12 



THE CUBA R E V I E W 



PRESS AND INDIVIDUAL COMMENT ON CUBAN 



MATTERS 



The chief opposition to annexation of 

 Cuba would arise in the United States. 

 Congress would not readily consent to the 

 repudiation of our oft repeated promise to 

 maintain Cuba's independence. The cane 

 growers of Louisiana and the beet raisers 

 of the Western States would naturally 

 oppose a step which would bring them into 

 free competition with Cuba's sugar. Our 

 tobacco and fruit interests would be moved 

 to antagonism on similar grounds. And 

 it is doubtful whether our people at large 

 would look with complaisance on the addi- 

 tion of a Territory populated entirely by 

 persons professing the same religion and 

 speaking a foreign language. 



On the other hand, how long will the 

 taxpayers of the United States submit to 

 our costly and troublesome police super- 

 vision of Cuba? It seems probable that 

 another intervention will give rise to a 

 demand for the establishment of some form 

 of closer protectorate, with a constant in- 

 fluence over the political affairs of the is- 

 land. — Forbes Lindsay in the Independent 

 (New York). 



No president of the United States can 

 annex Cuba. It will not be annexed 

 against the will of the people of the 

 United States. They hold, as they did at 

 the outbreak of the war with Spain, that 

 "the people of Cuba are and of right ought 

 to be free and independent," and that by 

 that pledge the United States is bound. — 

 New York World. 



France has apologized for attacks on 

 Cubas' credit made in the French Chamber 

 of Deputies some weeks ago. Commenting 

 on France's retraction, the Troy (N. Y.) 

 Record says : "While the insular republic 

 is young and of little influence in inter- 

 national affairs, its trade is of such im- 

 portance to certain of the old world coun- 

 tries, that it is in a position to stand on 

 its dignity. Cuba's credit is not impaired. 

 Hence, the republic across the Atlantic 

 was decidedly undiplomatic in accepting 

 rumors as facts. For the first time in its 

 history the Gem of the Antilles has com- 

 pelled a great power to concede that a 

 little government should be offered con- 

 siderate treatment. 



The president and his friends have been 

 good comrades, says recently the Havana 

 Lucha editorially. Together they have 

 worked towards their own happiness and 

 well being against the country. Together 

 they have become possessed of the offices 

 and positions which they now hold, for to 

 get them they have been blind to everything, 



and cared little or nothing for the present 

 or future of the republic. 



For that reason, would it be strange that 

 they should quarrel now? Such always 

 happens when the booty has been dis- 

 tributed. 



There arc only two paths for the presi- 

 dent to take, one or the other — to fight, 

 or to resign. What he cannot do is to 

 allow things to remain as they are, because 

 Cuba cannot tolerate such unforsaken con- 

 ditions, for such is the guarantee which is 

 offered the nation by a government without 

 a recognized head. 



It is necessary, therefore, that a quick 

 solution be given the matter and as the 

 actual president and his friends are re- 

 sponsible for the unbearable situation in 

 which we live at present, let them fight it 

 out ; let the battle take place, or permit 

 the president to resolve to disappear from 

 the scene, the quicker the better. 



In and out of the State Department at 

 Washington, says the World of To-Day, 

 "among folk official and unofficial, there 

 exists the l)elief that Cuba will not stand 

 alone upon her own unsupported legs an- 

 other twelvemonth. There will be a little 

 sputtering flash of revolution, they say. 

 No one will get hurt. There will occur 

 much jabber and no blood. And then — 

 Cuba will fall backward into the arms of 

 her Uncle Sam. 



"Every Cuban with a dollar has his eyes 

 upon this country. Also, he is eager to 

 'join.' Already, they have a saying in 

 Havana: 'Stand a Cuban on his head, and 

 if a peseta roll out of his pocket, he's an 

 annexationist.' 



"The foreign capital in Cuba is about 

 $400,000,000. The local capital is $700,- 

 000,000 more. Every dollar of that 

 $1,100,000,000 wants to come in under the 

 protecting pinion of the Eagle. 



"Those who own that $1,100,000,000 of 

 capital believe that were annexation an 

 accomplished fact, every Cuban value would 

 be multiplied by three. In short, that 

 $1,100,000,000 would swell to $3,.300,- 

 000,000 the moment that Cuba could call 

 herself part and parcel of the United States. 



"With that the common Cuban belief, 

 how should you expect to head off annexa- 

 tion ?" 



The Cuban generals have been mighty 

 quiet since Uncle Sam warned them, and 

 now if he could hush up the New York 

 papers the same way, things would be 

 running pretty well, says the Piftsfield 

 (Mass.) Journal. 



