The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-03-24
HE PEOPLE OF CUBA ANDf THEIR COMING REPUBL IC

Cuba as the future republic. the self
centered. self supporting geighbor. ma
tion Of the United States. There are, ]
am aware, economic problems 60 be
solved, perhaps mutual concessions 20
be made by both countries before we
shall arrive at the nearly perfect state,
but we shall not cross those bridges be-
fore we come 10 them. 81
The. people. then. view the change as
merely a coming into their own, which
has been long promised. long deferred,
but ever believed i'm by our faithful
/ fighters for Cuba llbre." To under
stand our faith in the eventual accom-
plishment OF what we have for many
years been lighting to obtain-liberty.
autonomy-on one should be acquainted
with the people, In general they are
not ambitious or self seeking, for the
bulk OF the population is contented with
little-too little. in fact. They are per-
fectly satisfied with the prospect of get
ting good presidente like Don Tomas
and will not concern themselves at all
about what he does so long as he lets
them alone. / am speaking of the COM
mon run OF people. the agriculturists.
small planters. merchants, shopkeepers
! and laborers. and not OF the politicians.
These last named have their own views
as TO who should be the president and
know just how the country ought 10 be
run to save IL from otherwise inevitable
destruction. but just now they are
saying nothing and saving wood"
1t may be recalled that the United
States military occupation began I'm De-
cember. 1898. and that more than three
years have passed. during which we
have in a sense been under tutelage OF
your government. which assumed the
responsibility of preserving order and
protecting life and property until such
time as the Cuban people shall organize
stable government capable of main
tanning einternal order and fulfilling in
ternational obligations"
In the opinion OF the Cuban people
that time has now arrived, and soon,
we hope, there will be added 10 the
galaxy of American republics another
star that shall shine undimmed for
many years 10 come.
There has been talk already of a new
capital for Cuba other than Havana,
which will always maintain her SUI
premacy as our commercial metropolis,
while Santiago possesses strategic ad-
vantagess shared by no other port on
our coast. Both cities, i'm fact, will be-
come great in every sense. but ii is our
desire to establish a political capital
national city like your Washington
which we may in the future embellish
with beautiful buildings, statues OF our
great men and noble women and use as
the railying point for our national life.
No choice has yet been made, but ]
think 1t will lie between Santa Clara
and Puerto Principe, both interior cit
les, the first about $50 miles from Ha-
vana, with which 1t is connected by
rail, the second fo-ty-five miles from
! the port OF Neuvitas, on the north
coast The latter was one of the ear
Hest founded cities in Cuba, dating from
| 1914 Owing to the fact that we have
agreed to sell 10 Uncle Sam at least
two of our ports for coaling stations
which will probably be Nipe on the
north coast and Guantanamo on the
southland that your government in the
Plat amendment" reserved the right
| to acquire the Isle of Pines (already
being exploited by Americans), we shall
not quite preserve our island in it's en-
tirety, and as TO the necessity for a
navy or even for an army there seems
10 be none at all.
JUAN GONZALEZ.
Santiago de Cuba