The Washington herald., 1909-01-22

Havana, Jan. 1s.-The United States
troops stationed in Cuba since the Amer
lean intervention il 1896 have been desig-
mated officially as the Army OF Cuban
PacifcaCon." The island has been paei-
fed, and the United States Is again 70
withdraw and permit the Cubsns 10 man
age their own affairs. But the real
army OF pacifcation was not made up OF
soldiers in khadi. armed with rifles. and
supported BY artillery It was composed
OF men IN overaIls, armed with picks, and
supported by the most up-to-date road
building machinery. Building good roads,
next TO sanitation. was the principal bust
ness OF the Wood administration
IN the Magoon regime the construction
OF good roads has been the prime con-
sideration- With good roads Cuba viii
be prosperous, thers viii be less incen-
tive to insurrection, -nd there viii be
q smaller probability Of successful revo-
lutioR. II the system Of good roads out
lined and being constructed could be
finished befc-e January 2S. it might well
be said when the Americans leave that
/
Not more Than 5 Per cent OF the area
Of Cuba is under cultivation. The great-
est obstacle 10 the agricultural develop
ment OF the island has been almost COM
plets absence OF roads. Maps Of Cuba
present 4 perfect network OF lines which
are supposed 10 indicate roads. but as
a matter OF fact these are nothing more
than unimproved rights OF way. In the
dry season they are trails which may be
gone over with comparative ease. but n
the rainy season they are almost impass-
able. At the end OF almost four cen
tUries Of Spanish rule il Cuba there was
a little less than 10 miles Of highways
IN Cuba The work Of road construction
was begun Immediately after the Amerl-
can occupation. n IS99. was continued IN
der the Cuban republic. and has reached
its highest mark under the present pro-
vIsiOnal government In April. 1907. a
definite programme was adopted. prOyid-
viding for the construction Of nearly
I500 miles or highways. 70 be built dur
I ing three years. "a cost OF 3d. O0o, Goa
This programme IS not completed. Of
course, but It is well under way. Much
Of the work has been done, and the new
Cuban republic viii push II forward 70
completion. After that II is the plan
20 construct LSo0 miles OF connecting
roaUs, at q probable cost OF S7.o00,oo0. II
/ that supplementary plan IS carried
through. IT viii mean that within ten
years Cuba viii have q wslI-nigh per
/ feet system
The sugar cane producing districts feel
the commercial need Of improved roads
less than the other sections Of Cuba The
cane is cut and hauled IN the dry season.
and the large sugar plantations are pro-
vided with private railroad systems,
which connect with port cities or with
the public railroad lines OF the island
The small land owner suffers most. and a
good road system viii go far toward en-
abling him 10 compete with the big cor
porsuon-owned sugar plantations. Ex-
perience in every part Of the world has
proved, however, that cane sugar produc-
ton requires an enormous capital. and
that Il must be undertaken CT a large
scale 10 assure good profits The i'm
pTOvement in road systems in Cuba prob
ably viii lead the small owners into some
other branch Of agriculture more profit
able. but now impossible, on account Of
bad roads.
eastern part OF the island especially there
are whole sections uncUltivated and de-
populated because OF the impossibility Of
transporting the products OF the soil 10
the market al a cost which Is CONNER
cially practicable The condition Of the
roads has caused the general use OF the
''carreta' or the general use Of the car
reta'' has caused the condition OF the
roads Scme pat il one way. some the
other. the discussion being on the order
Of that concerning the disputed priority
OF the owl and the OWLS egg
The ''carreta'' is a clumsy. high, two
wheeled cart The two wheels are six
or seven feet in diameter, have narrow
rims and tires. and are so set on the
axle that the outer rim has play OF six
or eight inches out OF the perpendicular
This wheel skew Is the active principle
OF the "carreta." When the wheels get
stuck in the mud, constant pulling viii
work the wheel first 10 one side. then to
the other. until the rut is wide enough
TO permit the cart to proceed. What such
a system does to a soft dirt road may
be imagined.
GuH teams are the favorite motive
power. When one OF these huge carts
with its two sharp wheels is loaded with
from fOur 70 nVe tons or freight, when
SIX yoke Of bulls are hitched in front
and z hOld-back yoke is hitched behind;
and the whole business moves or across
the trail, the one sure and certain result
is ruts. If this hypothetical case IS null
tiplied by the number necessary to trans
port the whole produce Of a section in
season, and that result is multiplied By
200 OF 400, representing the number Of
seasons this system has beea IL force.