Industrial Cuba: Being a Study of Present Commercial and Industrial Conditions, with Suggestions as to the Opportunities Presented in the Island for American Capital, Enterprise, and LabourPorter, Robert P. (Robert Percival)
History
Industrial Cuba: Being a Study of Present Commercial and Industrial Conditions, with Suggestions as to the Opportunities Presented in the Island for American Capital, Enterprise, and Labour
Porter, Robert P. (Robert Percival)
Cuba -- Description and travel; Cuba -- Economic conditions
your Indians in this country, who now and then break away. In
Cuba the condition will be worse, for there they would have the
shelter of the woods, and besides the Americans would not be able
to stand the climate as well as they stand their own. Ultimately,
of course, they will succumb, but it will be at the cost of a great
many lives and a great many millions of dollars.
[Illustration: MORRO CASTLE, SANTIAGO DE CUBA.]
"Besides, there is another thing; that if to-day we provide for
their needs and restore order, it is the wish of every inhabitant
of Cuba to contribute their share towards this. If these men are
supplied now, they will not have the moral support of the people of
Cuba should they not go to work; but the people of Cuba will see
that they are punished. If, however, they had the moral support of
the people of Cuba it would be difficult to punish them.
"There is another point, and that is with regard to the amount of
money required. Although they have not said anything about this,
nevertheless, there is a tendency to lessen this amount. We want to
say that although the measure, in principle, will be very good,
even if it does not attend to all of the needs at present; though
it will be a moral obligation from ourselves to the United States,
it will not solve the problem, because the sum determined upon is
not enough. If the revenues of the Island of Cuba ought to be
mortgaged to repay whatever advances they have received from the
United States now, it will not be a very difficult matter to make
this amount a few millions more."
The above gives a fair summary of the general tenor of the testimony
taken, and it is believed fairly represents the views of these
gentlemen. Testimony was also taken in relation to the payment of
certain legitimate debts which, as these gentlemen felt, the good faith
of the people of Cuba had been pledged to pay. On being asked the
probable amount of this indebtedness, they said it was not in excess of
$2,250,000 or $2,500,000. The first and most important matter and the
one which, they insist, will have much to do with the pacification of
the Island, is the payment of some sort of compensation to the
impoverished Cuban soldiers. These gentlemen were asked if they had in
their possession any estimate as to the number of soldiers, the length
of service, and the amount of money necessary for the purpose they had
in mind. An itemised account, they were told, would make a useful
supplement to the interesting and instructive testimony given.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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