The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-29
Is THERE A STRING TO IT.,

10 u LlG a h1N0 AZ IL
Mr.. Alfred B. Williams, editor of the
Richmond News, attended the Inaugural
tion of the new Cuban president. and is
whiting a series of letters to tie News on
the future outlook Of the island. The
conditions, as described by Mr. Williams,
are not such as we had been led to be-
lieve existed by most men who have
written about the islands. Mr. Will
liams is a close observer and writes of
things as ne sees them, and the result
of bis stay in Cuba as stated in his pa
per will be interesting. We quote from
his last letter the following:
LAS spectacle it was indescribably
gorgeous and brilliant; as an event it
was historic and Impressive; as q dem
onstration of popular joy it was Il fail
ure and frost and flat fiZZle.
'"Fhe operation of lowering the Gag Of
the strongest power or earth and raising
in its place that of the weakest and
youngest of ell the peoples occupied ex-
actly one minute and twenty-eight sec
eros by stop watch. The whole formal
act, including the salutes, lasted precise
ly twelve minutes. Whether il is the
magnificent generosity of mighty coun-
try or the fake show of the politicians
of two lands is che question over which
everybody is wondering. The people OF
the United States do not know whether
they are the lion generous to the mouse
or only the cat playing with it; but they
may be sure of one thing. If ever they arc
caught in any net this mouse certainly
would not gnaw them out if it could. If
the United States army, navy, continent
and population, lock stock and barrel,
horse, foot and dragons could be con-
signed in one moment to the Internal
regions under permanent sentence. Cuba
would be delighted unanimously and
would turn out in the streets and roads
made and kept by American skill and en-
terprise-and howl with pure and ecs-
tatc happiness.
II started on this trip little disposed
to be enthusiastic. The first chill OF
doubht was encountered al Tampa, where
there is strong and well-informed Gu
ban colony. The doubt has become
stronger and the conviction deeper
which sounds like a paradox. but is ex-
aotly true-with each hour since then.
''T'he doubt is regarding the real pur-
poses of the government at Washington;
the conviction is that the Cuban republic
will be failure and that Cuba will be-
come first territory AMI then a State
of the Union. How much trouble and
tribulation and disaster to both peoples
Will intervene between the present con-
ditions and the contamination is wide
open question
Il nave talked with Americans who
have been living in Cuba men from
al parts of the Union, who have been
iE all parts of the island, and men of
all social positions and OF all ages, and
] find them unanimous in damning the
Cubans. l did not go near the officials
who talk for publication and whose
tongues may be tied or regulated by
diplomacy or politics, or whose Depend
ence for information is or official re-
ports. My talks were with clerks, army
officers and soldiers who have been on
active duty and directly in contact. with
the people, civilian employees of the
government of various grades and bust
ress men. Start any one of these and he
VIII talk by the hour, abusing the Gu
bans and describing traits and incidents
which he remembers as Objectionable.
ION the other hand, L put myself in
contact with Cubans and Spanards who
see med to me TO represent all the grades
n M nh of C.,Is
TWO hundred of those persons encoun-
tered in four days, can recall hut three
petite answers outside the empploycs of
the hotel ! lived at. One of these was
from Cuban gentleman Of very high
position with close American CONNECTIONS
Another from black negro. who said he
Was from Norfolk, and who rescued me
from complications with a hickman /
hired him to 20 around with me and in
terview the Spanish negroes, for he SEEM
ed TO speak Spanish fluently and they
had long conversations with hin, in that
tongue, the substance of which he re-
peated TO me. AS a rule my English
speech was a demand draft for rudeness
ana insolence, which was hon0rcd inva-
riably."
$50 cordial mutual hatred has
arisen and the Cubans do not believe in
us or in themselves. They do rot know
whether their liberty has string to
it. They wanted Masso for first presi-
dent. Nothing would have satisfied
their or made them love us or have con
iidepce in us but they would have felt
better than they do if Masso had been
allowed TO be elected He was induced
somehow TO retire, and Palma was count
I'd in That seems to be the truth of the
case. Half the people regard Palma as