New-York tribune., 1908-01-14
CUBA FREE NEXT YEAR.
Forecast by Dir. Taft in Transmit
ting Report of MagOOn.

Washington, Jan. 13.-As far as he Secre-
| tary Taft has committed the American Govern
| ment to a promise to withdraw completely from
! Cuba in the beginning Of spring in 1909. This
pledge is contained in a letter from the Secretary
! of War to the President transmitting the report
| of Governor Magoon on his stewardship in Cuba
during the last year.
Secretary Taft's encomums upon Governor
Magoon in his letter may be of peculiar signifi-
canoe, in view of recent revival of a rumor
which was formerly in circulation to the effect
that the present Governor of Cuba has been con-
sidered in connection with the vacancy in the
office of Secretary of War which would be
created next July in the event that Secretary
Taft receives the nomination for the Presidency
at the hands of the Republican National Con-
vention.
After declaring that the interesting report
from the Governor shows the conditions in Cuba
TO be very encouraging, Secretary Taft writes:
Governor Magoon has conducted matters in a.
most clear-headed and tactful way and with
conspicuous success He has carried on his
shoulders the whole burden and responsibility
OF an extensive government He has success
fully handled numerous important economic
questions, including work of planning and ini-
with the island and other long needed improve
ments He has had labor troubles which,
through his conciliatory but impartial attitude,
have been brought to an end.
under his direction by Governor Magoon to have
an electoral census of Cuba and to hold munich
pal and provincial elections to test the tran
quillity of the island as preliminary to the
more important Congressional, Senatorial and
Presidential elections He then says:
1t hoped by some that the census might
be completed in September last. did not think
So and l am not at all surprised to learn that
the has not vet been completed and
probably will not be until April or May This
viii postpone the local elections until June. the
Presidential election until December and the in
staIiaton of the President and Congress and the
turning over of the island until about March or
April 1909. This is in compliance with our
promise when we assumed temporary control of
CUBA, and IT seems to me that We ought to allow
nothing TO interfere with carrying out that
promise. There are important interests that
would be glad to delay stay there for years
but good faith and good policy both, in my
Judgment, require US to leave at the time ap-
pointed.
The report of Governor Magoon constitutes an
exhaustive history Of American Intervention In
Cuba and of the passing of the island under
American control. He says that the division of
the Liberal party has occasioned much trouble
to the provisional administration, especially on
the distribution of patronage, each side insist
ing that the government is favorable to the
other
A chapter of the report deals with the evils
of alien residency without citizenship. It is
shown that a large proportion of the population
Of Cuba is composed OF such resident aliens who
control commercial enterprises and public utili-
ties, yet decline to become citizens Of Cuba. It
has been proposed that such persons be re-
quired to assume citizenship after five years
residence and the requirement of a knowledge
OF Spanish, but Governor Magoon says the whole
subject is still under consideration. .
He paints glowing picture of the improve
neut conditions in Cuba durngfhe last
The economic situation is said to be excellent:
foreign and domestic commerce and trade have
shown gratifying increase; manufactures
rapidly expanding, and the customs receipts for
the year show an increase of 81 3S1 6S4 over the
preceding year.
The Governor has created advisory COM
mittee for the purpose of framing certain legis-
Iative measures held to be greatly needed among
them being an electoral law, provisional and
a municipal law, organic judiciary law,
civil service law, d law of executive depart
rnents. an organic law of armed force and a law
revising the existing mortgage and notarial
laws The commission has already practically
completed some OF these measures and the Gov
ernor is about TO charge ii with revision Of
the penal code and the code of criminal pro-
cedure.