The Washington herald., 1909-01-21
Kentucky Editor Sees Break
ePS Ahead for Gomez.
IS BRAVE AND PATRIOTIC
Declares Annexation to the United
States should Be Sought Only as
Dislike for Americans Is Discred-
itabIe-Graff and Patriotism.

ahead for President-eiect Jose Miguel
Gomez. Painting a bright picture Of Cuba
as she could be under good, sound gov
eTnmsHL with capital flowing in from al
the great money centers, predicting that
under such conditions the world Of fash
ion and pleasure would pick up its doll
rags in Egypt and along the Riviera and
come to the Queen Of the Antilles 10 dis
port Itself. the veteran journalist at the
same time shakes his head and remarks.
Are these people equal to II. and if not,
can Gomez lick them into shape?"
Type Is Modified.
Havana, &" said AIr. WattersOn, is not
only historically. but pictOTially. one Of
the most impressive cities Of the world
I Ike TO come 10 Cuba The Latin type
has been modified here-or exaggerated
whichever way one pleases 10 take it-by
the inSUIar limitations and peculiarities."
How do you find that these express
themselves. Nj Watterson2' the reporter
asked.
Chiefly in bumptiousness. - Mr.. Waiter
son answered The Spaniard is a solemn
child The Cuban IS a freakish child
The Spaniard thinks he is thinking. The
Cuban does not take the trouble 10 think.
He seems bundle Of emotions running
the scale from frivolous gayety 20 lively
sentimentalism: often brilliant. always
scintillatIng. never az rest. I fancy Gen.
Gomez is going 10 ind Jordan rather a
hard road 10 travel"
Able and Patriotic.
DO you know the new President OF
Cuba2"
4 had the honor and pleasure Of meet
ing him upon my last visit. I doubt not
that he IS a At man-able, brave. and
patriotic. If he proves equal TO the emer-
gencies that viii press upon him, and 50
Of saving the republic. he viii. indeed.
rank with the nation-makers. 1 am my
self one Of the Oldest living friends Of
Cuba I fought with Lopez-in my minds
eye-when L was ten years old, and have
followed every Cuban uprising from that
day to the final catastrophe. which pre-
cipitated the Spanish-American war
1t viii be best for Cuba. best for the
United States. best for the world. If
stable and orderly government can be
established here No body Of intelligent.
Americans. as in our egOtism and ef-
frontery We call ourselves, would have
annexation except as a dire alternative
As an independent state-quite te~ritor-
ially large enough, of productivity IN
equaled anywhere on the face Of the globe
-Cuba's future would be radiant
Havana Unique.
Already Havana is UNIQUE among tbel
cities Of Christiandom. Ten years Of de-
velopmeEt such as Magoon has rendered I
IN less than three-ten years of intelligent
and honest Observation-Disclosures not onlyi
would the capital Of the great money cen
ters flow IN, but the world OF fashion
and pleasure would pick up its doll rags
in Egypt and along The Riviera and come
70 the Queen OF the Antilles 10 disport
itself. Havana would soon put Cairo's
nose quite out Of joint, and Cuba would
become the winter as Switzerland Is the
summer playground Of the universe.
But and Mr. Watterson shook his
head. are these people equal 10 il. and.
If not. can Gomez Hex them into shape, !
for that is all there is to It"
You seem a little pessimistic. Mr..
Watterson"
''No-onIy houghtful-maybe 2 BIT ap-
prehensive- I should feel much more
hopeful II the work we have done here
particularly the work done by MagOon |
were better appreciated. That there
should be an undercurrent Of positive dis /
Ike Of the Yankees is most di5creditable !
TO the Cubans- Il indicates an incapacitv /
for self-government as vel as a spirit I
Of ingratitude. which bodies i'll for Gomez. 1
Onrush for office
The onrush for !afice is so sweeping
that even TO the naked eye it becomes I
visible. There must be al least fifty ap-
plicants for every pIace-perhaps not one I
in fifty meeting the Jeffersonian require /
ment This means graft, not patriotism /
The disappointed may be expected 10 /
try to make trouble. If Gomez uses the I
strong hand TO maintain order he viii i
be heralded q tyrant Unless he does.
he viii be drawn under and engulfed. I /
am afraid the mass and body OF the
Cubans do not understand this. nor ade- /
quately comprehend the situation We 4
OF the United States are committed 10 4
the good government Of Cuba.
We are sincere in desiring IL We are
sincere in the declaration that We do not 4
seek annexation But If the conditions
with which dear old Estrada Palma had /
10 deal rise on their hind legs and hit
Gomez. and 10 keep the peace We are
forced 10 come back. il viii be, as said
last winter, 10 the idea Of republic OF