Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-20

CUBA ana CDG SOlUleTS are diiuoSl UNIV
sally popular with the people. The army
is scattered pretty well over the island.
There are several posts in each or the
provinces, with one, two or three companies
at each, and the best test Of their popular
ity is the protests that are always made
by the citizens when they are ordered away.
The citizens object to changes also. Like
all the Latin races. the Cubans are suspi-
cious and distrustful of strangers. 1t takes
some time to get their confidence, but when
they become convinced that you are sin
cere and sympathetic they are as trustful
child. Hence they don't like changes.
The same is true in the Philippines.
Frequent Changes Disturbing.
President Roosevelt has made lamenta-
BILE mistake in changing the governor gen.
eral of those islands SO often Since we
took possession of the islands there has
been a new governor nearly every year
Otis, Davis, Macarthur, Taft, Wright, Ide,
Smith, and l don't remember how many
more-and now 1 understand 1t is proposed
to send Magoon there soon to take Smiths
place. Every change has been a mistake,
for every new governor has had new pol
ley. and none Of them except Secretary
Taft have remained long enough for the ma
tives to become acquainted with them. That
is the cause of much Of the trouble in the
Philippines, and the same may be said of
Porto Rico. We have had new governor
there nearly every year. AS soon as gov
ernor becomes acquainted with his duties
and begins to understand the character and
disposition of his constituents and the needs
of the islands the President calls him home
and sends down another green man. In
experienced men cannot be as competent
successful those who know their
business. but the President does not seem
to appreciate that axiom. He certainly has
not applied it to his Kaleidoscope cabinet
any more than to any other part Of his ad-
ministration.
These remarks apply with particular
n ho Il i
If Governor Magoon were recalled and
sent to the Philippines and a new man
sent to Havana to conduct the provisional
government. Magoon is very much liked
here. He has peculiar qualifications for
the delicate duties that are intrusted to
him.. He is beginning to understand the
people and they are beginning to have
confidence in him. Any changes in the
worse rather than for the better. The
success of the provisional administration
has been largely due to the fact that the
various departments are Entrusted to the
men who were here with Gen. Wood
and made the acquaintance and gained
the confidence of the people.
The leaders of the liberal party are
the only people who do not like the SOL
d1ers, and they have their reasons. The
presence of the American troops prevents
them from carrying out their plans and
securing possession of the government
History of Self-Government.
The disposition of the army toward
the people is kindly and conciIiatory
They avoid wounding the pride of the
Cubans or giving offense in any way.
Their sentiments were clearly expressed
by Col. Black of the Engineer Corps who
is acting minister of public works He said
to me the other day:
The most important thing for both
Cuba and the United States is better
understanding Of their mutual relations
and interests. There is a radical diff
ference in the point Of view taken of the
same question by the Cubans and the
Americans. This is due to racial char
acteristics and methods of training, and
is not a matter of intellect or learning.
1t is deeper than that and in order to
to know the people well, to understand
the points in which they are superior to
us and also wherein our ways are better
The Anglo-Saxons began self govern
ment in the thirteenth century," con-
tinued Col. Black. The powers of local
self-government continued to expand in
England until the seventeenth century
when they beheaded their king and UNI
dertook national self-government which
was founded on local self-government
Cromwell honestly tried to be what we
term a constitutional president He soon
discovered, however, that England was
not prepared for that kind Of govern
ment, and through force of circumstances
ruled well during his lifetime, exactly
as king. He had no successor His
son was unequal to the requirements
and England was very glad to get her
king back. The government went on
gradually comforting greater power upon
the people as the years went by, and
the people getting more and more train
ing. until. at the end of the eighteenth
century, every thinking Englishman be-
gan to feel himself responsible for the
actions Of his government, and held the
national officials to strict accounta
bility for the protection and preservation
of his individual rights. That is a fair
at the close of the eighteenth century.
and that condition of things rendered it
possible to create a self governing ma
ton of the United American colonies
France saw the success of the American
colonies. killed her king and tried to estabr
not equal to 1t. She passed in rapid sue
cession from democracy of the masses to
an empire with an absolute monarch She
accepted the Transformation willingly, be-
cause she had to, and between the empire
and the war with Prussia in 1870 she passed
through long period during which her
people were acquiring the capacity and the
knowledge which enabled them to set up
republic that would work. At first there
was good deal of creaking and groaning
in the machinery. Its future existence was
quite uncertain for a number of years. 1t
is only recently that the republic Of France
has had stable government
Spain tried to initiate France and pro-
ceeded to establish a republic. It was q
lamentable failure, and without q revolu-
ton her people were mighty glad to take
another king.
"You can find other parallels in the South
mericau reptlblfcs They hAQRn To agftate