Evening star., 1902-05-24
SINGLE STAR FLAG
Cuba's First Experiences
Under Its Folds.
CIVIC FESTIVITIES
PARTICIPATED IN BY ALL
CLASSES OF PEOPLE.
Comment on President Palma's Cabinet
Boys in the Trenches Compliment
the Man of the Future
CIVIC FESTIVITIES

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
HAVANA, May n. 1902.
Cuba is under the single star flag. A
days experience is not enough to know Its
full meaning. The people themselves are
still rather vague In their ideas. But they
rejoice, and they viii be rejoicing for sew
eral days to come.
Their joy is not over the departure Of the
stars and stripes. 1t is more the satisfac-
tion of aspiration. The flag of the
United States has gone in honor Gratitude
follows 1t. That will do for the present.
The record and the universal goodwill
should satisfy the American people Half
of the demonstrations have been in honor
of them and of Gen. Wood and their other
representatives in Cuba.
1t is a pleasant sensation which comes
over one in the midst OF the civic festivities
1t may be that the first Idea of the meaning
of independence is to celebrate. The cele-
brations are so many that they hardly can
be chronicled. Certainly all Havana is TAX
ing part. The parades and torchiight pro-
cessions are like the United States. only
more so. The women and children take a
leading part. The aliegories are devised
chiefly for them. The streamers and BAN
Eers which make the city almost splotch
OF color are largely of their designing. And
the flowers, which are profuse, are for
them.
A week hence it Will be possible to go to
bed and sleep, perhaps. The sky may not
be lit up all night and the powder, which
is the mark of explosive patriotism after a
while may give out. The favorite contriv-
ance is some kind of a rocket which con-
tains the Cuban flag. Then are the bal
looms and innumerable other means of visi-
biy manlfesting patriotism.
Spanish Glasses Share in Good Feeling
1t is now clear that the Spanish classes
share in the good feeling. The tolerance
shown by the Cubans during the festivities
for King Alfonso closed the last gap L
know one very fierce Spanish family
which until Sunday would have nothing to
do with the festivities of the republic From
parents down to the youngest toddler who
is five years old, there was nothing but
bitterness. But within day that has gone
and this family is making the noisest ex-
hlbltlon OF all with an unlimited supply OF
firecrackers, rockets and other devices of
the kind. Its head even has brought out
the single star flag.
Some Americans who have been In Cuba
Tor three or four years past say that much
or the spontaneity of the celebrations is
due to the removal of the repression which
was felt under the American rule. Undoub-
ediy old Latin customs are reasserting
themselves, but 1t is not just TO say that
what is going on this week is a reaction
from American repression in social GUS
toms. The authority of the United States
never HduS impression on these GUS
toms. The time had come for Cuba to Gel
ebrate and it is celebrating. That is a
fair Interpretation of this weeks festivi-
ties.
Oratorv is a marked feature of all the
demonstrations. Some of it is not spoken,
but appears simply in the newspapers as II
would have been spoken if there had been
a chance for a speech, instead of the writ
ten words. This oratory is warm. 1t rev.
els in sunshine and glows with good will
toward all mankind, and particularly to-
ward American mankind. Some OF the
sentiments are so rank in their luxuriance
that they almost choke the flowers of rhet-
orlc. 1t is the hour immortal" when the
electric current circulates through the
Cuban people, and they are saying their
hozannas. The orator is having his day
and no one begrudges it to him.
1t is, too, the day of reality. I have lis
tened to some of these addresses and read
others to see if there is anything in them
beyond eXuberant and thoughtless patriot
ism. There is. That is the best sign In
nearly all an undertone is felt of the re-
sponsbility which is the Cuban people
and they are eXhorted to rise to it, In in
vocations of this kind the Cuban orator is
put to the best use which can be made OF
him.