Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-13

mother or some elderly relative. Yet last
night the plaza in front of our hotel was
filled with pretty girls promenading back
and forth arm in arm, talking, joking
and laughing with young men just as inno-
Gently and freely as young people of the
same age would be allowed to do in the
United States. This is due to American
influence, and very largely to the Amer-
can schools, which teach women the art
of self-protection as well as ideas of in
dependence.
Cuban Converts.
The Rev. S. A. Nebett, formerly of Chat
tanooga, who has been in CHARGE of the
Methodist work down here since 1901, tells
me that his church has go members, all
Cubans but five, and every one a convert
since independence. The Congregational
Church. Rev. E. P Herrick, pastor, which
was founded in 1902 has forty members.
The Episcopal Church, Rev. Francis Godiz,
a native Cuban rector, has fifty members.
The Baptist Church, Rev. ]. V. Coya, an
other Cuban pastor has eighty members.
The Disciple Church, of which Rev. r. r.
Hill, formerly of Peoria, H., is pastor, has
eighty members and the largest Sunday
school in MatanZas province. All of these
except the Congrega tional Church have
flourishing day schools, at which pupils are
charged tuition ranging from 81 to IS a
month, according to their age, and, l
have said, they draw from the best fami-
lies in the province. Before the of
permitted Protestant schools We're not
tolerated. and there were no Professionals in
Cuba except the members of foreign fami-
lies. l have asked several people the rea
son why the Protestants have been SO
successful, and the explanation invariably
is that their converts are from among the
native Cubans who We're driven out of the
Catholic Church by Spanish priests during
the revolution or left that church because
of its sympathy with Spain
a Mofanzoe D,,bl;o coboo1
1 visited one of the public schools of.
Matanzas yesterday, which occupies a solid
old building that was used as a political
prison during Spanish domination. The
teacher had the children drawn up in mill
tary order to salute our party and they
seemed a very bright lot of little chaps.
There is good deal of criticism concern
ing the management of the schools of Cuba.
There were no free schools during the
Spanish regime, because it is contrary to
the policy Of Spain to educate the working
classes. and, therefore, 81 per cent of the
population of the island were illiterate when
the Americans came in Gen. Brooke
when he assumed command as military
governor, Immediately organized a system
of free schools, which perfected and
maintained by Gen. Wood, under Mr.. Frye
an American superintendent 1t was one
of the most successful endeavors of the
military government. and every officer of
the army in Cuba took a thorough pride
because of his share in its foundation. You
will remember that thousand Cuban
school teachers were brought to the United
States in the summer of 1901 and at
tended the summer school at Cam
bridge where they occupied the buildings
of Harvard University Under the repub-
lie the school system was allowed to fall
into the hands of politicians, and, although
liberal appropriations were made for its
support, a considerable amount of money
was diverted; the standard set by Prof
nanfajpa1- h
ers We're removed, and incompetent sub
stitutes appointed for political reasons, and
other influences caused serious demorali-
cation in the educational system.
Compulsory Law Ignored.
In discussing the public school system,
one of the most intelligent of the education
al authorities, who dare not allow his name
to be used for fear of punishment, said:
I'VE have a compulsory education law
but it is not enforced. The children do not
attend school regularly. The parents of
the upper classes patr0nze the private
schools. They are prejudiced against the
public schools on account of the attendance
of negroes We do not recognize colCr-ine
in Cuba The sexes are divided, but not
the races Mere than half of the children
in the public primary schools are negroes,
or of mixed blood and the latter are very
bright and apt 10 learn. ! 90 not see any
mental difference between blacks and
whites. They have about the same intelli-
gence. White children attend school longer
| than the black children. The parents of
the poorer classes, who are themselves il
! Iterate, are Indifferent to education, gen
| orally speaking, although some negro pa
| rents are eager for their children to read
and write IL order to improve their con-
! dtion.
The characte of our teachers is pretty
/ good although it is not good, generally
| speaking as it was under the military oc-
cupation. During the latter part of the
| Palma administration, when Senior Men
| talvo and Senior Andrada of his cabinet
! were preparing for the elections, everything
! was sacrificed to politics. and many COM
| petcnt teachers were displaced by ineompe-
| tents because of their political attitude.
| 1t was cruel to involve the schools in poll
| tics but that is the tendency in this coun-
try Many of the older teachers spent a
| summer at Harvard Training School during
the administration of Gen. Wood. but the
younger ones lack training and experience
AS rule, l have found them intelligent
and conscientious and ambitious to qualify
themselves, but they have never had a
chance.
Trained Teachers Needed.
I'VE are going to have summer normal
school this year, beginning with the first
of June, but 1t will be conducted by in
experienced persons, who have never at