Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-03
SOLEMN FAREWELL BANQUET.
Funeral Feast of OutgOinE Ameri'
cans and Incoming Cubans.

between the political Cub0ns ana the
Americans lately acting as guardians Of
the peace on the island. A few lays be-
fore the formal transfer Of the govern
ment to the natives a great banquet was
given in Havana to Governor Magoon and
TO the successful and defeated candidates
OF the recent Cuban election. It was a
reception to the coming powers. a fare
well TO the going rulers. but the latter
feature Of the function was devoid Of
heartiness OF sincerity. A correspondent
Of the New York Evening Post sketches
some impressive features Of the occasion
as follows: Governor Magoon, in the cen-
trail place Of honor, was less the center Of
regard than were the Cuban leaders of
either side. The governor had just re-
turned from his long deferred journey
over the island, and the effect on the pub
lie Of the reception given him at various
towns could not but be felt in the very
air. For that tour was anything but a
triumphal Journey. AS one OF the pro-
vincial papers declared editorially, They
have awaited him, they have received him,
they have RECALLED him, these public func-
tionaries, corporations and foreigners
formal. . A proconsul is tolerated be-
cause he Is feared, not because he is loved"
obliged to be courteous to the chief OF the
state in which they reside, . . d. but the
Cuban people have not taken part in this
reception; . everywhere the greeting
given has been purely official, ceremonious,
This was the sentiment OF many papers
in many towns and of people who ex-
pressed themselves individually as we'll.
Therefore when the first speaker at the
great banquet, Senior Eliseo Giberga. one
of Cuba's orators. as shown formerly when
he was the sutonomist party's member OF
the Spanish Cortes, and, as member of the
Cuban Constitutional convention, one Of
the first supporters of the Plat amend
ment, made courteous and elaborate mem
ton of the work Of the United States. Of
President Roosevelt, and of the provisional
governor in behalf of Cuba, there was not,
although the orators pause gave occasion
for IL, a particle of applause. A moment
of absolutely dead silence followed the
peroration, and then Senior Gilberga, with
adroit eloquence, covered the awkward
pause by taking up the national interests
of Cuba as represented by her industries,
her and her future government.
After the addresses of brilliant men, the
| report that Governor Magoon made fell flat
indeed, and not only because his utter
! ances had to be translated by his interpre-
ter, sentence after science, but because
they were read from the manuscript, an
unfortunate contrast to the flowing ex-
temporaneous speeches that had gone be-
fore. and also because they gave an ac-
! count of Cuba's revenue that most of the
hearers believed TO be Inaccurate. He said,
for Instance, that lin September, 1905, the
provisional government found in the treas
ury of Cuba s9,S9S 993. % cash available for
general expenses whereas there was In
the treasury the sum of $l3, 625,5Ss.66 every
one supposed. Such discrepancy in fig
ures made an unpleasant impression in the
beginning of the report, and the restless
ness of the house testified to its lack of
interest in what followed of the COVER
nor's speech.
A repetition of the feeling towards the
other ~orations came when DIR. Zayas, the
vice president-elect, took the floor. He
was called to the front, and spoke Tor
nearly an hour with great effect. But
even his acknowledgment of the part
played by the provisional government in
assuring peaceful elections, and the effort
made by the United states to turn over
the government to Cubans in a good work.
ing condition met with the very slightest
applause. AS an American business man
said to me. it was no place for an Amerf-
can who Is honest enough to acknowledge
that the American Intervention in CUBA
has been anything but a government or
Cuba for Cubans.
The officials of the American Intervention,
whose salaries have been paid, naturally,
from the Cuban treasury, form a small
army. Governor Magoon, with his salary
OF S25. 900, and attendants. all drawing con-
adorable pay, make the palace salaries into
a formidable amount. Then comes Colonel
| Crowder. who is at the head of the De-