The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-29
THE
CUBAN POLITICS
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

HAVANA, Cuba, March 26.--There is
going TO be another revolution in Cuba
before long, which will necessitate
American interrogation under the Plattt
amendment.
This Is the prediction of Emilio Cassi,
prominent Italian citizen of Havana,
who came here in|9S with the Trough
Riders" and had the distinction OF
being the bugler who rode with Col.
Roosevelt and his staff. He was be-
fore that a resident of Jerome, Ariz.,
where he enlisted in the Rough Rid
ers." Except for annual visits to Eu-
rope before the war, Mr.. Cassi has
very acute observer and student not
only Of Cuban politics, but of world
politics as well. While he does not
cherish any illusions about Cuba or the
Cubans, Mr. Cassi likes both.
It is fair to say that other authorities
do not concur in Mr.. Cassi's pessimistic
predictions about Cuba's political fu-
political life has never been more Or
Derby than at present, that President
Menocal who Is retiring from office,
is making no effort to name his own
successor and that under the new cleo
ton law drawn by Gen. Crowder, there
election. 1t Is admitted, however, that
both Of the leading parties are split
into factions bitterly hostile to each
other. Mr.. Cassi says this Is situa-
ton which never fails to lead to revolu-
ton. No one man can control enough
support to keep him in power.
The following account Of Cuban poll
tics Is based to considerable extent
upon information furnished by Mr..
Cash. but is amplified and corroborated
from other sources so that he Is not to
be held exclusively responsible for it.,
The fact OF the matter seems to be
that Latin American politics, as typic-
ally represented in Cuba, are very much
| like our own, Just as in the United
States here are parties which do not
stand for much, and they put forth plat
| forms which consist largely of high
sounding but empty phrases. And back
of these parties and their platforms are
hidden variety of forces-flnancial.
religious, political, personal, racial
which use the parties as best they can
| for their own ends.
The difference between Cuban politics
| and our own Is more one of tempera-
ment than Of anything else. A dema-
gogue In this country capitalizes dis
| content by founding new party or
\ whooping up some new cure-all for ma
| tional ills. In Cuba he Capitalizes 1t
by organizing a revolution and serving
out rifles,
The conservative and liberal parties
|
representative of the social and eco
nomic forces at work In the country
| than are the Democratic and Republican
| parties in this country. 1t is to- the
forces behind them that one must look
for reals understanding of Cuban life.
| The most interesting Of these semi
} covert forces in Cuba, from an Ameri-
can point OF view. is the Spanish ele-
ment in the population, and the new
and ambitious SVain which stands be-
hind it,
There are said to be about 100000
| Spaniards in Cuba, which means that
| between one-third and one-fourth Of
the popula ton is Spanish, BY q Span
lard is meant one born in Spain, or the
child of Spanish born parents, If he
has kept hi0 affiliations with the Span
I ish element. There could be no greater
mistake than to imagine that a Span
lard and a Cuban Of pure Spanish de,
social and political division in the island
| is between the Cubans OF colonial de-
scent and the Spanish families which
have come here since the war of 1898
Each Of these elements has It's owr
social life, Its own clubs and, to g
Members of the old aristocratic Cubar
| families, which have been here since
| the sixteenth and seventeenth centu.
ries, would under no consideration mar.
~ @poNlapd0 THIS s0eat Cleavage, uIes
ink 90 slmilarities of culture and idenu-
| ty OF language, disappears to some eX-
tent. in the lower classes, There is MOI
mudA active hostility between Spaniarc
and Cuban, nor Is there complete So
cial separation; but there are the two
elements having different aspirations
for the island.
In order to understand the polltica
influence of this Spanish element IL
| Cuban life, you must understand some.
thing Of modern Spain. Before our wal
with Spain, she was decadent coun'
try, which had been engaged for 3
couple Of centuries in losing a worlC
empire. We took the last bits Of thai
empire away from her at the point o.
! a gun. This robbery had the effec
Of waking Spain from long sleep
Since then Spain has shown n now en-.
ergy In every phase' OF her nationa
life Burdened by an idle landed arts
tocracy and beset with internal politi
cal troubles, she Is nevertheless max
ing great progress, This progress |,
sharply reflected in the new and aggres
sive Spanish literature, of which WI
have recently heard so much in thit
country. Before the war of rs Spanisl
li9srature consisted almost wholly o
hith flown romances. based upon tn
greatness OF the, vanished past. Mod
er'i Spain has produced group o
- .li~tio .,nxyaiigtg xuhn are amon4 fin