THE CUBA REVIEW 



21 



THE ISLE OF PINES DISCUSSION 



COMMENT FROM UNITED STATES NEWSPAPERS — THE ISLAND'S 



ATTRACTIONS 



VALUABLE TO CUBA 



The island, or more correctly speaking, 

 the two islands, because it is cut in twain 

 by a marsh, is valuable to Cuba because 

 of its live stock, mineral and agricultural 

 productions and the industries which these 

 have produced, but it is a small territory, 

 somewhat less in area than the average 

 Texas county, and would be worth less to 

 this country than to Cuba. 



Shortly after the war with Spain the 

 United States gave unofficial expression to 

 the policy of acquiring the Isle of Pines 

 as a coaling station, but no official action 

 has been taken to secure it and in view 

 of the fact that other countries might mis- 

 construe the proceeding, even purchase of 

 the territory with the free consent of the 

 Cuban government would better be under- 

 taken, if at all, with great caution. The 

 chief argument in support of the annexa- 

 tion proposition is that Americans consti- 

 tute a_ majority of the population and own 

 a majority of the property there. — San 

 Antonio (Texas) Express. 



MR. root's position 



When Mr. Root was secretary of state 

 the question of American possession was 

 acute until a treaty was negotiated recog- 

 nizmg the jurisdiction of Cuba. Before 

 the war with Spain the Isle of Pines was 

 governed from Havana as a part of the 

 province of that name, and as a lawyer 

 Mr. Root could not construe American title 

 to the island from the Treaty of Paris. 

 While it has been a hardship to the settlers 

 to live under old Spanish laws and adjust 

 themselves to local ordinances, it must be 

 admitted that the Cuban officials have been 

 polite, considerate and accommodating. — 

 New York Sun. 



AMERICAN RULE WANTED 



To-day the Americans make up the large 

 bulk of the white population in the I.sle of 

 Pines. Naturally they arc desirous of sub- 

 stituting American for Cuban rule, al- 

 though they apparently have little or no 

 fault to find with the latter and do not 

 complain of suffering any serious injustice 

 at the hands of the Cuban authorities. 



A petition is now being circulated in tiiis 

 country addressed to President Wilson and 

 asking for annexation. That many signa- 

 tures will be .secured is altogether likely. 

 Signing petitions is one of the easiest 



tilings that the average American can do 

 But it IS yet to be demonstrated that an- 

 nexation IS desirable. It would cost a con- 

 siderable sum, for Cuba could not be ex- 

 pected to relinquish possession unless paid 

 a good price. The justification for the 

 expenditure of such a sum is by no means 

 clear. It would be fine for the Americans 

 of the Isle of Pines, but whether it would 

 also be fine for the Americans who have 

 not voluntarily expatriated themselves is an- 

 other question. — Cincinnati (Ohio) Times- 

 Star. 



CHARMS OF THE ISLE OF PINES 



Each large tract is called a plantation, 

 and in most cases still bears the name given 

 to It by its native owners. The title to 

 all the land is traced back to its original 

 owner, a doughty warrior and sea-rover, 

 Capt. Duarte, who won the favor of the 

 Spanish King and received the island by 

 royal grant. After his death the island, 

 with the exception of a tract near the 

 capital, was divided among his hears. The 

 heirs grew in number, the tracts were sub- 

 divided into smaller estates without much 

 regard to definite boundaries. So that 

 when the Americans purchased them and 

 divided them into sections and forty acre 

 tracts they fitted into each other like 

 patches on a crazy quilt. 



The island drowses in an atmosphere of 

 romance. It was in olden times long the 

 headquarters of pirates who roamed the 

 Spanish Main. Later it was a penal colony 

 where political prisoners were sent, and 

 also the headquarters of cargoes of slaves 

 who were shipped here from Africa to be 

 put into merchantable shape. Immense 

 corrals were constructed to keep them 

 irom escape. 



Nueva Gerona is the capital and still 

 wears the a,spect of an ancient Spanish 

 town. One could procure a lot in the city 

 free provided he built a house in a certain 

 fashion with the portico projecting over 

 the sidewalk. That provision was made 

 in the will of the man who owned the 

 town. But after one had gone througli the 

 red tape involved it was said the gratuitous 

 grant was fairly expensive. 



Sante Fe. the other important settlement 

 lias famous mineral .springs and boasts of 

 an American newspaper and an American 

 land company. 



The climate is all that could be desired 

 ^M .'"''inn"? °^ temperature ranging from 

 r>0 to 100 degrees.— iV. )'. Evening Sun 



