The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-23

The decision Not the Navy Depart
ment to hold the winter maneuvers of
the Atlantic and European fleets in
Caribbean waters. with Kingston as
possible coaling base, cannot but have
a decided effect upon the relations be-
tween Jamaica and the United States.
The beautiful tropical fruit garden
with it's peculiar inhabitants will play
an important part in the events of the
near future, and a naval demonstration
of a friendly nature will surely leave
a favorable impression upon the ma
tive mind.
The harbor of Kingston is naturally
one of the strongest in existence from
the strategists point of view. The wa
ter is good and it is protected from
the heavy "southerlies.' making a
safe and comfortable anchorage for
fleet. It's formation enables it to be
fortified easily, and its position will at
once mark it as the key to the Carib-
bean sea. But it is English, and there
fore not available for landing troops
or fortifying for the war game.
Our own coaling station. which 1t
has been decided upon by the Navy
Department to develop, is situated off
the eastern end of Porto Rico. upon
the little Island of Culebra. Here. of
course, the greater part of the sham
fighting and searching for enemies will
take place.
The successful elimination of the
canal negotiations will mean a great
deal to the native Jamaican. Being of
West African extraction and having
been exposed to peculiar vicissitudes
of tropical climate, the native island
er, who is, of course, black, has devel-
oped into a tropical immune. That is,
he is about as impervious to climatic
diseases as a human being can be, and
it is for this reason principally that he
will be the power employed to dig the
great trench. 1t has been pretty we'll
decided to use as many native lanai
cans and Cogman Islanders as can be
induced to leave their fruit growing
and accept the sound money of Uncle
Sam. The state of feeling in jamaican
politics has lately been strongly
American. Among the overtaxed plant
ers, whose burdens have not been
light, the feeling for freedom has burst
out occasionally. and there has been
some strong ro-American politics de-
veloped.
N AONUN Va ohAP1s
1t is out of the question for a revo-
luton to grow, even among the most
dissatisfied of the heavily taxed fruit
planters, for the island is one of the
best protected and policed in the world.
Still, in the event of the Panama route
being chosen, complications might arise
from an exodus of the fruit growing
negro.
Being a free man, like his brother in
the states, the Jamaican may work
where he pleases. There is no law to
bind him to the plantations, as in the
case of the imported East Indian GOO
lie,'' who is practically a slave to the
English Jamaican, and a heavy draft
of these men cannot but have its effect
upon the affairs of the island.
A natural born sailor, the Jamaican
takes to the water and ships instinct
lively. He is large of bone and usually
quite slender, being a long-limbed mus
cular fellow, who can work to advan-
tage either upon vessels deck or upon
her spars, and the very sight of fine
vessel gives him delight. His language
is the hybrid developed by having the
English language pronounced by ne
gro who has leaning toward Spanish
and an acquaintanceship with his cous-
in over in Cuba. A truly tropical pro-
duction and well suited to a class who
look upon work as an evil.
The appearance of the beautiful
white ships of the American squadrons
will be the signal for the black noun
taineers to gather in force at the sea-
shore. If the Fruit Company's ships
attract hundreds. the men-o'-war will
attract thousands, and it would take
very little persuasion at this period to
get the entire population TO emigrate In
a body.
There will be probably very little
feeling shown by outward signs, for
the Jamaican is a dignifed person, es-
pecially in the presence of strangers.
He has a dignified regard, Also for
a uniform. All along the hot, white
streets of the island villages the white
helmets and blouses of the guards
have created a feeling of respect for
order such as is not seen anywhere IN
the States. Big black men, standing
as straight as rife barrels, patrol the
streets at all hours, and, although they
are courteous and affable at all times,
they permit no boisterous behavior.
All this seems strange to the foreigner
who, knowing the negro disposition,
Behind II is the strict discipline of the
Jamaica regiment Offered by Eng
lishmen.
Famous Bartlett Deep.
Being an English port of entry,
Kingston can serve only for a coaling
station, but there are no shoals 20 be
dreaded along the shore. and some of
the feet maneuvers may be held with
in plain sight from the hill-tops, ex-
cepf such formations as require many
miles OF sea room.
To the westward OF the island IL the
deepest part Of the waters Of the
northern hemisphere, the famous
Bartlett Deep, where II V thousands