Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-16

This is nothing for Cuba. Before the war
the Spaniards issued loans based upon Cuba
which included an interest charge of four
teen million dollars a year. Cuba paid that
money without trouble in her then bad con-
dition. and she certainly can handle her
small indebtedness of the present.
"Our people do not understand this coun-
try" continued Mr.. Jarvis. They don't
know it as the Europeans do. The latter
have had dealings with both Spain and
Cuba in the past and they appreciate our
there is a place upon earth which has as
good prospects as Cuba, and in this l do
not except South Africa or the klond!ke.'
What population has Cuba?'
ut had million and half when the
war closed and 1t has now in the neigh
borhood of three hundred thousand more
This Is only about one-tenth OF what II
will support. Take Japan, Of which only
one-tenth can be cultivated: it feeds forty
millions. Java, Of the same size as Cupa
is largely mountainous: and 1t has popu-
lation of twenty-five million. Cuba Is good
from pne end to the other. Its soil Is as
rich as any in the world, and that even
to the tops of the mountains Besides that
Cuba Is next door to the United states,
the best market earth. Cuba can easily
support twenty millions. and Its people sun
be among the most prosperous or the M
tons"
Electric Railroads in Cuba.
I talked at length the other day with
rotary of agriculture and public works,
about Havana's electric railway system of
which he is vice president. He tells me that
there are already fifty miles of road in
operatfon and that one hundred and twenty
miles more will be constructed In the near
future The first electric car on the island
was run only four years ago ana the gross
earnings of the roads last year were more
than a million and half dollars. SO TAR
nearly all the rolling stock has been bought
from the United States, but the company
has now built Its own shops and VIII con-
struct its cars here The Havana electric
railroads are to be gradually EXTENDED
throughout Cuba and they viii prooaoly
form one of the most profitable industries
of the island. At present these roads nav
assets of about SCI 0O0.o00 and their STOCK
is listed on the New York stock exchange.
They are largely owned by Americans.
During my talk with Mr.. Diaz he SAID that
an enormous amount of money Is coming
into Cuba and that the American invest
ments already amount to more than one
hundred and fifty million dollars
Do Cubans Like AmericansP
asked whether Americans were well
coroed nv the Cubans Mr.. DiaZ replied:
.,The better classes of our people are anx-
ions to have Americans come here and
they welcome American capital. They real
fze that Cuba and the United States must
be closely connected commercially and IN
dustriaIfy. and that Americans more than
any Others can aid them in the development
of their property The very lowest classes
I mean the negroes and mulattoes, may
have some objections to American immigra-
ton. They realize how the negro is re-
garded in America. and fear they may not
be so well treated by the Americans as they
are by the CubanS.
.Speaking of this feeling" said Mr.. Diaz,
some of your. own people have a queer
idea of the native Cuban They seem TO
think he is a savage a negro. An exhl-
hilton of this feeling occurred while l was
at the worlds fair, where had to do with
the Cuban exhibit. I was sitting in our pa
vilion when a party of Americans who had
lust visited the Filipino village came in.
They had watched your half naked cousins
in their straw huts, and had noticed their
color and light attire. AS they came into
the pavilion one Of them said to me: !
want to see a real Cuban. 'Whereupon i
pointed to one of our commissioners. fair
faced rosy-cheeked gentleman OF about
sixty years of age. and said: There ID
one The man replied: Why, that man
looks and dresses just like an American
I could hardly make him believe that we
Cubans are not like the savages OF the
mountains of Luzon.
Cubans Versus Spaniards.
Speaking of the feeling of the Cubans
toward US. 1 believe Secretary Diaz is right.
The lowest classes do not care for Ameri-
cans. They are nevertheless very polite
and will go out of their way to please
Those who hate US most are the Spaniards.
There are many Of them stu in Cuba and