The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-04
e. ~.

cpiuniais WIN errasei ffnm Uisrahois lr
srftn IN tibu found No. islspd inhatitei
w q fr1rIr vlp Ferr hssf4tahir lnpHrn.
aive timii. fund ~ thr dipce AMI naturally
lnHiuirnt tHi 'nsv fruw tho character - tha
suraio they irhntiied 4 cnnaklefahls
numheg ~ thusr Nhu fe,ise1vefel ihe
Island ino years later az an imprnaaiun that
fhs Intervening tine had inside ho change
IN the character ~ tho people The CHtan
~ To-day is ttltmishsd tof hospitality
anil ~ cuurrYv ~ thuss VIM deasrve NJ,
snd b. IL quit In hafmouy With tho great
mslufity ~ tho human fsce IN hs foudness
for pieastre. ANY cbafse ~ in,iulencs
anil l%ssinsss. however, la rrfutsi w every
pige ~ CItt's ibdus' rial statistics
tiin's are, 10 " go srnare miles and
her population 10 nov about l,iso0o Iet
exports are. Nv round ngtirea ti0o 0oo ,no0 q
vear n th~ per capita exports ~ ihr
tnited states eUinll~i those II CIla Wir
export aIloa would l~ t6,oup,O o Wo . year
Instead ~ q little more than o. S1 On 80.
The production ~ q surplus crop having q
value ~ sion. Oo0 Ooo u year ~ u population
M creator than that II Cuba means hard
and persistent work, very much tho greater
part of 1t severe manual labor.
II Ia slid TINT the sugar cane wac intro
ducel In Cuba by VelasgueS, tho first Cow
ctnor n tho island, In 1924. u IL known
that during that year Philip T., the King u
Spain. allowed a loan % 1000 pesetas 10
those who would undertake the establish
ment u a sugar plantation. Hy 1880 this
Industry had secured a considerable foot
hold. Inasmuch 'Hs Spanish treatment ~
the natives had 10y that time ~ reduced their
numbers as to create a shortage Of labor
u became necessary to adopt some plan
for obtaining field hands. Therefore the
African slave trade became an active and
very profitable industry In Cuba, just as IL
did a little later in Boston, New York and
Philadelphia. The complexities Of Cuba's
race and color question are due to the per-
sistence Of this trade for three centuries.
Next TO sugar. tobacco Ia Cuba most inn
portAnt crop. Her exports OF leaf and
manufactured tobacco are valued at nearly
$50. 900 900 n year, The plant 10 native In
the island, and smoking was a practice
among the island people before the arrival
Of the Spaniards. The word tobacco, or
"tabac. did not, however, in it's original
use apply to the leaf, but to the hollow
tube or reed through which the natives
inhaled the smoke for tho purpose of pro-
duciyg a stupor resembling intoxication.
Although made a prolific source Of reve-
nue. for the royal treasury and for the gap
ing pockets Of Spanish officials. Cuba de-
veloped very slowly. At the beginning Of
the nineteenth century her population, in
Guiding slaves, was only about 800. 900,
barely il any more than the present popu-
lation Of Havana, BY 1920 IL had increased
IN a HINT 0nO OnO Tho waya of rayolf which
swept Latin America at that time was not
without its effect on Cuba The years 1923
and 1928 developed instructions which
were alarming rather than serious. The
manner Of their suppression provoked
an unrest which continued for many years.
Until 1868 no serious outbreak occurred
excepting the Lopez experiences Of ls4s-
1851. In 1868 the cry OF independence was
raised for the first time in really serious
tones; but the Ten Years War which fol-
lowed was not a national movement. 1t
was limited almost entirely to the eastern
end of the island, This was at last settled
by "A compact known as the Treaty of
Zanion, made by Maxine Gomez and the
Spanish Governor-General Martinez Cam
pos. With the later history Of the island
the American people are or should be quite
familiar
From tip to tip, following its line Of curva-
ture, Cuba IL nearly 800 miles long. Broadly
described, its ends are sem i-mountainous,
while the long stretch of the middle area
consists of fat or broadly rolling plains.
With the exception Of the Cobre range,
sometimes called the Sierra Maestro, which
lies along the coast between Santiago and
Cape Cruz, few OF the elevations reach the
dignity Of mountains, In the Province Of
Pinar del Rio the greatest altitude is about
.. 500 feet. In the Cobre range of Santiago
Province the Pico Turquino is accredited q
height 81 a little more thar 5000 feet. A
hill near Matanzas rises to l 1900 feet, and
the highest of n group OF hills near Glen
fuegos, on the south coast, has an altitude
of 1900 feet. There are no lakes on the
island, and the only river Of importance
is the Cauto, In Santiago Province.
For two-thirds OF the year the climate
OF Cuba IL pleasant, IL not delightful, par
t~icularly in the interior. Notably on the
northern coast the heat is tempered by the
trade winds, and while the midday sun 10
uncomfortably warm, the nights are cool
and refreshing, The period Of the summer
rains is a time OF discomfort even to the
natives. The temperature does not often
fall below 90 degrees, and a drop to 80 de-
grees, a very %infrequent occurrence, will
cause almost as much suffering as a spell
Of zero weather in New York.
At the time Of the American occupation,
on January l, 1909, IL was estimated that
900, 900 OF American money had beer
in Cuban industrial enterprises.
This, however, included the property Of
Cuban planters who had acquired American
citizenship. 1t is now estimated that
money to the amount Of s11O, OO0.-
DOC Is represented in the island. A mistaken
impression prevails regarding American
ownership OF Cuba's sugar plantations. 1t
Is reported that they are now largely in
hands. The crop Of 1905 was
produced by 175 plantations, OF these
lwenty-nine only are classed as Of American
ownership, and even those include the
plantations OF naturalized Americans, such
rs Ramon Pelayo and Joaquin Piedra, and
he estates OF the deceased Antonio Terry
md Perfeoto lacoste. Americans do own
some of the largest estates, and mills OF
American ownership produced 81 per cent.
u the crop of 1909.
Another misconcoption is open to cor
action. MANY suDDOaa that CIba in richar