Evening star., 1908-01-13
WILL LEAVE CUBA NEXT YEAR
PLEDGE IN A LETTER FROM
SECRETARY TAFT.
Report of Gov. Magoon on the Work
of the Past Year in the
Island.

AS far as he can Secretary Taft has
committed the United States government
| to promise to withdraw completely from
| Cuba in the beginning of spring 1903.
| This pledge is contained in letter from
the War Secretary to the President trans
mtting the report of Gov. Magoon of his
| stew ardship in Cuba during the past year
Secretary Tafts encomiums upon Gov
Magoon in this letter may be of pecu lar
| significance in view of a recent revival
| of a .rumOr which was formerly in circu-
lation to the effect that the present gov
| ernor of Cuba has been considered in con-
nection with the yacanc. in the office of
| the Secretary of War which will be Gre
ated next July in the event that Secretary
Taft receives the nomination for the pres
idency at the hands of the national repub-
lican convention. After declaring that
the report from the governor shows the
conditions in Cuba to he very encouraging
Secretary Taft writes:
Gov. Magoon has conducted matters In
| most clear headed and tactful way, and
with conspicuous success. He has car
ried on his shoulders the whole burden
and responsibility of an extensive govern
ment. He has had labor troubles. which.
through his conci!iatory but impartial at
titude. have been brought to an end.
Withdrawal in 1909
The Secretary recalls the steps that
were taken under his direction by Gov.
Magoon to take an electoral census of
Cuba and to hold municipal and Drovin-
cial elections to test the tranquility of
the island as a preliminary to the more
important congressional and presidential
elections. He then says:
1t was hoped by some that the census
might be completed< in September last.
did not think SO. and am not at all>Sur-
prised to learn that the census has not
yet been completed and probably will not
be until April or May. This will postpone
| the local elections untn June. the Dresi-
dental election until December and the
installation of the president and congress
and the turning over Of the island until
about March or April of 1909. This is in
compliance with our promise when we as
sumed temporary control of Cuba, and it
seems to me that we ought to allow moth
| ing to interfere with carrying out that
promise. There are important interests
that would be glad to delay our stay there
for years. but good faith and good policy
both. In my judgment. require us to leave
at the time appointed"
Progress of the Island.
The report of Gov. Magoon constitutes
| an exhaustive history of.the American in
tervention in Cuba and of the progress of
the island under control of the United
States. 1t is shown that a large proper
tion of the population of Cuba is com
posed of resident aliens who control com
mercldI enterprises and public utilities, yet
decline to become citizens of Cuba. 1t
has been proposed that such persons be
required to assume citizenship after five
years residence and the requirement of a
knowledge of Spanish. but Gov. Magoon
says that the whole subject is still under
consideration.
The economic situation is said to be ex-
cellent: foreign and domestic commerce
and trade have shown a gratifying in
crease: manufacturers are rapidly ex-
panding and the customs receipts for the
year show an increase of 81 ,3S1 1884 over
the preceding year.
Improving Island Sanitation.
The Cuban people as a whole are now
lending willing support to the efforts of
the, army medical officers to improve the
sanitation of the island.
The governor has created an advisory
commission for the purpose of framing
certain legislative measures very much
needed, among them being an electoral
law. provisional and municipal law,
an organic judiciary law. civil service
law, law of executive departments. an
organic law of armed force and a law
revising the existing mortgage and nota
rial laws. The commission has already
practically completed some Of these meas
ures and the governor is about to charge
1T with a revision of the penal code and
the code of criminal procedure.