CUBA 227 



Haiti, and Jamaica, the people of which have hardly one trait 

 in common. 



Cuba and Porto Rico are the only two tropical islands where 

 the white race has become thoroughly acclimated, and Cuba 

 alone contains ten times more whites of Spanish stock than all 

 the British West Indies contain whites of English stock. 



• FOREIGNERS 



Of the total population of Cuba about 30,000 are Chinese male 

 laborers. The Spanish born, not counting the present army of 

 invasion, probably do not exceed 30,000, while counting all 

 others there are not over 50,000 Caucasian foreigners. This for- 

 eign population, except the Chinese, is engaged in office-hold- 

 ing, trade, and shipping, and is largely confined by residence to 

 the cities, which contain fully one-third of the total population. 

 These foreigners, having no other interest in the welfare of the 

 country than gain of wealth, and possessing no intention of per- 

 manent residence, should not be considered in any manner as 

 representative of the Cuban people, although, alas, their voice 

 has, in recent political events, almost drowned that of the true . 

 inhabitants. 



To the Cubans the foreign Spaniards are known as Intran- 

 sigentes, and between the two classes, the governors and the gov- 

 erned, owing to the despotism of the former, a bitter hatred has 

 existed since 1812, and has been more strongly accentuated 

 since the surrender of Zanjon, in 1876, when the rebellious 

 Cubans laid down their arms under unfulfilled promises of au- 

 tonomy and local self-government similar to schemes lately pre- 

 sented. 



THE CUBANS 



Seventy-five per cent of the native population of the island is 

 found outside of the Spanish capital of Habana, which, being 

 the seat of an unwelcome foreign despotism, is no more repre- 

 sentative of Cuban life or character than is the English city of 

 Hong-Kong of the rural Chinese. While the Habanese have 

 had the freest communication with the United States during the 

 last three years of the revolution, Americans have had little op- 

 portunity to hear from the true white Cuban population. The 

 Cubans are mostly found in the provinces and provincial cities, 

 especially in Pinar del Rio and the eastern provinces of Santa 

 Clara, Puerto Principe, and Santiago. Although of Spanish 



