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 CUBA

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CUBA

Durable In their administration, while others seemed to regard their oiSce solely as the means of acquiring a fortune. Various oppressive measures instituted by some of these governors, such as depriving the native Cubans of political and civil liberty, excluding them from public office, and burdening them with taxation, gave rise to the deadly hatred between the Cubans and the Spaniards, which manifested itself from time to time in viprisings for greater privileges and freedom. Of this kind were the conspiracy of the " Black Eagle" (1829), the insurrection of the black population (1844), and the conspiracy of Narciso Lopez (1849-51), all of which gave occasion to repressive measures of great cruelty. The rebellion of 1868-78, however, compelled Spain to promise the Cubans representation in the Cortes, together with other needed reforms. She failed to keep many of her promises, and the general discon- tent continued, with the result that in 1895, a new and formidable revolt broke out. The insurgents, under able leaders, were able to keep the field, in spite of the extremely energetic and even cruel measures that were adopted to crush them. They were able to maintain the semblance of a government, and their heroic re- sistance, as well as the conduct of Spain, aroused great sympathy for them throughout the United States.

From the time that Florida became a part of the United States, this government had taken a deep in- terest in Cuba, fearing that the island might pass from Spain to other hands, especially England or France. In 1848, President Polk had authorized the American minister at Madrid to offer $100,000,000 for the pur- chase of Cuba, but Spain rejected the offer. The sub- ject had been revived in 1854, following the Ostend Manifesto, but again it came to nothing. During the last uprising of the Cuban people, already mentioned, not only the United States government, but the entire American people were watching the struggle with in- tense interest, when, on the night of 15 February, 1898, a terrific explosion destroyed the United States battle- ship Maine in Havana harbour, whither she had gone on a friendly visit by invitation of the Spanish Govern- ment. Relations between the two governments became strained, and they finally went to war in April of the same year. The war was of only a few months dura- tion, and as a result of it, under the terms of the Treaty of Paris, (10 December, 1898), Spain relin- quished her hold on Cuba, which she had held for over 400 years. Beginning 1 January, 1899, the United States occupied the island and appointed a military governor, pending the formation of a native govern- ment. This was eventually installed with the inau- guration as president of Don Tomds Estrada Palma (20 May, 1902), and the American occupation formally and definitely ceased on that day. Cuba now seemed to be entering upon an era of peace and prosperity, but it was to be of short duration. Differences between the Moderate and Liberal parties occasioned by the second presidential election, in 1905, culminated, in July, 1906, in a revolutionary movement started by the Liberal leaders. The Government soon lost con- trol of the situation, so that in September, 1906, the United States was forced to intervene. A provisional government was then established under authority from Washington, with Charles E. Magoon at its head. During 1907, a new census was undertaken, upon which to base new elections for president and members of Congress.

Agriculture. — For two hundred and fifty years after the discovery of the island, cattle raising seems to have been the principal industry, and very little atten- tion was paid to agriculture. Now, however, Cuba is essentially an agricultural country. The principal agricultural products are sugar, tobacco, and fruits. As for coffee, little more is grown than is needed for do- mestic consumption, although the soil and climate of the eastern portion of the island are adapted to the cul- tivation of a superior quality of coffee. Oranges,

limes, lemons, olives, pineapples, and many other fruits are also grown, as well as all kinds of vegetables, which grow almost the year around. The Cuban orange is noted for its exquisite taste, and its cultivation was an important Cuban industry until Californian and Flori- dan competition impaired its value. Bananas are grown throughout the island, but the best come from the central and eastern portions. The most important of all the products, however, are sugar and tobacco. The former was introduced into Cuba by its first gov- ernor, Veldsquez, and from a small beginning the in- dustry grew, with improved methods of cultivation and the introduction of improved machinery, until, just before the last insurrection (1895), the annual output amounted to over 1,000,000 tons. The product next in importance to sugar is tobacco. This, unlike the former, is indigenous in Cuba, and was in use by the natives when the Spaniards first visited the island. Cuban tobacco is universally admitted to be the finest in the world, especially that grown in a section of the province of Pinar del Rio known as Vuelta Abajo. Many attempts have been made to reproduce the to- bacco of this region in other parts of the world, and even in other parts of Cuba, but always without suc- cess, the superiority of the Vuelta Abajo product being probably due to peculiar conditions of soil and climate, and especially to the peculiar topography of the coun- try. In 1894-95, the season in which the best crop was grown previous to the last census (1899), the produc- tion for the island amounted to 62,000,000 lbs. valued at $22,000,000.

Transportation. — Cuba had very few railroads until within recent years, when there has been great activity in building new lines and extending old ones. The completion of the road running through the centre of the island, and connecting Havana with Santiago de Cuba, marks the realization of a long-felt commercial need and the attainment of a political end of great un- portance.

PopuL.\TiON. — The official census of 1899 showed a total population of 1,572,797 divided by provinces as follows: —

Havana 424,804

Matanzas 202,444

Pinar del Rio 173,064

Puerto Principe 88,234

Santa Clara 356,536

Santiago de Cuba 327,715

Of the inhabitants 1,400,262 are natives, and 172,535 foreign-born. The white population constitutes 68 per cent, of the total, the remaming 32 per cent, being made up of negroes, mLxed elements, and Chinese. The native white population are nearly all descen- dants of the Spaniards. Although since the evacua- tion of Cuba by the Spaniards there has been entire freedom of worship, the population is almost exclu- sively Catholic. Spanish is the official language of Cuba, though it is characterized by certain slight local peculiarities of pronunciation.

Religion. — In 1518, Leo X established the Diocese of all Cuba, which included also the Spanish posses- sions of Louisiana and Florida. The see was estab- lished at Baracoa in Santiago de Cuba, and in 1522, by a Bull of Adrian VI, it was transferred to the city of Santiago de Cuba, where it has remained to the present day. Prior to the nineteenth century, there appears to have been no question regarding the titles of prop- erty held by the (^hurch in Spain or in Cuba. But in tlie beginning of that century, the property held by the Church in Spain was confiscated by the State. This confiscation liowever, related only to the Church pos- sessions in Spain .'ind did not affect her insular posses- sions. In 1837, Captain General Tacon .sought to make this Spanish confiscation act :ipplicable to the holdings of the monastic orders in Culia. and in 1S41, Vald(5s, who was then governor, actually seized these