Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-20
for national independence as early as 179o:


they got it between 1S20'26. but few Of
them have yet attained stability of admin
istration or realized what a self-govern-
ing democracy should be.
''Thus history shows that long period OF
education is necessary before a people can
become capable of self-government. and
it would have been miracle II CUBA had
passed from a colony with centralized
and despotic government, with no RESPONSE
bility or liberty enjoyed by the people, to
a self-governing republic IN which every
citizen takes share and feels his respon-
sibility for proper administration OF al
the last five years in Cuba with the first
five years in the history IF other republics
you will become convinced that Cuba mas
done quite as well could have been ex-
pected of an inexperienced, unframed peo-
pie suddenly released from political bond
age to political freedom.
1--WE often hear it said that Cuba is unfit
for self-government, but what else could
ileges and duties of citizenship intelligently
until he has had education, training and
experience. There is large Ignorant popu-
lation in the United States, on the one hano'
and a lamentable amount of indifference to
public affairs among the most highly edu-
Gated classes of our people These TWO
conditions permit fraud and wrong TO De
committed, but, at the same time, the great
masses of the people are safe and sane
and have acted as balance-wheel, so that
the consequences of these frauds and
wrongs have been limited and as soon as
a certain point Of political degeneracy Is
reached in our country the public con-
science has awakened and the people have
asserted themselves. There is similar
condition of things in Cuba today, due to
similar causes-ignorance on the part or
the masses of the voters and indifference to
public affairs among the most intelligent
and cultivated classes. Unfortunately
Cuba lacks the balance-wheel Of public
sentiment which is the safeguard OF the
Due yr,1ro a
with Cuba. We must give her time to
dearn what a republic should be and give
her citizens a chance to learn their duty
toward themselves and the state
Camp Columbia.
Camp Columbia, where the largest de-
tachment of the army of pacihcat1on Is
located, was established in 1898 by the
I'd Engineers under Gen. Humphrey. then
chief quartermaster in Cuba, and Maj
Chauncey B. Baker, who is now chief quar-
termaster here. The site was selected by
a commission composed of. Gen. Lee, Col.
Warning who was sanitary commissioner
of New York city, and Col. Williams. Both
Warning and Williams died here OF yellow
fever shortly afterward. The hrst troops
to occupy the camp were the "a volunteer
Engineers who were landed on the coast
near the camp, because it was considered
unsafe for them to pass through Havana
ON account of yellow fever. The next
troops were the LIST Regiment North Caro-
lima Volunteers, who were the first to enter
the city of Havana after the evacuation OF
the spanish A New York regiment lay
on a steamer in the bay for several days
previous, afraid of yellow fever, and would
not land. When the LIST North Carolina
arrived on the old steamer Roumanlan,
Col. Baker, the quartermaster. asked Col.
Armfield, it's commander, II ne wanted 70
take his chances of the yellow FEVER and be
the first American soldier to enter Havana.
Armfield said he was willing to do SO,
and commenced to land his men at daylight
When the New York men saw what was
going on they decided to land also out
did not get started until o'clock, and
were several hours behind the Tarheels
reaching Camp Columbia.
Under Gen Humphreys direction the tents
of the camp were gradually replaced by
wooden barracks and comfortable bunga-
lows for officers quarters. Gen. F1tzhugh
Lee was the first commander. He built
the roads and remained here until his corps
that the United States flag would never
come down from the flagstaff in the center
Of the parade ground at Camp Columbia,
but in May, 1902, when the civil government
of Cuba was established. the barracks were
turned over to the Rural Guards. Presi-
dent Palma used the cottage built by Gen.
Lee as the residence of the commanding
officer every summer, and found IT much
more comfortable than the old Spanish pal
ace in town. Several of the officers quar-
tiers were also occupied by government OFF,
Gals and their friends and were used very
badly. When the American troops came
back last October they found the officers
quarters and the barracks in very bad con-
dition. The plumbing was torn out. the
roofs were leaky, some of the partitions
were broken through. and 1t looked as II
the occupants OF several OF the bungalows
had used the doors and blinds for firewood.
Interesting Coincidence.
1t is an interesting coincidence that the
a. 70 NJ