Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-03-06
Cuban Politics
BY Frederic ]. Haskin


going to be another revolution in Cub
before long, which will neccssitate Ameri
can intervention under tho Platt Amend
mcnt.
This ID the prediction Of Emilio Cassi
a prominent italian citizen of Habnna
who came hero In '9s with tho 'Rougl
Riders and had the distinction O
being the buglcr who rode with Colone
Roosevelt and his staff. He was before
that resident Of Jerome, Arizona, where
he enlisted in the Rough Riders Except
for annual visits to Europe before the
war, Mr.. Csssi has lived in Habana ever
since. He il a very acute observer and a
student not only Of Cuban politics, by
of world politics MS we'll. While he does
not cherish any illusions about Cuba on
tho Cubans, Mr.. Cassi likes both.
It is fair 10 say that other authorities
do not concur in Mr.. Cassi's pessirnistic
predictions about Cuba's political future.
The optimists say that Cuban political
life has never been more orderly than at
present, that President Menocal, who in
retiring from Office, is making no effort
To name his own successor, and that
under the new election law drawn by
General Crowdcr, there is every prospect
of fair and orderly election. II is
admitted, however, that both Of the
leading parties are split into factions
bitterly hostile to each other. Mr..
| Cassi says this is situation which never
| fails TO lead TO revolution. No one
man can control enough support TO keep
him in power.
CUBAN POLITICS LIKE AMERICAN.
The following account Of Cuban politics
| il based 20 q considerable extent upon
| information furnished by Mr.. Cassi. but
is amplifed and corroborated from other
| sources, 80 that be is not TO be held
exclusively responsible for il.
The fact of the matter seems 70 he
that Latin-American politics, as typicaily
represented in Cuba. are very much
like DIR own Just MS in the United States,
here are parties which do not stand for
much. and they put forth platforms which
consist largely of high sounding but
parties and their platforms are hidden
political, personal, racial--which use the
parties as best they can for their own
ends.
The difference between Cuban politics
and our OVID j. more one Of temperament
than Of anything else. A demagogue in
this country capitalizes discomfort by
founding new party or vhcoping up
some new cure-all for national ills.
In Cuba he capifalizes i. By organizing
a revolution and serving ont rifles
The Conservative and Liberal parties
in Cuba. therefore, are no more truly
representative OF the school and economic
forces at work in the country than are
the Democratic and Republican parties
in this country. II is 20 the forces behind
them that one must look for real under
standing Of Cuban life. The most inter
esting OF these serni-covert forces in Cuba,
from an American point Of view, is the
Spanish element ia the population, and
the new and ambitious Spain which stand
behind it.
There are said 20 be about 500, 900
9paniards in Cuba. which means that
between one-third and one-fourth of the |
population is Spanish. BY Spaniard is |
meant one born in Spain, or the child Of |
spanish-born parents, Il he has Kept his /
affiliations with the Spanish element. /
There could be no greater mistake than l
10 imagine that spanIard and a Cuban |
Of pure Spanish descent are the same
thing. The sharpcst social and political /
division in the island il between the
Cubans OF Colonial descent and the
Spanish families which have come here
since the war of 19s. Each of these eIe-
ments has its own social life, its own /
clybs and, TO considerable extent. IFS
own customs. Members Of the old aristo-
cratic Cuban families, which have been /
here since the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries. would under no considerations
marry Spanlards. This social cleavage,
owing 10 sinnilarities of culture and |
IDENTITY Of language, disappears to some
,xtent In the lower classes. There is not
much active hostility between Spaniard
md Cuban, nor is there complete |
'ocial separation: but there are the two !
dement's having different aspirations for
he island.
SPANISH INFLUENCE.
In order to understand the political
influence of this Spanish element In
Julian life, you must understand some
hing OF modern Spain. Before our war
With Spain, she was decadent country.
which had been engaged for couple of
enturies in losing a world empire. We
ook the last bits of that empire away
rom her at the point of a gun. This
obbery had the effect Of waking Spain
rom long sleep. Since then, Spain has I
hown a new energy IN every phase of her !
stional life. Burdened by an idle landed
and beset with internal
official troubles, she is nevertheless !
iakiug great progress. This progress is
harpiy reflected in the new and aggres-
We Spanish literature, of which We have I
gently heard so much In this country.
efore the war of '9S Spanish literature
almost wholly of high-hown s
FINANCES, based upon the greatness of I
he vanished past. Modern Spain has !
reduced a group of realistic novelists who c
re among the most acute analysts of
lodern life, and who savagely ridicule the | Q
Dmposities of the Spanish aristocracy. the I
arbarities of her bull fights, the ineaic- 2
ncy OF her industrial organization. These
riters are sharp prods urging Spain into
10 current of modern life. 8
But the Spanish aristocraey is still =
rong. 1t is one of the few nobihties In 7
urope which Is moro than a name. :
still has leadership. And the awaken j
& OF Spain has engendered in this q
adership desire for the cultural, if not :
C political resurrection of the great i
Danish empire. !;
II Is interesting to note In this connee- a,
on that King Alfonso had recently s
aimed q trip to Latin-America. He G
ID planned TO lay wreaths on the graves .,
Bolivar and other leaders in the fight q,
T Latin-American independence This 81
p had 10 be postponed because of I'M
tiled political conditions in Spain. But a,
Madrid newspaper, which is recognized s,
sort of semi-official organ Of the az
recently published an edi- "a
rial in which IL said that this Trim by ~