The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-06-01
MORE TROUBLE IN cusA
Another Intervention May Soon Be
Necessary There.

| a lOu0 vi OdDaf
and portending a situation that may
easily demand another Intervention.
1t seems that the new Cuban gov
eminent is just beginning to feel and
enjoy the freedom from American res
traint that acid the Cubans in check
during the second Intervention and is
in a fair way to make ducks and
brakes of the finances of the island
and precipitate National bankruptcy.
In the short time that the Gomez
government has been in power there
have already been several indications
of the way in which it enjoys spend
ing money without much considera-
ton of the means of raising 1t. The
total revenues of the island will hard
ly be more than $26,000,00O but the
budget Tow in the hands of the admin
istration calls for expenditures of
more than $33,000,000. The Cuban
congress seems ready at any time to
pass an appropriation bill.
A favorite way of getting rid of a
man who is in a position to embarass
Gomez is to give him a liberal sum
of money and send him out of the
country. Thus Loynas del Castillo,
who was one of tne leaders of the ia
nous 'insurrectionary army of 1906,
has been appointed special Ambassa-
dor to all of South America and pack
ed off with $4,000 to entertain the
presidents of the continental repub-
lies. Castillo divided with Pine Guer-
ra the honors of leadership in the
brief insurrection that was terminated
suddenly by the arrival of the United
| States forces in the fall of 1906.
| Since the elevation of Jose Miguel
Gomez to the presidency Castillo has
been demanding recognition of his SER
vices. He would have enjoyed official
association with Gomez in the admin
istration but the new president skill
fully avoided that by sending him on
his diplomatic mission. Castillo's du-
ties are chiefly to convey the greeting
of Gomez to the presidents OF other re-
publics and to furnish banquets for
the edification of the South American
capitals. Tnis arrangement has been
reported to President Taft as a sam
pie of what the Gomez government is
doing and what may be expected from
lit.
! Meanwhile the island treasury is
suffering from an extraordinary strin-
gency. The government has made
some small effort to supply funds but
its principal endeavors have consisted
of the restoration of the lottery and
of cock fighting. There is also pend
ing in congress a bill to revive bull
fighting.
While this is going on contractors
who nave claims against the Cuban
| government are unable TO get their
money. w. j. Oliver of Knoxville who
has big contract for the construction
of public roads, is one of these con
tractors. The McGiveny- Rokeby firm
which has the contract for sewering
and paving Havana, is another There
is more than 100000 due to Oliver for
work completed and he has been I'M
able TO get dollar of it. Work on
tne sewer and paving contract has
been suspended for lack of funds
Other public works have been stop
ped and there is no indication when IL
Will be possible to resume them.
II has been reported to the presi-
dent that Gomez administration is so
hard pressed that il is endeayoring to
raise money by the sale of the Havana
Arsenal property. through trade for
some water front property which can
be disposed of for ready casa. Com
eZ is also ready to negotiate for con.
| cessions and some very peculiar tran
| sactions are reported, in which this
government is especially interested.
| The conservatives in Congress after
fighting the tendency to extravaganza
Tor time, have apparently come to
the conclusion that the best policy for
them is TO help the Gomez partisans
along as much as possible so as to
bring on the climax at toe earliest
| possible moment. There was a time
| when the conservatives contemplated
the possibility of their own in the
hope of bringing on another interyep-
ton by the United States but IT is re.
ported now that this plan has been
abandoned
| one effect of the recent Intervention
was to put sufficient strength In the
hands OF the new government to en-
able IL to deal shaply and effectively
with incipient revolutions. and the
prospects of success from that kind of
a move do not now seem as good as
they did at first. But later in the
year the situation will be altered.
When the sugar cane is well grown
1t will take slight effort to burn a
field of cane now and then, and as
was said by man well acquainted
with the Cuban situation, More can
be won by the burning of one cane
field than by the winning of five bat
ties"
II is pointed out by those familiar
with Cuban affairs that in case the
epoch of extravaganza is not checked
before long situation will be produc-
ed such that the foreign creditors of
Cuba will turn to the United States
for assistance in securing settlement
of their claims and there will then be
nothing for it but another assumption
of authority over the island. Already
it is plain that despite the lesson of
the second Intervention the Cubans
are drifting rapidly back to their old
style of government, which is natural
inasmuch as it is the only style with
which they have any real experience
or education.
Altogether the situation is far from
satisfactory from the viewpoint of this
government. and it is understood that
President Taft is much concerned
about it.
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