10 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



PRESS AND INDIVIDUAL COMMENT ON CUBAN 



MATTERS 



REAL FEELING OF CUBANS 



Raimundo Cabrera, one of the foremost 

 lawyers of Cuba and widely known in lite- 

 rary and economic circles, in discussing 

 Cuban affairs with a Nezv York Herald 

 representative on October 24th, said that 

 outbreaks against America and Americans 

 were not indicative of the real sentiment 

 or real Cubans. "It was," he said, "the re- 

 sult of a long nourished resentment against 

 Americans on the part of persons^ who 

 constitute a so called 'Spanish class,' who 

 have never been able to forgive the United 

 States for having taken Cuba from Spanish 

 control. The sentiment of real Cubans is 

 one of great respect and liking for this 

 country." 



Mr. Cabrera did not think there was any 

 decided desire for annexation. "The Cuban 

 people love their independence," he said. 

 "Forty years ago the Cubans would have 

 desired it as a means of getting rid of the 

 Spaniards. To-day maybe some foreign 

 classes would like it with a view to the 

 development of their fortunes, but the Cu- 

 bans feel so happy with their self-govern- 

 ment that they hope the United States will 

 maintain its promise to keep and develop 

 the republic, with its cordial influence and 

 wise advice." 



FOUR years' good UNDONE 



Sr. Juan M. Escarra, a land owner of 

 Camaguey, Cuba, was in Louisville, Ky., re- 

 cently on a visit to George Hamilton, an ex- 

 tensive tobacco grower at Mt. Sterling, 

 whom Sr. Escarra hopes to interest in to- 

 bacco lands in Cuba. In fact, he said, that 

 a deal was on whereby Mr. Hamilton might 

 become a partner in a 6,900 acre tobacco 

 and sugar ranch in Cuba. Sr. Escarra 

 talked most interestingly and entertainingly 

 of conditions in Cuba. He thinks that 

 peace never will be assured the country 

 until the American government assumes 

 control of the island, the intense factional 

 and political feeling running too high in 

 that country under present conditions. 



"The negro revolution of last May," said 

 Sr. Escarra, "gave Cuba a great setback 

 and has undone all the good of the pre- 

 vious four years of government under 

 President Gomez. — Louisville (Ky.) Times. 



Commenting on General Menocal's elec- 

 tion the New York Times expresses the 

 hope that Cuba's new chief executive will 

 administer Cuban affairs in such a way that 

 there will be no talk .?bout asking the ad- 

 vice or assistance of Washington in the 

 next four years." 



COMMENT ON ELECTION RESULTS 



The A'ew York Tribune finds that "the 

 difference between the United States and 

 Cuba in racial temperament is enormous. 

 Greater still, and more pertinent to the 

 present consideration, is the difference in 

 civic antecedents. The earliest colonists 

 of these states brought with them and 

 transplanted to our soil the traditions and 

 the cumulative impulse of generations of 

 restrained self-government, and when the 

 colonies became a nation they had merely 

 to maintain and to enlarge their ancient 

 inheritance. But the colonists of Latin 

 America had no trace of any such tradi- 

 tion, and on their achievement of inde- 

 pendent nationality they had to import free 

 self-government as an unfamiliar exotic 

 in the cultivation of which it would have 

 been marvellous if they had not often 

 blundered. 



"There is reason for believing, however, 

 that Cuban understanding of republican 

 institutions, appreciation of the collective 

 benefits of good and stable government and 

 acquiescence in and devotion to constitu- 

 tional processes are making substantial 

 headway." 



General Menocal is a much esteemed 

 veteran of the war of independence ; at 

 the same time he is a practical man of 

 affairs accustomed to direct large business 

 enterprises, says the Nezv York Sun. No 

 man who has appeared in public life in 

 Cuba is more familiar with the resources 

 of the island and understands its needs 

 better. An engineer by profession and a 

 graduate of Cornell, he has many friends 

 in the United States, some of them capi- 

 talists who can be of help to the govern- 

 ment in developing the island. 



He seems to be the man of the hour for 

 Cuba, which under Liberal misrule has 

 been going from bad to worse. 



The result of the election is most satis-, 

 factory to the law-abiding people of Cuba, 

 says the Nezv York Times. General Me- 

 nocal enjoys the confidence of the people 

 who are genuinely interested in the pros- 

 perity and independence of the republic. 

 He must take up a difficult task, but it is 

 believed that he has the courage and ability 

 to carry it through successfully. He is 

 likely to choose as his aids and counselors 

 able and honest men. 



Cuba's new president hopes to see the 

 ties which bind his country to the United 

 States "draw closer and closer." Sounds 

 like he is negotiating for a loan. — Nashz'ille 

 (Tenn.) American. 



