Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-09
CARD index OF CUBANS
Information Collected by Of
ficers of the Army.
LIKE THE JAPANESE PLAN
Description of Recent Conference at
the White House.
TAFT'S SEARCH FOR HONEST MEN
Washington's Admirable System Of
Testing Materials Used in Public
Works-Asphalt Inspection.
TAFT's SEARCH FOR HONEST MEL
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record.
Herald.
While encamped at twenty-four different
points in Cuba as a moral force and an
object lesson, the officers Of the United
States army have not wasted their time.
They have been busy all winter making
Typographical surveys and are now pre-
pairing a map Of the island upon which
will appear every road, trail and pathway;
every well, stream and spring; every favor
able place for defense and offense; every
good camping ground; every pasture for
, horses; every source of supplies, and much
other information that will be Of great
value in case it should ever be necessary
to use a military force there. They have
been working after the same plan that the
Japanese adopted In Maqchuria for nine
clared. Realizing that struggle between
the two nations was inevitable. the general
staff at Toxic sent out Its ablest men, who
made thorough survey Of the future bat
tleground and located every point Of Inn
portance and interest. They went still
farther by preparing biographical die
so as to show who were friendly to the
Japanese. Under the direction of Col.
Gaillard of the Engineer Corps, who has
since been ordered to Panama, the repre-
SeHtdllSeS VI the VI ilhHldlS
gence have prepared similar card index
of the principal men in every district in
Cuba. 1t will furnish basis for who's
Who directory Of that island tn case any
body is enterprising enough to take 1t up.
They have the name, the residence, the
business or profession, the antecedents the
record, the political opinion and associa-
lions of every person of Importance, In
Guiding several thousand men in the diff
ferent provinces, that in case of trou-
BILE In the future the officers of our army
may know whom they can depend upon.
Duplicates of this biography will be made
whenever necessary. In the meantime the
cards will be filed in the bureau Of mill
tary intelligence at Washington.
Spaniards In fighting the revolutionists was
their ignorance Of the country. Both the
officers and men Of that army were
strangers in the island, and the absence
of roads and bridges and their ignorance
Of the trails through the woods and across
the savannahs made it impossible for them
to pursue the insurgents, who would make
a dash in the dark and vanish; carried on
exasperating guerrilla campaigns; appear
Ing and disappearing at the most unex-
pected times and places.
Cuba is not well watered. There are no
lakes, few streams and few springs; much
Of the we'll water is brackish and in many
places the population Is dependent entirely
upon the contents Of their csterns, which
are filled during the-rainy season and
should contain enough water to last
through the season. This was great en-
barrassment to the Spaniards also. but in
case we are ever compelled to carry on
campaign down there. our officers viii
know the location of every cistern and the
quality and quantity of water it contains
The President Informed on Cuba.
Mr.. Place, agent of the New York and
Cuba steamship line at Havana, does not
think it necessary for the business men
of that island to send a committee to
with President
Il have given the President all the in
formation he needs,' said he. II spent an
hour with him one afternoon, and it is not
necessary to send delegation to Wash
when got a message by telephone, saying
that the President was very anxious to see
me. He wanted me to tell him about the
situation in Cuba: agreed to go over,
same day. and he made an appointment for
2:3O o'clock one afternoon.
II arrived at the White House on time
and was shown into the Presidents office:
He said he was dee-lighted to see me and
thanked me for coming over. He was very
anxious to know about the situation in
Cuba and about the character and dis
position of certain gentlemen down there.
He appreciated the trouble. I had taken to
oblige him, and then he asked me several
questions. But he did not give me
chance to reply to them. He began to re-
ply, to them himself and kept on talking
for an hour. I could not get a word in
how you say?-edgewise. I did not open
my mouth until the President had been
out Of breath When he stopped to take
new breath l butted in and l said:
my dear Mr.. President am very sorry,
but 1 postponed my business in New York
until tonight in order to come here, and l
must take the O'Clock train. 1 have just
time to make the station, and l must beg
you to excuse me-.
"rhe President grabbed me by the hand
ba said NV dear Mr. Place 7 m
der everlasting obligations to you for TAX
ing so much trouble to come over here and
give me so much valuable information
about Cuba. l hope. you can make 1t posi-
BILE to come again before you return to
Havana 1 appreciate the value of your
information and 1 want some more of it
81 am sure you have enough 1 said,
and 1 thank you for the honor you have
done me. Goodbye
Goodbye, old man. said the Presi-
dent, and 1 rushed out to the carriage
which was waiting to take me to the sta
ton. So you see why l do not think it Is
nee essary to send any delegation of bust
ness men to Washington. / gave the
President all the information he wants."
Taft's Search for Honest Men.
While Secretary Taft was In Havana or
eanizing a provisional government he sent
for Gen. Carlos Roloff, Pole, who has
spent most of his life in Cuba and was one
of the most effective leaders of the insur-
gent forces during the war Of liberation.
Gen. Roloff, are there any honest men
in Cuba?" asked the Secretary.
"Yes. There are two-Tomaso Estrada
Palma (recently presidenD and Ernesto
Fons Sterling recen1y secretary of the
| treasury"
Are they the only honest men In Cuba?"
1.-The only ones 1 know
"Why do you not include yourself>and
make three?"
THAT is not convenient. l like to make
| a little money on the side when / get a
chance"
Nevertheless, will appoint you treas
urer" said Secretary Taft
And he did.
Two gentlemen met on the street one day
| In front of the palace at Havana, and one
asked the other:
! What is Secretary Taft trying to do?"
! HE is trying to find a righteous man."