Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-10-02
TAFT ASSURES CUBANS
MISSION IS FRIENDLY
Secretary Of War Makes / Plain
That United States Has no
Designs on Island.
TELLS YOUNG MEN TO GO 70 WORK
American Representatives Accorded
Cordial Reception by Best People of
Havana-Military Governor Makes
Address to Students-Stirs Up Mer.
camille Spirit.
TELLS YOUNG MEN TO GO 70 WORK
(By Associated Press,

HAVANA. CUBA, Oct. 1.-The pres.
ence Of the secretary of war of the
United States in Havana and his as.
sumption of the government of Cuba
were unreservedly and cnthusiastical.
ly approved today by the highest in.
tellectual. social and business ele-
ments of the capital
Inc scene was enacted in the audi
torium of the university, and the audi.
ence, In addition to as students. who
according to the custom here, gradu.
ate at the beginning instead of the
close of the college year, consisted of
200 persons, divided equally between
men and women.
Welcome Unusually Cordial.
me welcome accorded to Governor
Taft and Assistant Secretary of State
Bacon was unexpectedly vigorous and
spontaneous. 1t began from, the mo-
ment of their arrival and increased as
the governor uttered sentiments re.
garding the American occupation
which found an answering response in
the hearts of all present.
Secretary Taft's address at the uni
versity, in part, is as follows:
latlns Think Anslo-Saxons Abrupt.
The members of the Latin race are
accustomed, and not without reason
to characterize us Anglo Saxons as
abrupt and cOnceited in our views or
our power of pushing civilization, but
those OF us who have come closer to
Spanishascivilization have been i'm
pressed with the conscientiousness
that the Anglo-SaXons have much to
learn from the intellectual refinement.
artistic temperament, poetic imagery,
high ideas and courtesy of the Latin
and Spanish race.
Spain has eXcrted tremendous
force in civilization and progress, but
nations, like men, suffer reaction.
The great public works>which Spain
erected testify to her patience and ell
terprfse, when We Anglo.Saxons were
struggling with less pretentious
things. But the civilization of Spain
and all her institutions were founded
on the idea of the control of the state
and all her institutions were founded
on the idea of the control of the state
by one man or few men. That idea
has ceased to have force.
New Idea in Vogue.
"The Anglo.SaXons have brought to
the front the idea that people who
are sufficiently educated to know what
the interests were could more safely
be trusted to determine how those in.
terests should he preserved than one
man or few men, and because in the
development of that idea we have the
advantage of 200 years education in
self-gOvernment, we unreasonably
plume ourselves with superiority in
the knowledge of government which
only circumstances have given us.
Come Only to Help the Cubans.
1t Is saddening to me to be called
to Cuba and still sadder to President
Roosevelt, who is so identified with
her liberation, that we are here at the
time o. stumble in Cuba's progress
toward popular government, but it has
given lis an opportunity to assure you
in the name of the president and the
American people, that we are here
only to help you.
with our arm under your arm, we
are lifting you again on the path of
that wonderful progress You have
travelled. We shall, I am confident.
be able to point with pride to the fact
that the United States is not an ex-
plotting nation, but that she has Such
deep sympathy with the progress of
popular government as to be willing
to expend her blood and treasure in
making the spread of such govern
ments in the world successful.
Mercantile Spirit Absent.
81 am afraid that young Cubans are
not sufficiently infused with that mer-
camille spirit of which we have too
much in tho United States. What you
need is the desire to make money, to
engage in interests and carry on the
country's property, and young Cubans,
or rather most of them, ought to begin
in business.
"There will be no trouble in forging
yourselves ahead In the next genera
ton, SO that the banks, commercial
houses and shipping interests of Cuba
would be in Cuban hands instead of in
the hands of foreigners.
"The right of property and motive
Of accumulation is the basis of all
modern success and civilization, and
until you have community of politi-