The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-04-11
ESPERANTO ECHOES
FROM CUBA

In regard to ideals important for
mankind there exists everywhere a
lack of confidence, but also. here 10
Cuba. great natural indifference Of
our character. Moreover, from a So
Geological viewpoint, the present his
torlcal moment of our people does not
favor progress of matters not having
immediate utility. We indeed passed
the whole nineteenth century either
eonspiring or warring, and always
suffering, in order TO attain our nation
al liberty, We dreamed that our country
would be the American paradise, that
we would be the freest men on earth !;
in order to effect our dreams we con-
sumed the estates of our whole people
in the lightning of two military revo-
lutions, and wrote with our blood.
whether on the battlehelds, the saddest
pages of our present day history.
Finally, after so much sacrifice came
the victory. and in ecstacy we enjoyed
the brief but intense moment OF tri-
umph. ldeality reigned supreme in
our hearts. Everyone. satisfied be-
cause they had fulfilled their duties for
the fatherland, did not aim to be still
further sacrificing, but to become at
tentive to their situations in life.
Some dedicated themselves to the re-
construction of their homes and the
productiveness of their estates others,
having lost their entire possessions,
searched their livlihoods in the city or
state budget; many, who mad nothing
by which to reconstruct their vast pos
20
Widows and old fathers of the dead
revolutionists still hope to receive pen
sions, by means of which the country
should moderate their miserable state.
The higher and middle elements OF the
nation unfailingly dedicate themselves
to the productive professions, and
finally they became politicians in order
to attain official privileges; also there
was no lack of jingoists VINO intruded
themselves everywhere in order to Iule
and to require of the country much
greater a recompense than the services
done by them. As previously stated
one sees proof of the sociological law
of evolution by contrasts; in ideal
epoch, wsrlike and sacrificial, has
taken the place of the other peaceful,
laboring and egotistical.
The land is very rich, but we Cubans
are poor because the economical power
is not in our hands. Politicians in con-
sequence of that, become increasingly
disturbed, and consumes great moral
energies because it is the field where
many believe they will find better liv-
lihoods. The jingoists here, as every
where, confuse everything, and by too
much egOtsm often menace the coun-
try with new dangers. In word,
each of the many thinks most about
himself rather than about all-about
"me" instead of 1--WE. -
So our dreams departed. In that
state the country is not paradise for
US, nor, in fact. are we as free as most
men. That disruption of our dream
wounded our hearts by its sharp thorn.
The people became skeptica and only
attend to matters which deliver certain
usefulness.
For this | believe that the present
psychological moment of this people is
not quite fit for the spread of that
new feeling" which came to the
world with and by Esperanto. How
ever, the storm ceases, the passions
moderate, life goes on in its normal
flight. In our hearts will be a new
springtime for delicate dreams and
noble hopes, and then many will grow
and bear fruit, forming into trees of
hope from the seeds which we few but
fervent apostles of "Espei antism"
now sow and SOW constantly in the
souls of our countrynen.
r. G. Crespo,
Bae7, Cuba.
The foregoing have translated from
"Amerika Esperanto" magazine, and
in order that the readers may make a
comparison, the original of the last
paragraph is as follows
Pro tio mi opinias Ike la nuna psiko-
logia momento de tiuchi populo ne
estastute tanga por la disavastigho de
tut nova sento' kin al la monde vents
kun kaj per Esperanto. Tamen, la
ventego chesas, la passioj moderighas,
la vivo reiras en- siau normalan fiuejou.
En- MIA koroj estos nova printempo por
delikataj revoj kai noblaj esperij, kay
tam multe kreskos kaj fruktodenos,
aliformighinte en- esperarbojn, la semoi
kuhn nj malmultaJ sed ferVoraJ apos-
toloj de Pesperantisumo non 'semas
kaj semas koustante" en- la animoj de
Maj samlandanoj.
H. b. Langille.