The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-27


asked who was the owner OF a busy saw
mill, Americans exclaimed a moody
Cuban in the corner; "thsy have almost
everything now; they will soon have all
The American settlements along the Van
Horn road have a spruce and prosperous
look, in marked contrast with the old Cuban
villages,
An American importer in Santiago, who
has lived there a great many years and has
a real affection for his Cuban neighbors
when they are not politicians, says that he
IL not adding 10 bis stock and that he doesn't
know OF any merchant who Ia. He and
they are waiting TO see how the cat jumps,
Il should say he observed after in
dulging in the usual msledictions upon the
politicians, that IS per cent. Of the i'm
porters Of Cuba / refer 10 the merchant
class are Spaniards, perhaps IS per cent.
Americans and other aliens, and 10 per
cent, are native Cubans; but the last est.
even the Cubans, has any faith in the
zayistas and the Miguelistas. and We don't
believe that either faction will stand for a
government by the other. Here In Oriente
II Ia easy to take 10 the bush and very hard
TO nun down an insurrecto. We importers
think that We have a big stake in the coun-
try, and we want 10 live and do business
here, hut the future looks dark to us
A cloud much bigger than a mans hand,
az the anxious see It, ia the scheme to pro-
vide the incoming President with a regular
army. Its strength has been estimated at
- high as 1900. a force that in a popula-
ton Of 2.OOO,OOO Y I'D be as large proper
tionately as the $. ding army Is in Eng
land and Cuba under the Rgis Of the Plat
amendment has nothing TO fear from
enemies overseas. A sem l-oiicial state
ment has been made TO the effect that the
regular army will consist Of 1000 men. 1t
must Of course be ready TO the new Presi-
dents hand when the arm Of pacifcation
withdraws. What use there can be or
should be for a uniformed force of profess
sional soldiers many Of the critics Of the
scheme fail to understand. They point TO
the Rural Guard as a model c~onstabulary
n say: What more do we want when we
have the police in the %cities7' But the
Rural Guard did not save Palma; and, be-
sides, II was never expected as a police
force to prop a threatened Administration.
The use Of ii TO deal with the revolutionists
was theoretically improper. What said
that amiable and truly patriotic President
in his valedictory2 It will bear quoting TO
account for the plan Of a standing army to
hold up the hands Of President Zayas or
will II be jose Miguel Gomez
Il suddenly found myself in the midst
Of a tremendous social Reorganization.
with thousands OF insurgents in three prov
inces and the menace OF rebellion in two
others, without sufficient regular forces to
undertake Immediately an active cam
paign against the former and to beat and
disorganize them"
There seems to be no intention TO dis
band the Rural Guard, or even to reduce
its complement Of 5,3O5 officers and men,
upon the organization Of the regular army.
The Guard is TO be used strictly as a con-
stabulary outside the municipalities. It is
in a high state Of discipline, thanks TO train
ing by American army officers, who, by
the way, look askAnt in concern at the
Of a Cuban army. The Rural
Guard is proud Of It's uniform and devoted
to its duties. The mel have a soldierly
carriage and are a good imitation Of Ameri-
can Regulars. They don't like the idea Of
q regular army, and they can't imagine
how troops drilled by Cubans can be az
effective as they have become themselves
under the tutelage and example Of American
army men, The spirit Of jealous superiority
stirs in them in anticipation. Under
the Palma regime they we're regarded as
TO the President and by no means
favorable TO the p~retenSions Of the party
which is now divided between the Zayistas
and the MigueHstas. Most Of them, in
deed, were partisans OF Palma and offended
by doing political work for him.
The Rural Guard costs the Government
= good deal-sl 900 a year a man. The pri-
yates receive 500 a month. 1t is not pro-
posed to pay the regulars as much, Where
are they to be recruited2 In the cities
the presumption is. The time to
organize and lick them into shape is short.
In February next the Provisional Govern
ment expires by a limitation which Presi-
dent Roosevelt has set. Politics will natur-
ally enter into the raising Of the army and
the selection Of officers. To recognize all
factions pro rata will be a delicate matter.
There must be a fair apportionment or there
will be trouble. viii the method be con-
TO efficiency? Some OF the officers
Of the Rural Guard want commissions.
They think it will be more resplendent and
honorable TO serve in the army. The uni
forms OF commanders will be a badge Of
precedence. After all the Rural
Guard, spick and span and we'll set up
it is. is only q country police force.
The army is likely to be a magnet. At the
time il the ranks of the Rural Guard
are depleted they must be filled up.
There will be two armed forces in Cuba. |
Pima Guerra, the military leader Of the last
revolution, ia spoken Of az the commander
of the regular army. Cynics insinuate that
here could be no surer way TO provoke
Intervention than to organize a
army which would put the Rural
Guards nose out Of joint. But what is a
1erpleXed Provisional Government, what
8 a strenuous and we'll meaning Admins
ration at Washington. to do with the hor-
ible example Of the Palma collapse to warn
I Of the insecurity Of merely civil regimes
n Cuba? Supervise the election Of Presi-
lent, withdraw the army of pacihcation,
md what might be expected to happen?
Duties Of Mice Girls"
To THE EDITOR OF TIRE sun Str. HurrAh for
Bachelor, who complained that he couldn't find
my mice girls" to sew on buttons for him At bis