Chapter I: Introduction

This volume deals with the living questions of Cuba--the questions which confront the United States in the reconstruction of the Island. It aims to give a description of Cuba as it appeared to the author when, as Special Commissioner of the United States, he was sent by President McKinley to report on its industrial, commercial, and financial condition, soon after the signing of the protocol of peace, August 12, 1898. It is the result of nearly seven months' inquiry and hard work, in which the Island has been visited three times, over five hundred witnesses have been examined, and innumerable statements have been studied and analysed. In the course of this inquiry the author has visited all the provinces and nearly all the principal cities and towns. The merit of the book lies in the freshness and originality of the material brought together, and the demerit in the fact that it has been written by one who was obliged to snatch a few hours at a time to map out or write a chapter. The author realises the defects and asks the indulgence of the reader on the ground that it is the first attempt to discuss the economic and political future of Cuba under its new form of government.

Whatever the future may have in store for this wonderful and unfortunate Island, the author can truly say that the task allotted him by the President has, so far as Cuba and the Cuban people are concerned, been conscientiously and faithfully performed. The measures inaugurated for the government of the Island, which were based upon the author's reports, have been scrupulously framed in the interest of Cuba and not with a view of benefiting by discrimination the United States. The machinery of the new government has been set running in Cuba, and though some time may elapse before it is working as smoothly as we would wish, it has been inaugurated with the sole desire of doing the best possible by Cuba. Of the rest, the reader must judge for himself. The subject at least is interesting, even though its treatment here may be a little statistical. The account of the visit to General Gomez was deemed sufficiently interesting and important to give it in full, exactly as the report was made through the Honourable Secretary of the Treasury, Lyman J. Gage, to the President.

Recognition is due to Mr. W. J. Lampton for his assistance to the writer.

R. P. P.

36 EAST SIXTY-FIFTH STREET,

NEW YORK.

_February 9, 1899._

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I.--CUBA--POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC 1

II.--CONDITIONS WHICH CONFRONT US 14

III.--POLITICAL FUTURE OF CUBA 32

IV.--THE ENGLISH IN JAMAICA 47

V.--THE AMERICANS IN SANTIAGO 62

VI.--OUTLOOK IN CUBA FOR LABOUR 73

VII.--THE POPULATION OF CUBA 90

VIII.--SANITARY WORK IN CUBA 108

IX.--CITIES AND TOWNS OF CUBA 122

X.--HAVANA 139

XI.--COLONEL WARING'S SANITARY REPORT 154

XII.--MUNICIPAL PROBLEMS IN HAVANA 172

XIII.--BANKS AND CURRENCY 190

XIV.--PAYMENT OF INSURGENT SOLDIERS 204

XV.--THE REVENUE OF CUBA--CUSTOMS TARIFFS 211

XVI.--THE AMENDED TARIFF--OFFICIAL 221

XVII.--THE REVENUE OF CUBA--INTERNAL TAXES 248

XVIII.--HOW THE REVENUE WAS SPENT 256

XIX.--COMMERCE 267

XX.--SUGAR 281

XXI.--TOBACCO 302

XXII.--MINES AND MINING 318

XXIII.--AGRICULTURE AND STOCK 329

XXIV.--TIMBER AND FRUIT 338

XXV.--TRANSPORTATION 351

XXVI.--NAVIGATION 362

XXVII.--EDUCATION AND RELIGION 376

XXVIII.--A MEETING WITH GENERAL GOMEZ 390

XXIX.--CONCLUSION--THE OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE 408

Illustrations

PAGE

ENTRANCE TO HAVANA HARBOUR Frontispiece

SKETCH-MAP OF THE PROVINCE OF PINAR DEL RIO 8

SKETCH-MAP OF THE PROVINCES OF HAVANA AND MATANZAS 16

BATEY OF SANTA CATALINA 22

SKETCH-MAP OF THE PROVINCE OF SANTA CLARA 28

SKETCH-MAP OF THE PROVINCE OF PUERTO PRINCIPE 38

SKETCH-MAP OF THE PROVINCE OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA 44

ON THE ROAD TO CASTLETON, JAMAICA 50

CATHEDRAL STREET, SANTIAGO DE CUBA 66
From a photograph by J. F. Coonley, Nassau, N. P.

CANE CUTTERS 76

A COUNTRY VILLA 92

CUBAN "GUARACHERO" (MINSTREL) 96

A NATIVE HUT 100
From a photograph by J. F. Coonley, Nassau, N. P.

STREET VIEW, SANTIAGO DE CUBA 108
From a photograph by J. F. Coonley, Nassau, N. P.

WATERMAN IN THE COUNTRY 112

MARIANAO WATER VENDOR 116

SQUARE IN FRONT OF GOVERNOR'S PALACE AT SANTIAGO DE CUBA 122

A MULE TRAIN, SANTIAGO DE CUBA 124
From a photograph by J. F. Coonley, Nassau, N. P.

MATANZAS YUMURI RIVER AND ENTRANCE TO THE VALLEY 128

PANORAMA FROM THE ROAD TO THE CAVES, MATANZAS 132

THE PLAZA, CIENFUEGOS 136

HAVANA, FROM ACROSS THE BAY 146

THE PRADO, HAVANA 150

YARD OF AMERICAN CLUB, HAVANA 156

THE PRADO AND INDIAN STATUE, HAVANA 166

HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT, HAVANA 180

TACON MARKET, HAVANA 186

FIRE DEPARTMENT, SANTIAGO DE CUBA 196

MORRO CASTLE, SANTIAGO DE CUBA 206

PALM TREE BRIDGE 220

AVENUE OF PALM TREES, PALATINO 238

ROAD IN A PINE GROVE OF YUELTA ABAJO 252

A COCOANUT GROVE 262

A SUGAR-CANE TRAIN 272

SUGAR-CANE SCALES 276

CANE FIELDS 282

CUTTING SUGAR-CANE 286

UNLOADING CANE AT A BATEY 290

CYLINDERS FOR GRINDING SUGAR-CANE 294

APPARATUS FOR PACKING SUGAR AT THE SAN JOSE CENTRAL 298

PLANTING TOBACCO 302

TOBACCO FARM AND DWELLING 304

WETTING THE TOBACCO LEAF 308

TOBACCO-DRYING HOUSE 310

BALING TOBACCO 314

OLD COPPER MINES AT LA COPERA 318

MINING CAMP AT FIRENEZA 322

ORE BANK OF JURAGUA MINES 326

OX CART 332

A FOWL VENDOR 334

ROYAL PALMS, YUMURI VALLEY 336

SAGO PALM 338

MAHOGANY CARRIED BY OXEN 340

CUBAN FRUITS 344

COFFEE MILL, SANTIAGO DE CUBA 348

A CONVOY IN THE HILLS 352

A CUBAN VOLANTE 354

CUBAN MULE CART 358

A CURVE ON THE YAGUAJAY RAILROAD 360

THE HAVANA FLOATING DOCK 364

A CUBAN FERRY 368

PIER OF THE JURAGUA IRON CO., LTD. 372

OLD ARCH OF THE JESUIT COLLEGE, HAVANA 378

OLD CATHOLIC CHURCH AT LA COPERA 380

THE CATHEDRAL, HAVANA 384

THE CATHEDRAL, SANTIAGO DE CUBA 388

SPANISH FORT ON RAILROAD TO JURAGUA MINES 396

MAP OF CUBA 416

INDUSTRIAL CUBA