Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-06
NATURE is WONDERFUL


SOFTLY, in the old day. tho Pearl of the
- Antilles glcamcl upon thc bosom Of green
waters. There had been no world war. Mr..
NostCad had not hCcn heard Of. The llte
of Cuba was devoted to sugar and occasional
revolutions and, though !! was not pre-,
tontous life in the main. Il was peaceful
and secure in the intervals between skir'
m,hcs.
Observe now the marvellous works OF ma
iurc and the manner in which the forces oil
destiny can be co Ordinatcd for ends that
suggest an abiding sense of humor beyond
infinite space. The Prince of Monaco is
growing old. For some time he has been
growing old. \ religious impulse has
touched him. \ concern for the future ~
at the back of his mind. This--Or the at
tcndant fact that the Ru ssian and German
barons who were the sprnd"rs in chief ut
Monte Carlo have vanished like a dream
is responsible for the princes determination
to give his glittcring little prinCipnIity new
sort of administration. There is to be no more
gambling there. The great Casino out Of
which unfortunate folk used 70 wander to
jump in the sea will be used for other pur-
poses than roulette. Monte Carlo is to be
rchHbilitated and it will appeal in the future
only to those who live n quiet and elegant
life.
Why was it that the Prince OF Monaco,
Mr. NolStcad and tho German kaiser were
moved in various ways to shift the life and
the moods of Monte CARO- to the peaceful
Pearl? No ono knows. But il happens that
most Of the loose money now available in the
world is flying about in the regions Of Palm
Beach and Cuba. The, Russian and Ger
man barons are gone, but there are Eng
liShmon and Americans who have inherited
their habits
Cuba has been awakened. Bars. as every
one knows, have multiplied and land specu-
latOrs are growing enormously rich at
Havana and an immense Casino, planned to
glitter as the Casino at Monte Carlo never
glttcrcd is in course of erection in tho green
outskirts of the city. The spcndcrs are
crowding in.
But there has been an interruption in the
Pearls swift advance toward the shining
peaks of glory and material success. 1t is
du" tn politics. Cuba's politics has always
been disturbed. There are the intclligentsia.
who naturally feel that, until the people
have had more experience in self govern
mrnt. they should keep the affairs of the
island in their hands. There is also a radi-
cal and restless group, appealing pretty con
SiStently TO the undscrminatng crowd,
and they reach passionately for the reins Of
power at every national election. Moreover
the people who are in power have been drift
ing into dangerous financial ways and there
has been a fear that they may become in
vOlvcd with foreign governments through
financial arrangements explicitly forbidden
in the working agreement between the
United States and the government at IIa-
vana.
There have been elections that actually
threatened to bring on new revolutions
One was held recently. The people who
call themselves the real liberals insist that
the government used its influence to count
them out of victory. As result Of all
This the Treasury Department at Washing
ton has had to send an adviser and investi-
gator to Havana. aud General Crowdcr will
land there today to attempt to Straightcn
out very serious tangles in which the island
administration has got itself involved. There
is n pOssiblity-a very remote one to be
sure-of new Intervention by America.
In that case the Pearl would have to 20
"dry'' The bottom would fall out Of the
dream Of a new Monte Carlo in the western
ocean.
Nature certainly is wonderful.