The Washington times., 1906-11-04

ILL AiieI4ceiaiE"'ivii % N0'- '''-'
gone on so quietly and yet so
rapidly that Il was not untu the
present Internal difficulties arose
that most persons came 70 realize the
size Of the Awericau stake in the island
republic From a financial point Of view
It may be said that our interests in
Cuba are almost as great as those or
the Cubans themselves. American trade,
American financial interests. the Ameri-
can monetary system, American ma
chinery. and American enterprise are
all to Il . fore in Cuba. and it is for
this reason that most Of those familiar
with actual conditions in Cuba believe
that the ultimate acquisition Of the
island by the United States is newt
able
When the war with Spain ended. Cuba
was a commercial. Industrial. financial.
md political wreck. The output OF
sugar. her chief crop and the most
important index OF ner prosperity. had
fallen from i.oc4. GO tons in 1895 to the
insignificant proportions OF @i205i TINS
IN 1897: while tobacco, the next mJst
important crop. which had reached
value OF 81. .727. .0c0 III 1898. dropped 20
za2E.O .OU in the same two years. Two
months ago. when the leaders of the
Cuban liberal party were arrested at
the instlgatiOn OF President Palma. the
island had reached a state of prosperity
never before known IA its history, while
immigration and capital were setting
10 its shores in a strong and ever in
creasing tide BY 1908 the sugar crop
had reached 10000 tons. the largest
proportions ever known. valued IN its
raw state at about 81. 600 ooo: while the
production Of tobacco had reached a
value Of Sc. .75S 0)0-more than double
that OF the record year 1888.
Il IS doubtful If anywhere else in the
world there IS an equal extent OF terri
tory with equally great and varied re-
sources. About the same size as John
Bulls tight little island, somewhat
smaller than the state OF Pennsylvania
and with only a small proportion Of land
under cultivation. cuba has within this
limited area a natural monopoly Of the
best tobacco IN the world: the greatest
sugar supply. produced from not more
than 10000 acres OF land; coffee Of the
highest grade, an infinite variety OF
fruits and vegetables. unexcelled pas
ture lands. an abundan, supply Of vaIu-
able timbers. and wealth OF mineral
resources.
There IS scarcely an enterprise or in
dustry in Cuba today IN which AmeTi-
can capital is not heavily interested, II
not in actual control. In fact. many OF
the enterprises in which foreign capital
has the largest share are controlled in
New York In many of these Canadians
are interested heavily. and herein Eng
land sees a line Of cleavage which may
widen 70 gulf between her and-her one
important possession In North America.
In the three great agricultural indus
tries OF cuba. sugar. tobacco. and cattle
lands and cattle, there are said to be
nearly or quite sl0000O,OO0 Of American
capital invested. A single tobacco es-
tate in the famous VueltO Abajo district
" 1lLAT uel tkio embraces --osuuJ acres
under the control of Americans. and in
the eastern end Of the island the Cha
para Sugar Company. another Amerl-
can corporation. controls a sugar estate
Of almost equal extent The thirty
American sugar plantations in the
island are capable Of producing one
third OF the total output OF the republic.
There are also hundreds OF Americans
who have deserted our own farm lands
and gone into Cuba as fruit and cocoa
nut farmers. Nothing like a satisfac-
tory estimate Of the value OF these
small holdings can be obtained, bat they
are believed to very nearly or quite
equal in the aggregate the larger in
dividuaI investments IN the railroad. to-
baccc, and the sugar corporations.
American capital controls absolutely
the electric traction OF the island, .he
telephone and telegraph service, prac-
t.calIy all OF the railroads in the east
ern half of Cuba. about half OF the to-
baceo industry, and a quarter OF the
sugar output. besides having something
over sl0000.000 invested In real estate
and unimproved lands, with q total