Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-16
ALL QUIET IN CUBA
Unusual Condition of Affairs in
the Island.
BANDITS OUT OF BUSINESS
People Apparently Satisfied With the
Government.
OLD PRACTICE OF BLACKMAn
Sugar and Tobacco Plantations Spared
From the Torch Only on the
Payment Of Money.
BANDITS OUT OF BUSINESS
Id PRACTICE OF BLACKMAIL

Payment of Money.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
HAVANA, March T. 1907.
That the people of Cuba are satisfied with
the provisional government is evident from
the fact that the island Is perfectly tran
quill There are no guerrillas or bandits in
the bush; there have been no political dis
turbances anywhere a state Of affairs very
seldom experienced in Cuban history. No
other country In the world has such ma
terial or such facilities for organizing a
revolution and none has even been so con-
tnually afflicted with bandittf. Going to
the field" as it is called here. has been a
common custom. 1t has offered relief from
daily labor. has afforded the pleasures of a
picnic. has gratifed the craving for excite
ment and adventure which is so strong In
the Cuban people. and has furnished an
opportunity to live upon the earnings and
prosperity Of others.
There have always been bandits in Cuba
until recently: large number of adven-
turers have always lived by blackmail 1t
has been considered an unavoidable evil,
and the planters have encouraged 1t by
their willingness to pay for protection.
The greater part Of the wealth OF cuba Is
In sugar plantations and mills. most or
them owned by foreign capital. At any
time during the harvest season 1t would be
possible for gang OF men TO Destroy sew
enty million dollars worth OF sugar by
setting fire to the cane fields. This power
of destruction Is not thus concentrated in
any other country, and 1t has been held
over the planters for a century or more to
extort money from them. They have been
bout fpo, -tv,er hn n
nifty of the bandit chiefs, and many of
them have paid regular sums for protec-
ton.
Bandits Posed as Patriots.
During Spanish domination these gangs
of bandits borrowed a responsibility by pre-
tending to be patriotic organizations and
excused their raids political grounds.
The largest plantation owners are Span
iards, who were identified with their op-
pressors: the next largest are Cubans Of
the aristocratic class who have taken no
part in politics for prudential reasons and
have been compelled to pay blackmail In the
dependence. During the early years of the
revolution the insurgent forces were made
up almost entirely Of bands of -guerrillas,
who burned cane fields and blew up sugar
mills and laid half the island in ruins.
Maceo, the first and most successful leader
of the insurgents In the late war for In
dependence, was bandit. Spain had 100000
soldiers in Cuba and could not put them
down. and If the present liberal party
should take notion to resist the authority
of the United States. 1t would require quite
large an army to subdue 1t. AS the
natural tendency of the Cuban to unrest
has thus been cultivated by long series Of
instructions for political and pecuniary
reasons. 1t is extraordinary that the recent
uprising was so promptly and easily sub
dued by Secretary Taft and assistant Sec
rotary Bacon.
1t must always be remembered in consfd-
ering the duty of the United States toward
Cuba that large element in this island Is
not only disposed habitually to take to the
field but that it Is continually exposed to
temptation to do so. About 100000
laborers. chiefly illiterate negroes, are
seven months In the year. The other
five months they are idle and earn
no wages During this idleness they have
been accustomed to live of the country and
many of them have levied blackmail year
after year upon property owners, as have
described.
Five Months Of Temptation.
The annual harvest of sugar and tobacco
lasts from early in December to the first
Of April. During that period these 100000
men are employed day and night in the
fields and mills and receive good wages.
but they do not save anything. They have
81.
They are quite as improvident as .:e COL
ored people in our southern states. Hence.
shortly after their seven months of annual
labor are over they have spent all their
money and are entirely without means
Such men easily induced to join bands
to commit depredations and plumber plan
tations, and are frequently tempted to do
so. They do SO simply for excitement and
to supply themselves with sustenance. They
steal horses. cattle, pigs and chickens.
They loot for food and not for gain but
under the leadership of malicious and
avaricious men they can be used to ter
rorize planters into paying blackmail
The practice is for the leader, who is
usually political agitator. to send a letter
to a planter saying that he requires a Ger
tain sum OF money upon certain date and
asking a loan of that amount. If the
answer Is favorable interview is ar
ranged or the planter Is advised where to
deposit the money. II the loan Is refused
field of cane is burned a dynamite bomb
is found In a sugar mill The experienced
planter, IL he Is wise, Is always on friendly
terms with the leaders of such bands. By
paying them regular sums for some ficti-
tious employment they may be induced to
keep their own hands off and also to pro-
tect their patron from other guerrillas OF
the same type.
Timid Cubans and Spaniards have SUBJ
mitted to this system for centuries until 1t
has grown into one OF the customs of the
country. Sometimes in former days these
went OUTSIDE the
ests to increase their incomes. They occa-
sionally kidnapped a millionaire some
member of his family; they held up pay
masters and robbed banks. In the early
eighties perhaps you will remember. there
was an audaclous conspiracy organized to
kidnap John Sherman, who was visiting the
island in company with Senator Henderson
of Nebraska and several other public men.
The bandits proposed TO attack the party
as they were driving to a plantation which
they had planned to visit. seize Mr. Sher-
man. run him into the bush and hold him
for ransom. He was then Secretary of the
Treasury OF the United States. and they
calculated that he was good for a large
sum. The plot was discovered, the plans of
the party were changed and nothing hap
pened.
No Bandits in the Field.
But there are no bandits in the field to-
day IL Is asserted that the island has not