The Mena weekly star., 1907-08-29
REFORM PLANS FOR CUBA|
1ov. Magoon to Issue Proclamation Placing Army Officers iu Charge
 of Health Department.
ACTION IS ON ORDERS FROM PRESIDENT
conditions Regarding Sanitation, and
 quarantine in the Island auc h. Worse Than Officials Have Bsen,l Wiling to Admit--MunicipaI off, cers Have Failed in Their Duties.

Washington, Aug. 25.--Gov. Ma. goo will shortly issue proclama. ton placing the health and quaran- tlne system of the Island of Cuba on national basis. The step will be an important one. While designed by the administration to hasten the day when the United States troops can leave the island and turn the insular government over to the Gu. bans, it is believed by some officials that the effect will be directed in the contrary.
 The action of Gov. Magoon is promtped directly by President Roose. velt--tn fact the president is not a little annoyed because of the delay In issuing the proclamation and his orders to Gov. Magoon are direct and positive.
 The conditions as to quarantine and sanitation in the islands have been much worse than officials of the ad ministration have been willing tC publicly admit They have known the true condition of affairs for months. in fact. ever since the Ameri can occupation
 Gov Magoon, however. has tried to get the Cuban municipal and province officials to take cognizance of the sit nation and to correct things and put them on the old satisfactory and thoroughly modern basis they were during the incumbency of Gov. Leon. ard Wood, as military governor of the island after the war with Spain
 There has been much jockeying about and much playing with politics by the Cubans. Since the slight out. break of yellow fever the situation has been greatly aggravated and Gov Masoon has appealed directly to municipal officers to put into effect systems tbM would correct existing bad conditions. So slow have the Cu- president has become impatient and ordered that the entire public health and quarantine systems should be nationalized This means that the medical officers of the United States army will have charge of the situa- ton
 The proclamation has already been prepared and approved at Oyster Bay. It was written by Maj. Jefferson V. R, Kean and has no uncertain ring. Mai. Birmingham. the yellow fever and sanitation expert of the army medical corps, is already in the field and he will hs placed in charge under the new regime.
 The action is to be taken under section of the Platt amendment, which authorized the United States to intervene to preserve the public health. even If the independent gov ernment of Cuba was still in exist enee
 It is we'll known that there is fixed purpose on the part of strong element in the congress to force the permanent occupation of Cuba by this administration through a legislative expression. The administration is opposed to this course. Some officials here believe every step like the one now contemplated gives the element demanding that the island not be turned over again additional strength. They urge that the more national the United States occupation and acts and the wider and more important the duties placed upon the American members of the Magoon provisional government the harder will 1t be to end the present occupation.