The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1912-03-05
Continued from third page.


ton in all Cuba. The teachers are
poorly equipped to teach and profess
sionally they are unframed and very
largely uninterested in the work of
education. School attendance is
very irregular ard there are few in
centives on the part of the Cuban
government and almost as much in
difference on the part of parents.
There are no compulsory attendance
laws and they couldn't be enforced
if there were-because Cuban laws
are miserably enforced, poorly obey
ed and shamefully violated. Nearly
fifty per cent of the marriages
among the Cubans and negroes are
common law marriages. The chill
dren of the Cubans, save in instances
of the weather. class, sit side by
side with the negroes and poorly
clad and not too clean.
The Cubans feel that in the negro
they have an obligation to pay, the
negro in the Cuoan-Spanish war,
fought in the bush, vigorously for
the independence of the Cuban. He
bore the brunt of the trials and suf-
ferings of war, which without his
help could never have been achieved
and now the Cuban in this mixing of
the races, is paying a price which
will surely cause him serious trouble
in the near future. The Cuban gov
eminent is today weak, nearly bank
rupt, poorly organized, seriously
crippled and dissention and dissatis-
faction throughout the entire island
prevails That the u. S. must soon
assume control, there is little doubt
in the minds of close observers. Can
they govern themselves in the fu-
ture? Many doubt it. They are
not trained to the systematic work
on scientific lines, they lack states
men, scholars. jurists and civic right
eousness. They look to the United
States for help, suggestions and i'm
provements. Spanish rule has made
the Cuban independent. He lacks
the creative, the organizing ability
and executive qualities that go to
make vigorous nation. What Cuba
needs today are groups of strong,
progressive American merchants,
lawyers, doctors, educational execu-
tives, who will organize and classify
the school system and employ up-to-
date we'll informed teachers. There
is everywhere disposition to slip
back to ante Spanish American war
days.
The u. S. cleaned up Havana. she
reorganized her hospitals, her street
cleaning system, her mercantile
I methods, her general civic admins
tration, her schools and home condi-
tions, but she was not able in that
brief period to teach permanency in
all these necessary conditions. Cuba
is gradually slipping backward.
simply because her foundations are
not strong. There is nothing be-
hind her, and her people are grow
ing up, unframed, because of weak
civic conditions. Her chief founda-
ton stone, her public school, is the
one that is the weakest in the whole
structure. Any nation who has
tried in modern times to become
strong, has always built up first a
strong school system, witness Ger
many. France and Switzerland.
! There is not in all Cuba in her COM
mon schools, the semblance of a
school library, such as can be found
in any common school in Minnesota.
Cuba is beautiful island, with a
delightful climate, covered with
tropical verd ure. It's soil is fertile,
the drinking water is pure and re-