Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-01
PROGRESS IN CUBA
GLOWING PICTURE PAINTED BY
GOVERNOR OF HAVANA.
Great Financial and Industrial De-
ve1opment of Enthusiastically
Of the Isle of Pines.

General Emilio NuneZ, governor of Ha-
vana, who is in Washington as the guest
of Senior Quesada, the Cuban minister.
gives a glowing picture of the substantial
advance in almost all lines made by Cuba
since the birth of the republic. In recent
interview he touched upon the great finan-
cial development. improvement in agricul-
tural aids, sanitary advances and the de-
velopment of political parties. He spoke of
the existing reciprocity treaty. and sug-
gested that it be further tried before con-
demnation. The mayor said:
Marvellous Progress.
Generally considered the situation is
Cuba is splendid: the work of reconstruc-
ton is thing of the past. the progress at
tanned since the evacuation has been mar
velous and the Cuba of that time and the
Cuba Of today are two different countries
The first steps were made with the native
capital that remained in the island. To-
day foreign capital is coming in rapidly in
search of the safe and productive invest
ments thus giving the best proof that the
republic is stable. Large tracts Of land In
the different provinces have been trans
ferred to foreign companies which are de-
veloping them as sugar and tobacco plan
tat1onS, cattle ranches and fruit raising
farms.
THE government, on the other hand, is
deVoting large sums to the building of pub
lie roads, and in two years has done al
most as much as Spain In 400 years. An
other proof of our progress is the decrease
OF vice in every form, and the enormous
increase of public and private schools all
over the country. The administration of
justice has improved, notwithstanding
what has been said by some Cuban critics
The national government, in view Of the
lmpossibility of the municipalities to at
tend as yet to these matters as they would
w g low firrr 1op
aqueducts, street cleaning and other i'm
provements which, in the near future, will
improve the sanitary conditions of these
places
"The moral effect of The recinroc;tv
treaty has been great, but until the pres
ent sugar crop is made and it's result reck-
oned we cannot judge it's practical effect.
Many complaints have been made that the
treaty has not been all that the United
States has expected for the Americans.
Comparison is made with the first years
after the war, when everything was i'm
ported from the United States, for Cuba
was devastated and there was nothing in the
farms-no vegetables, poultry, no cat
The Isle Of Pines.
The Municipality of the Isle of Pines be-
longs to my government and no complaint
has ever reached me from any American.
resident. More facilities have been granted
10 the isle than to any other of it's size,
II mas a custom house, district court and
a large amount of money, greater by far
imam the taxes there collected, is devoted
to public improvements. l have person
ally visited the isle ard had numerous in
terviews with the real settlers and there
Is not one but is satisfied with the Cuban
administration. Here and there you may
ma some land Spectator who thinks that
II the isle is annexed to the United States
iand would Increase In value. The island
belongs to Cuba, geographically, histor-
icaily and politically, and I am glad to
see that the treaty pending before the
Senate of the United States comedies the
sovereignty of the isle to us. The sense
OF fair play and the spirit of justice of the
Senate Will, l am sure, ratify the treaty
70 advance as an argument that the isle
should belong to the United States be-
cause OF American interests there is the
same as to hold that Rio Grande do Sul
FOR instance. in Brazil. should belong to
Germany because OF the great German in
lerests there. Besides, We granted the
United States coaling and naval stations
the leases of which were based ON the rec
ognltion of our sovereignty over the isle
we have complied with our part of the
contract and we know that the American
people Will see to 1t that theirs is kent -