The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-01
can CUBA AFFORD ITp
Tho Ten Mnnicn Dollar CsniFaei Ter Paw
Ing and Zen AFlnE Havana.

WARRINGTON. April SO-The Government
has been proddinE the Cuban administration
about the matter Of severinE and paving the
city Of Havana. The State Department evil
IDENTITY has another aEErleved American Goa
cosslonaTy on ita hands The particular oause
for wonder In this affair Is that the people 70
whom the contract was awarded should have
kept 80 quiet during the three years which
have elapsed since the award Of the contract
70 Messrs, Mo0iYnsy ROkeby.
The history Of this contract runs back "
1894. when the Spanish authorities called for
plans and specifications for the work. me
Cuban revolt OF 1895 Interrupted the proceed
ings. and the spanish american war intro
duoed complications When the United states
on Jan. l. 1899 took full control Of Cuban Affairs,
the American irm Of NJ. J. Dady a Co. held
contract which lacked only the signature Of the
SpRnish Governor General 10 give Il full valid
Ivy. For three yearS power to proved Win
the enterprise lay In the hands Of tie American
authorities. Although Dady 4 Co. held only
an inchoate contract they had certain lAWtui
rights and claims which Gen. Wood, By an
arbitrary and somewhat peculiar proceeding
bought In April. 1901. for $4,000.
Alleging the faultlnsss Of the DAdY plana'
which had been approved and endorsed BY
the Spanish ofieial engineers. Gen. Ludlow,
then Military Governor Of Havana. set Amerl-
can engineers at work for their improvement.
Early in 1900 he reported ofioiRlly that the
department had oompleted pians aho esu-
mates Which G3gld Be put MTG b snsgs ax
the matter entirely In the hands Of Gen. WOOD.
The proceedings Of the next two years pc
came the subject Of oonsiderah BILE local scan
dai. They we're greatly tangled and not q
little queer In many respects. As many thol-
sands OF Cuban dollars were spent IN thelr
reconstruction, Il II TO be assumed that 6en;
Wood who was not an engineer. was dlspleeseo
with the plans provided by Gen Ludlow, Fho
was an engineer OF recognized ability 9pui ~
offioer Of the Engineer Corps OF the Unlteo
States Army.
IL may be said. briefly. that with plans pro
vided and approved by competent apthoritg,
and with fun power TO put those plans INTO
immediate enect, two years passed ana zen,
Wood, Americas great sanitary admInlst Is5
tor, left the island with Havana swept ana
Rarnished but with its sewers and peVemehts
very much as they we're at the beginning Ol
the intervention.
two years would make interesting and some
what spicy reading N the fpll truth were to 40
The American Legacy, at the time Of our oei
paTture, consisted Of plans and estimates ana
specifications which bad cost Cuba nobody
knows how many Thousands OF dollars and
contract with Messrs. MCGivney Rokeby 70
do the work for 90. SsS ,OIs As attendant con;
dltlons, there we're also left two clauses OF
the Plat Amendment. One provided for the
OF the United States in Cuba and the other
for the execution and necessary eXtenfion OF
"the plans devised or other plans 20 be Tnutu-
eAlt ,FNAt' 80 VIZ
The standard Of general cleanliness has been
fully maintained IN Havana, and pTaetieai
sanitary work has been done IN Santiago ana
elsewhere In conformity with the agreement
To live up 10 an agreement regarding Havana
although no date or time was specified,
that city or the leland must borrow At least
$40, 900, 900, IN addition 20 the SIS, 100000 al
ready obtained AZ a national loan, and 20
municipal Obligation Of about &c, 100000
which the city has carried for a number OF
years There is also the question Of second
national loan for the completion Of the pay
ment OF the soldiers claims. regard I'd by
Cuba as both a legal and q moral obliRation.
This may Involve an. additional loan OF t?s.-
500. 900, although Il should not, and properly
does not. involve more than one-hah that
sum.
All rightful American claims 10. Cuba or
elsewhere should be made good, but some
care should be exercised IN this matter lest
we push our neiRhhOr into national bank
ruptcy and financial disaster. When tho sAnl-
tatlon OF Havana was first discussed sewers
and paving seemed imperative for Cuban
welfare and the protection OF our own coast
Oities Such a system would doubtless be an
advantage, but the experience Of the last hve
wears has shown that u is not an immediate,
imperative necessity. In a cOnsiderat ION OF
the rights Of the American claimants II might
not be amiss to institute q careful review and
analysis OF the entire situation.