Evening star., 1926-05-23

anu IdiSSu IIlelT SdDeTS III salute DIS
the emblem of Cuba Libre rose to the
masthead where few minutes before
the Stars and Stripes had fluttered.
Thus, as the guns of an American
naval squadron doomed in the harbor,
new republic was embarked upon
an uncertain career in the Western
hemisphere
Few governments, perhaps, ever
came into being under less auspicious
circumstances. Only two years before
the military dictators of a foreign,
blooded aristocracy had ruled it with
the whip and sword. 1t was torn by
many more years of bitter guerilla
warfare before that. No need to won
der that the rest of the world looked
on with doubt as the United States
granted Cubas request for freedom
and autonomy.
But the United States had seen
something that the rest Of the world
knew nothing about. The American
Military Governor, Leonard Wood,
who now holds the same position in
the Philippine Islands, had seen 2,0OO,-
! 900 souls freed from the yoke of op-
| preston, filled with the hope and am
| bition of their new and dearly earned
| freedom. The achievements that have
accumulated in the "a years since Old
Glory was lowered from the masthead
| In Havana have more than vindicated
| Americas faith in Cuba.
Record Wins Admiration.
Last Thursday marked the twenty
! fourth anniversary of Cuba's inde-
pendence. In those few years the
| patriots who staked their lives in the
! inSurrection have built a nation that
enjoys the respect and admiration of
| the whole world. Her population has
grown to more than 100000 prosper
Gus, vigorous people. Cuba set out
| with scarcely dollar in the treasury.
! but in 1924 her commerce with the
| United States alone amounted to
| $3.50, 600 ,OOO In 1920. during the
| aftermath Of the World War, it was
| 81, ,310, ,245, 900.
Now, under the leadership Of one OF
| the men who fought and bled in the
| insurrection, Gen. Gerardo Machado,
Cuba has set out upon program or
development which, when completed.
will open the remotest provinces OF
| the island to commerce. Its public
| buildings will be second to none in the
world in beauty; it's highways will
thread every section of the country.
! Located at the crossroads of the At
! lantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and
| the Caribbean Sea, Cuba is preparing
! to bid for the worlds commerce.
| The story of Cuba's climb to emf
! nence in the New World is romance
/ of history. The republic. set in the
azure seas of the tropics, began its
career with a treasury that was vlr-
/ tually empty. But its patriots. had
| stalwart hearts, visions born of suf-
fering and tempered in the terrible
fire of insurrection. And Nature had
| endowed the land with rare gifts.
Rich Natural Resources.
| Its climate ascended to the heights
of the ideal. plentiful sunshine com
| bining with sufficient rain to enrich
| its soil and offer rare opportunities
| for agricultural development. Sugar
was a sure crop, and all the world
| knew and coveted the famous Vuelta
! Abajo tobacco. SO an ambitious peo-
! ple. rid of war and civil strife at last,
! turned their machetes from the van
ouished foe to the land that was yet
to be conquered.
| Dense tropical forests stood where
great fields of rich sugar cane and
mellow tobacco were soon to thrive,
| and the timber line even extended
down to areas where mighty indus
! tries were destined to turn out prod
uce for the worlds markets. The very
! spirit and energy with which the
! people turned to the task created its
own prosperity, and almost overnight
! commerce began to find it's way to the
! docks of Havana.
In such an hour Cuba welcomed the
| cooperation of an American military
governor, always looking forward,
| however, to the day when her free
dom would become complete. Leonard
| Wood was a highly respected and
generally popular governor. With his
| help Cuba prospered and at the same
time learned the first lessons of self
government preparatory to the time
when she would pilot her own ship as
an independent nation.
In four years the treasury had taken
| in enough money to pay all or the
veterans of the War of Independence
! in full, and $26 900 900 more lay in the
| treasury, waiting to be used Tor badiy
| needed public improvements. Com
merce thrived, and even before the
scars of the War of Independence had
been erased altogether Cubas creolt
| was definitely established. Then came
| the hour when the cup of freedom was
| filled to the brim.
United States Stood Ready to Aid.
Cuba had ionged for her freedom for
more than a century. There are still
some persons who declare that mao
Cuba been retained as protege or
the United States a little longer-even
flve years-her position in the world
today would be even stronger. But,
| anxious to see this ideal realized, and
nossibly irritated a little by insinua-
! tions against it's altruistic motives,
| the American Government turned the
! helm over to- the newly formed gov
ernment and merely "stood BY, ike
a true pilot, to make sure that the
newly commissioned craft was In the
! proper hands.
Only once was the United States
compelled to intervene, and then 1t
was only after the President, TOMAS
Estrada Palma, had repeatedly re-
ouested it. Political differences arose
which the government was unable to
/ cone with, and a revolution broke out.
| Even then the United States refrafned
from physical interference. When the
! provisional congress and the Presi-
| dent resigned, however, the American
Government was obliged to intervene
| to prevent anarchy from seizing the
reins.
William Howard Taft, then Secre-
tary Of War. and Robert Bacon. Act
ing Secretary of State, were sent from
Washington to act as mediatOrs. All
efforts at peace failed, and the United
States was obliged to assume a more
serious role. The government was
continued under the Cuban flag, how
ever, and troops were used only as a
passive background to the govern
ment.
The revolutionists subsidized immedi
ately, and as quickly as possible ar
rangements were made for new elec-
tions. Gen. Jose Miguel Gomez was
elected President. and on April 1, 1909,
the American troops once more en-
barked. That was the last time they
ever entered Cuba in their official
capacity. At no time since has the
rau, ooverpnnent shown signs of dis