Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-08

| The authorities are watchfulness person.
fled. One vessel which came In was SAID
| to be especially likely to spread the disease,
and DR. Diego Tamayo, the member OF the
| cabinet in whose department sanitation Is
| included himself went out to quarantine
and saw to its fumigation The question 10 2
| has been asked so many times whether the
| Cuban government fully appreciated tts re-
| sponsibility In the matter OF sanitation,
| and was capable Of meeting emergencies.
| that these Instances are given to show wnar
| It is doing However, like other govern
/ ments, 1t Is not infallible, and when any
| specific cases of negligence arise no harm
| is done by calling attention to them. Oniy
1 what Is said should be based on knowledge
| and not on conjecture.
| Historic Landmarks Destroyed.
| In one respect the Cubans seem inclined
| to follow some Of the bad things which
| were done under the American authority.
The zeal of the army engineers destroyed
| several of Havanas historic landmarks In
| order to carry out consistent plans Of NUM-
cipal establishment The alleged restora-
| lions never compensated for the loss. Inc
| Cuban engineers started IN TO continue
| various plans Of beautifying the city by
| tearing down the walls that have stood TOT
| two centuries. They have been stopped
| temporarily but probably in the end they
| will have their way. They VIII make
| Havana very beautiful city, but II VIII De
too modern to be attractive.
1t is also question whether more money
| should not be spent on country roads ana
| less on snowy city improvements Inat
was legitimate criticism curing an Is
| American occupation, and 1t is a legitimate
| criticism under Cuban administrator. me
| island needs good roads more than any
| thing else.
President Palma's Tact.
| In the political aspect hear many Illus
| trations of how President Palma manages
| to have his way. Sometimes strong OPP
position has to be overcome. yet he carries
| through his aims. Last summer 1t was
| known that he meant to appoint Rafaei
| Montoro as minister to Great Britain ana
| Germany Mr.. Montoro Is the most emil
| nent thinker that Cuba has produced IN
| half a century AS the leader of the au-
! Economist party he opened the way Tor tne
| revolution, though he himself refused 10 go
| beyond constitutional agitation he pc
| came secretary of the treasury when SPAN
| instituted autonomy. Afte1 the war WIN
| the United States he represented Spain IN
the joint commission which arranged iof
| the ending Of Spanish sovereignty.
| The Cuban radicals all were against MN
| and also some conservatives. 1t was salu
| the senate never would confirm MIN. 81
! after few months waiting Iaesiuen.
| Palma sent in his appointment. After an.
other wait he was confirmed In a snort
| time Mr. Montoro will leave for his dlpio-
| matte post Diplomats in London ana Der.
! lin cannot fail to have a good opinion VI
/ III
| the intellectual attachments of its minister
Another Able Diplomat.
Another nomination for foreign mission
| gives pleasant idea of the depth OF sehti-
| ment felt toward the intellectual element In
| Cuba, which was prominent IN the orihgihs
on the ten years war. This was that OF
Rafael Merchan to be minister to France
| and Snain He was exiled by Spain full
| third of century ago for publishing an
| article which was strong lncitemeHt
among the educated classes to take up the
| struggle for independence. AFTER nNlhs IN IN
| South America the greater part OF ms
| natural life President Palma selected MIN
| for Paris and Madrid.
| Minister Merchan is an eminent Hterary
| man. and he Is also man or CONVICTIONS
| On his return to his native island ne was
| given a banquet by the radicals of Santi-
| ago, who want the Platt amendment wipeo
! out and Cuba to go 1t alone. Minister Mer
| chan told them that the Plat law was the
| safeguard of the Cuban republic, and ne
! even h;nted that it would be good thing
| If some other countries on TINS newspapers
| had a similar law to strengthen tnelr re-
| lations with the United States Cupans'
l like most of the Latin race, dislike TO dl1-
| fer in opinion with a stranger. Among
| themselves they are not so sensitive. Niii-
| lister Merchan thought that 1t Woulo De q
| greater discourtesv to his hosts to let them
| think he agreed with them imam 10 s'aIe
|
| Treatment of Foreigners.
| Foreigners-and Americans as well as
| Europeans now are foreigners-seem TO De
| getting along fairly well under the repuo-
| lie. The European commercial element mas
| vastly more respect for the CUBAN capacity
for government than it had six months ago.
| 1t says. and says truly, that the republic
| is getting along because the United states
| Is the sustaining moral force in the back
ground yet 1t admits more ability Tor ad-
| ministration than it imagined.
| Some Americans, as lnolVluuais, nave
| grievances. They always will have IN any
| foreign country, because the laws ana tne
| language are not what they have at nome.
| 1t also must be said that IN individual cases
| there are real grounds for complaint; but
| this too happens in any country nave
| been surprised to note the NUMBER OF amer
| leans who are still holding what would De
| called political jobs. 1t was assumed
| months ago that under the Cuban constltu-
| ton all foreigners would lose their posi-
! tons But the view taken by the govern
| ment was that until the congress passed a
law specifically excluding foreigners from
| employment in the public service no legal
| obstacle existed to their keeping their posi-
tons.
met was young American in the customs
| service. How is this?' I asked; didn't
Won lose your iob?' "Oh," he replied, 1.-THE
job expired by limitation but was reap
In the custom house number or the
highly paid employees are Americans. Lately
several of them have resigned, but it was
because they found good openings In prl-
vate business enterprises. Gen. Rivera has
steadily refused to discharge American en-
ployes who were competent and faithful
This also has been the policy In other de-
| partments There is, as was to be expected
an agitation against them by Cubans who
want their places but it is a fruitless agita
ton.
Peace and Order Prevail.
On the general subject OF law and order
NV impressions have been confirmed that
Cuba is as peaceful and orderly as at any
time during the last three or four years
The island Is not without crime, but the
| crime seems to be detected and punished
| Complaints come in from the country dis
| tricts of brigandage. Sometimes these turr
out to be chicken stealing. Yet there have
| been cases of kidnapping planters and fore
| ing a ransom from them. just as there have
been instances of express trains held up by
| masked robbers In the western states. From
| the most trustworthy reports there does
| NOT appear to be much cattle stealing, anc
| that is the most common crime In rura
| Cuba.
American military officials who time ane
| again investigated complaints of outrages
In the rural districts, and found then
l ayaUVpratad entirely