THE CUBA REVIEW And Bulletin. 



19 



PATRONAGE IN CUBA. 



Forty-five per cent, of the officeholders 

 said they were "non politicos," 23% were 

 Moderates and 22% Liberal. Seven hun- 

 dred of the latter hold office by appoint- 

 ment of the provisional government. Its 

 policy has been to give a square deal in 

 the distribution, but preference given to 

 Liberals as vacancies occur, providing com- 

 petent men are available, until both Lib- 

 erals and Moderates are equally represented. 

 Wholesale dismissals will not be made to 

 hasten the equalization. The application 

 of this principle is causing trouble, but the 

 administration at Washington is satisfied 

 with Governor Magoon's methods and will 

 not interfere. — Washington (D. C.) corre- 

 spondence Boston Transcript. 



Cuban's anniversary. 



It has been the custom of the New York 

 Sun to notice Cuba's birthday from year 

 to year and to comment on the Island's 

 condition and progress. The history of 

 the Cuban republic is told in these excerpts 

 from its annual comments : 

 1903. 



"A year old and doing quite as well as 

 could be expected. Her record for the first 

 year presents much that is deserving of 

 commendation and little that justifies crit- 

 icism." 



1904. 



"An excellent showing for a two-year- 

 old whose continued existence as a nation 

 for even that short space was doubted by 

 many Americans when the Island started 

 in business on its own account." 



1905- 



"For three years la bandera Cubana has 

 waved over a land where law and order 

 have prevailed and industry has found its 

 reward in ever increasing prosperity. Never 

 before in her history were her prospects 

 so bright ; never before was her condi- 

 tion so sound." 



1906. 



"Industrially Cuba's four years of inde- 

 pendence have been notable. Financially 

 the Island has presented a remarkable rec- 

 ord. From a political point of view the 

 experience of the country is open to crit- 

 icism. The charge is made that the only 

 real difference between the present system 

 and that of pre-revolution days is that con- 

 trol is in the hands of Cubans instead of 

 in the hands of Spaniards." 



FOUR MONTHS LATER. 



Cuba went into political bankruptcy and 

 the United States once more assumed the 

 receivership. Industrial activity, financial 

 prosperity and the esteem of the world 

 were subordinated to corrupt political 

 schemes by self-seeking politicians. The 

 restoration of the state thus forfeited de- 

 pends entirely upon the attitude taken and 

 the course pursued by the people of the 

 Island. It is for them to furnish a rea- 

 sonable assurance of its proper administra- 

 tion. So runs the history of an experi- 

 ment in self-government. 



AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HAVANA 

 JUDGES MADE NECESSARY BY PRES- 

 SURE OF PUBLIC BUSINESS. 



S'ecretary Taft continues to take a deep 

 interest in the efforts of the provisional 

 government to bring about the absolute in- 

 dependence of the judiciary. From advices 

 he has received he is inclined to believe that 

 the pressure of public business may soon 

 make necessary an increase in the number 

 of judges in Havana, and this is one of the 

 questions which the committee on the re- 

 vision of the laws will probably soon take 

 up. Sooner or later this same committee 

 will be charged with the framing of a com- 

 prehensive law, the effect of which will be 

 absolutely to secure the independence of 

 Cuban judiciary. Such a law would be en- 

 tirely in accordance with the constitution 

 under which the provisional government is 

 administering the affairs of the republic. 

 The Washington government believes it to 

 be a duty which it should not shirk, to place 

 such a law upon the statute books before 

 the provisional government goes out. It 

 may be that a succeeding Cuban adminis- 

 tration will be opposed to the law, but it is 

 hoped that public opinion in the Island 

 would in the meantime become so alive to 

 its beneficial effect as to prevent its re- 

 peal. Once the law is on the statute books 

 it is believed that there is much less danger 

 of its repeal under a Cuban administration 

 than there is chance of the passage of such 

 a law. — Washington (D. C.) correspondence 

 Boston Transcript. 



RECIPROCITY WITH CUBA, OLD AND NEW. 



The present reciprocity treaty with Cuba 

 expires in 1908. Negotiations with re- 

 spect to its revision and renewal have 

 been undertaken from time to' time, but 

 it is understood not to be the present pur- 

 pose of the United States government to 

 conclude a reciprocity treaty with Cuba 

 before the American army of occupation 

 is withdrawn and the government of the 

 Island fully restored to its own citizens. 

 It is understood that the present plans of 

 the administration are to withdraw the 

 army of occupation early in the coming 

 summer after the (?*nsus of the Island has 

 been taken, on which will be based the ar- 

 rangements for the elections to the Cuban 

 Congress. — American Industries, ]May i, '07. 

 Cuba's health good. 



Surgeon General O'Reilly, of the War 

 Department, recently went to Havana and 

 inspected the medical supply depot, and also 

 the general sanitarv conditions. He stated 

 later that the health conditions in Cuba are 

 most encouraging. There is no serious ill- 

 ness among American troops stationed there. 

 — Washington (D. C.) Star. 



RETENTION OF AMERICAN ARMY NECESSARY. 



Even after the restoration of the indepen- 

 dent government, conditions in the Island 

 will continue to be sufficiently unsettled to 

 necessitate the retention of the army for 

 an indefinite time.— Boston Transcript. 



