, ed N Ne svens 81 failure
jsnsis.a prsspssls vi'I ss palaled wi'h u
1Gs m'zE1rs indsod-
Nss ~ p-rsi.&ut d1spscs bstrsss
l1ses kIse< srmuuais,ss xsi Ce1s b. eel
&c. WEED possf1 es4 tAxs ws srs nes|
ruGrs1n&l1 - l14Ir pso.ras - lnfurs. shlls|
- r>r1r1>11I1u Af Cne& y ,z1l'<sshls
~ 49, e ,sI11s.I .sssr.rss = s.r swa
nsr1g1 ~ e us<rp41>is 1Isnass lspM
71n>p = kerels i~7ass - <ssz - eeps.-
~ $50 ~ s.es..{ - I 4 - h's'ss.