West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-12-14
The CubanS Cannot Stand Cleanliness
And The Sensible Sanitation
Given Them by This
GOVERNMENT VERY DISTASTEFUL.
Illiteraey Of the Country Decreasing
Rapidly and Now But Ten Per
Cent Of the Population.
Regular Correspondent OF Tho Argus

The announcement that Minister
Herbert Squires has quit his post
in Cuba aud will be succeeded by
Edwin Morgan, late Minister to
Seoul, is no great surprise but il
shows few things in the diploma
tic relations of this country. 1t in
dicates that we are trying to keep
up good relations with both Cuba
and japan and il is another remin-
der to Diplomatic representatives
abroad not to be too strenuous.
The trouble with Minister Squires
has been brewing for sometime. 1t
is nothing TO his discredit that he
has gotten out either. He has been
Minister of Cuba ever since the
American evacuation of the island.
AT first his relations with the Cuban
government were pleasant enough.
Then came the question Of Cuba
living up to the provision in her
treaty with the United States which
Obliged her TO maintain the state of
sanitation in which the United
States left the island when II vacat.
ed. This has always been sore
point with Cuba. 1t took money
and It took trouble to keep the
place clean, and great deal of good
coin that might otherwise have been
absorbed as graft had to go to the
purchase of coal oil, disinfectants
and to pay the sanitary corps.
This was hard and unheard of
state of things where the natives
here used to regard official perqui-
sites as limited. merely by the things
that were too heavy to move. Min
lister Squires was urgent above keep
ing up the sanitation of the island
and made himself unpopular.
Then came the question Of the
Anglo Cuban treaty. 1t has never
developed just what those in au-
thority were to get for letting this
treaty through, it gave everything
to England and Cuba, as a nation,
got nothing in return. 1t was an
exceedingly distasteful treaty to the
United States and Minister Squires
fought it squarely and beat it tor a
time at least. This made him un-
popular. Then he was accused of
siding with the Gomez faction in
politics. This he may have done
personally and not been far wrong
either. But ne committed no Off
cial act that would impair his stand.
ing as a minister. He never went
to the length of either Lord Sacks.
vile West nor Dupuy de LONE in
this country. But when the matter
OF the Isle of Pines came up, he
took the American view OF that con-
troversy also, and as the State De-
partmeDt was very anxious TO keep
out OF tangles with Cuba just now,
Secretary Root called the Minister
sharply to time for what might have
been construed as offensive PARTISAN
ship. Mr.. Squires promptly cabled
his resignation to the State Depart
ment, and il has been as promptly
accepted. There has been no talk
Of finding Something equally
good" But the Diplomatic services
loses a very faithful man by resie-
nation and one whose only fault
seems to have been that he was too
much American for a foreign post.
Mr.. Squires successor has been
announced from the State Depart
meat as Mr. Edwin v. Morgan, late
Minister OF Korea. Since the an.
nouncemo of the Japanese pro.
teclorate over that country, the
powers have decided to with
draw their diplomatic representa-
tiyes an d transact all business
through Tokyo. This arrangement
is satisfactory to Japan Of course.
But u is bitterly resented by Korea.
II promises to wipe out Korea's ma
tional identity and make IL another
Finland or Poland Il is hoped Of
course that Korea will get a little
better government than Poland or
Finland had under Russia. In fact
she could not get much worse, nor
worse than she has had under sue
cession Of native emperors (most Of
them assassinaled.) But Mr.. Nor.
gan is out of Job just now and il
looks as though Cuba might be a
convenient berth for .dm.
The-talk Of the new rate bin is
assuming an assured tone as though
there bad been no doubt all along