New-York tribune., 1907-08-24
FEVER IN CUBA
the inlagina

,,r ,,,naors to he suffering from two cpl
denies at once, though neither Oh tlelh 10 pa
tic1Iarly serious, and both seem III d Iaif way Vi
suppression with promise that eheieaA'eh "
fairs will be in better condition than ever po
fore We have already commented upon lno
various petty outbreaks of crime whlcn soin' y
cited chroniclers have exaggerated INTO re'oiu-
tions The detailed accounts OF sohle VI ~
most important of these-or least uhiinpo,
+o,+ which we nublish elsewhere in to-day
manor fuIIy confirm our former OPINION OIL Ihei
insionifcance from either the military Oh Tue
,oIiticaI noint of view. True, they are salu "
have a political origin, IN desperate ue'i
discourage Governor MagOon from ID poiNS
which some men fear he Will adopt lh"' GA
nlapation is TO be welcomed, since the pe'l! anu
Intellectual character of these disorders iiiocd.e'
how feeble and hopeless is the opposi'loh u hi'
administration
The outbreak of yellow fever is more seilou'
than the activities of d few tramps and chlckeh
.I;os Ire origin appears to have been due
alSo tn noIitical conditions. Although the gen
oral government of the island provides most oil
tho money for the sanitation of the cities, the
local authorities have the spending OF IL anu
full control of the work As result OF this sSs-
tom we are told. sanitation in CienfuegoS hdS
heen shamefllly neglected, and that is prob
ably why yellow fever has made so much head-
yav there. In these circumstances 1t Is reasSur-
ing to have Governor Magoon at the head OF al
fairs. His effective work with yellow fever III
Panama is gratefully remembered. and there is
annie ground for confidence that he will repeat
that record in Cuba Indeed the latest report
&c that the disease has been nearly suppressed
already.
To what extent in view Of the conditions now
revealed it will be necessary or desirable to
change the administrative systems of Cuba re
mains to be seen and to he considered carefully
hv Governor Magoon. Two propositions are
under advisement. One is that the provincial
governors and councils shall be abolished, and
the other that all sanitation shall be under Oil
rect sIlpervision and control Of the general gov
ernment Strenuous objections to both these
are of course made by the politicians whose oc-
cupations would thus be destroyed, and there Is,
no doubt some legitimate ground for deprecat-
ing too great Capitalization Of government. At
the same time there is a possibility of too little
Capitalization. especially in a country so small
compact and homogeneous as Cuba lt is noto-
riOus that the provincial governments have been
centres of political intrigue and graft, and there
can be no doubt that they need thorough ref
OrmatiOn and reorganization if they are TO be
retained at ALL But some of the most judicious
observers hold that their abolition would be In
the interest of and. indeed, is practically essen
tial to good government
As To the control of sanitation. II must be re
memhered that under the Plat amendment the
United States has certain positive authority
I'm the matter. This country looks to Cuba to
keep herself free from pestence, and If she does
not do is entitled TO intervene and compel
proper sanitation. But. of course. it Is to the
general government of Cuba. at Havana. that
the United States looks and not To the local
functionaries of the towns and cities. If. then,
the general government which is responsible TO
us for the sanitary condition Of the cities and
which provides most of the funds for their san
itatOn. sees fit TO direct control over the
work. it will he difficult 20 find convincing
grounds on which to condemn It's action.