The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-29
ANNEXATION As ..
LAST" RESORT
Continued From First Page.

no politics in Cuba-that is, no poll
tics as that word is understood among
highly civilized peoples. No great is
sues divide the two parties there. 1t IS
simply struggle between the ms and
the outs, and hence it is that issues
are based on. mere personalities, on the
selfish ambitions of individuals. Such
a condition renders an appeal to patri..
otism useless, for there is no love of
country manifest among the governing
spirits Of the island on either side.
This state Of affairs has become SO
rigid as to discourage Secretary. Taft,
and is at the bottom Of the pessimistic
dispatches which he. has been sending
to Oyster Bay. It would, probably con,
tinue indefinitely, evenoWer the island
brought permanently under the Ameri-
can flag. 81 1t"
And yet if disorder could be pre-.
vented by material prosperity, Cuba
would today be very far from revolt
ton. The story Of her wonderful ad-'
vance since independence was secured
reads like one Of the old eastern fairy
tales No Aladdin with his wonderful
lamp could have secured greater re-
suits than have come to- the Cuban peo-
pie in the last FIVE years. The mere
statement of the figures showing pros
per1ty IS startll n! -. ~: ~ p. 7
prosperity lame. -. '.
The last Spanish revolt had reduced.
the Cuban population one-fourth and
laid waste the country. Railways.
sugar and tobacco plantations, small
farms, towns and settled communities
were ruined, and the island was one
thoro desolation. Sinca@independences
came the railway SYSTEM, Of the island
has been rehabilitated and Increased.
one-fourth ans and now aggregates Err in round
for 1908 exceeded the biggest previous
year in the history Of the island. The
tobacco crop has risen in value to al
most thirty millions a year. The i'm
ports have increased twenty million a
year, and the exports show a similar
development. Wages have doubled in
value and land has doubled in price.
immigration is adding l per cent to the
population yearly, a rate of increase as
great as that for the = United States:
Railroad dividends are from 10 to ~
per cent. One-tenth of the population
is in the public schools, as compared
with no schools for the natives prior
bad surplus each year.. and has sold
Rs bonds at a premium. AZ.
| And yet, all these facts, taken at ran
dom from official reports, are merly
provided stable government can be
maintained Of the 28,000,000 acres in
Cuba, one-half are still primeval for
est. Only per cent Of the arabic land
is under cultivation. .r4.
The present population of Cuba is
estimated at 100000. There are 153
persons to the square mile IN the PROV t
eight to the square mile in Puerto Prin.
cipe. The former is about as thickly
settled as the state Of New York, the
latter as the state of Washington.
It has been estimated that Cuba car
maintain population of $40. to the
square mile, or $4,000, 900, which is less
than the density Of Rhode Island OF
Massachusetts. What her materla
will be when the population is one-thire
to one-half that number may be left
to the imagination. ,>l,'..
The professional revolutionists Of the
island, now in control Of it's affairs, dc
not want such prosperity, for with it,
coming their occupation would be gone
Taft has simple problem confronting
him, or that the American government
is aching to annex country which il
I so heavily loaded with trouble and ex
pense, is clearly entitled to think again
;, before committing himself.
| Cuba is about 73O miles long by from
lis to 118 miles wide.. In area it EN-
: braces about A 900 square miles, which
: makes it larger than sachusetts
New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut
Rhode Island, Delaware and, New Jer
sey combined. The island would max
:, about four Marylands and two Yves
|IVirginias, and is larger than either In
! diana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee o
, Virginia. In 1908, according to con
sular advices, about. $l00,0O0,00O o
); American capital was invested in Cubs
and was being added to at the rate Q
about $1O,OOO,000 a year. This $100
600 900 was divided as follows: Suga
plantations, $25,000,000; tobacco lands
r 45,O0O,OO0;> fruit lands, $3,500,000
mines, $5,0O0,OOO; Cuba Railway CON
Epany, $l2,0O0,000; street railways, So
l0OO,OOO; other Investments, $1,500,00(
Rich as the island is today, it's fl
ture, under any proper management, ]
golden. The question which Washing
ton is asking is this:zs-s Will be &C
visable to raise the American flag agai
over Moro castles In this. article a
attempt has been made to supply dat
which may help answer that question
For the present, the feeling here Is tina
annexation would be mbst unfortunat
i for the United States Nand that intel
vention would also be unfortunat,
since it would perhaps lead. to annexs
I ton. + sss-S ~ q 81 fs ~ So .7s
Women 8 Foreign Missionary societ
of the MINNEAPOLIS presbyteTTy Vi