Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-12

most of the other Cuban cities make il
seem more like anrAmefiean town, but liz
this period of depression Jhe likeness ends
The streets have too little traffic and too
few signs OF business ACTIVITY to compare
it with any American town of 12.o90 or
1000 inhabitants. But Sagua is piucky and
planning future growth. 1t chose for its
member of congress Mr. Gutierrez. a mer-
chant and farmer, Instead of selecting
lawyer. uttei 8
In Cfenfuegos, the southern port. there Ia
political quiet, with perhaps less enthu-
siasm over the dawn of the republic than
elsewhere in the province. Yet its people
are getting ready for the new government
and prophesied that the Cuban republic
never would come. II realize was wrong"
said one of them to me sadly, as he specu-
lated on the future. 'but 9@have got to meet
the new conditions andrI have nothing
more to say" 49,. -iS-S
With Americans having preached and
prophecied after this manner the Spanish
colony which absolutely controls the BUSH
ness of the Cienfuegos district, cannot be
blamed for having been mistaken. 1t is
one element which does not mix joy with
sorrow over the coming of the republic.
The wealthy Spanish colony in Cienfuegos
is sorry that the American military control
is to be ended. Along with the American
planters and the foreign consuls 1t sees
that happening which it believed never
would happen. This Is the preparations
for the complete withdrawal of the Amerf-
can authority. The activity in the quarter
masters department and the hustle of de-
parture are enough to settle all doubts.
While the members of the Spanish colony
in Cienfuegos sees that about to happen
which they thought never would happen
they prepared for a change. None of it's
members will go back to Spain. They will
stay in Cuba and keep on doing business.
This they all tell me. The business is not
profitable now because of the universal de-
preston, but they look for a change for
1>1k ~
ter financial crisis such as has not been
experienced in Cuba during the times of
war and Instruction.
Growth of Annexation Sentiment.
Incidental to the reluctant conviction of
American planters, Spanish merchants,
English and German residents and radical
Cuban politicians that the American flag
will go is the growth of annexation senti-
ment. Good judges tell me this is unmis-
taxable. , 1t can only take definite form
under independent Cuba. 1t never could
have crystallized under American military
control.
Here in the capital city of the province I
have heard four times as much talk about,
agriculture and commercial development
and industry about politics. The repub-
lie Is to be and nearly everybody is salts
fed. This being so, most persons turn
their talk to tobacco and sugar and cattle
and railroad building.
l called on Gen. Jose Miguel Gomez the
civil governor of the province He was first
named under the American military author
ity, and a the last election was regularly
chosen. So he will be the first governor of
Santa Clara under the republic. He spoke
very briefly of political affairs and then
turned the talk to material subjects. Our
province" he said, lis rich in resources,
but poor in development. There is sugar
and tobacco and small farming, and a
chance for cattle raising on a great scale
inrn lint
its development comes so very slowly.
What we are seeking to do Is to encourage
production. and we have room for a great
many people here. They will be welcome
Governor Gomez is one Of the progressive
officials of the island. He has been active
in politics, and from the nature of his po-
s1tion he will not be able to keep out of
politics. but the party that does most for
the industrial growth Off Santa Clara is
pretty sure to control it's public affairs
IN few weeks an opposition of the
products and resources ofthe province is to
be held. 1t will be like big county fair in
the states. Intelligent direction is being
given to the project. 1t promises well. This
ambitious enterprise is at time of gen
eral agricultural depression and supposedly
OF nothing but politics afd Office seeking.
1t is the best proof that the people of the
island do think of sometEtng else and are
capable of utilizing theiE natural advan-,
tages in the way of infinitely rich son and
Inc ha1iroa0 6z11td1Ng.
Then. there is tho faiIsOad building. I
went out on the construction train of the,
Cuba company 70 tfhAFen6of the line as far
as it has been built. Witch is nearly twenty
miles from this city. Winding among the
hills and skirtng the knobs of mountains
one gets pleasing impression of tnec oun-
try which is destined to sustain a vastly
greater population than at this time in
ha bits 1t.
This section is mainly given over to to-
bacco growing. but there are also cane
lands and small farms. About the railroad
itself I do not venture an opinion as to
now soon settlers and coloniSts will fol-
low 1t. They may come more slowly than
the projectors anticipate. But they are
bound to come in time, and a fair proper
ton of them should be Americans. The
American farmer can get along very well
In Cuba If he goes into farming and not
into Cuban politics.
The railway builders told me they were
having no trouble about their labor, and as
far as they knew the change in govern
ment was not going to have any effect
They felt sure that it would not raise wages
and they were just sure that it would
not cause any strikes. They seem to think
that there will be no hndrance to peace
ful development for those who inclined to
peaceful pursuits; for those who prefer
other ways of getting living, of which
cattle stealing is favorite one, the Rural
Guard is fairly effective, although COM
plant is made that the authorities might.
De more severe in Furnishing cattle thieves
when caught. But L heard nothing to show
that cattle stealing will be any worse I'M
der the republic than it has been under the
American military control
CHARLES M. PEPPER.