CUBA AS THE IRELAND OF AMERICA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3139, 16 October 1922, Page 7

CUBA AS THE IRELAND OF AMERICA.

(By .). W. T. Mason.) Tlio twenty-tilth iinniversiiry of the Spanish American war is approaching and will) it the danger ol Cuba liecoming .America’s Ireland. Strong antiAmerican sentiment is devolving I liroiigliont the island republic. One Havana newspaper declared a lew days ago that Cubans tv on Id he instilled in attacking Americans "wherever they were found. Another Havana newspaper. well known lor its friendliness toward Ihe (Tilled States, published, a (laming headline extending entirely across its front page, reading; “We Shall Not Be America’s Vassal.’’ 'llie change that a quarter ol a century lias brought in (. iihan-American relations is providing disturbing; thoughts for'observers in the I idled States. When America challenged Spain’s policy ol mis-govern men t in Cuba and went to war on ( uha s behalf. the Cuban people regarded Americans deim-gods. But. now. America i> being accused of trying to subordinate Ihe govern incut of Cuba In the interests ol American financiers. The troubled 1 relations between the two nations is due to the desire ol the. Washington authorities to co-nipej the C übans' to establish a pure and idealistic government. There is a« large loom for improvement in governmental a ('fairs at Havana as in any other capital in the western hemisphere. ITider the C üban-Anier.iean treaty, signed after the freeing of Cuba, the American Government was given the rigid to intervene in Cuhai at will. The Cubans were glad enough to accept this condition of their independence at the time. But. during the past quarter ol a. century. Cuba lias tasted the delight-' of freedom, and the leeliitg ol supervison by the Hinted State's is naturally irksome. There is something, ton. in (he American temperament that does not get on well' with the Batin races. Bat'in-Americans are proverbially suspicious of the United States. This suspicion is encouraged by the laet that the American Government has only army and navy officers to draw on when it .desires to show the ways of purity in government to the small nations of Hi ' west. Any other personages assigned to tutorial work would have to be paid for it. They would require Congressional appropriations and much opposition. Bn! the President can assign military and naval men to the work" ol civic specialists, and its costs nothing, fur instance, General Kuoeh Crowder has been stationed in Havana for an indefinite period, without any official title, lint charged with the duties of a viceroy. He has just compelled a complete reorganisation of the Cuban Cabinet, forcing ball' a dozen wellknown Ministers to resign. General Crowdtr is a man of tact, and personally is well liked by Cubans. But. in carrying out orders from Washington, ho has had to humiliate the Cubans in their own house, and the resulting resentment. is extreme. The American Govei'iimetn. explains its attitude by insisting that its duty is to save Cuba from bankruptcy. But Hie Cubans answer that, there is no . danger of tin- island going bankrupt. Tbev say American financiers want to control Cuba, and are using ibe power of W asbington to this end.