Show JUSTICE FOR THE CUBANS For months for years In fact before the war the newspapers of the c un try were filled with stories of Spanish atrocities towards the Cubans while the Cubans wereextoI1ed beyond measure meas-ure Since the war there has been a great change there are few to sound the praises of the Cubans but plenty to tell how bloodthirsty and revengeful they are hOw utterly unfit for seif government It looks much as though there were a method In it all the purpose pur-pose of which is tl alienate the sympathies sym-pathies of the American people from the Cubans and create a sentiment 1n favor of the annexation of the island as the only solution of the Cuban question ques-tion If such is tile purpose of alf this depreciation of the Cubans then it is a most infamous scheme Even the Devil is not so black as he Is painted and the Cuban are not the Devil by any means Four hundred years of Spanish Span-ish misrule and oppression are not the best preparation for assuming the responsibilities re-sponsibilities and discharging the duties du-ties of selfgovernment but when a people struggle for years and years to throw of that rule it is a pretty good Indication that they have the capacity for selfgovernment if given an opportunity oppor-tunity to develop it Ye have said that there are few to say a good word for the Cubans but there are some One of these is General Gen-eral Joe Wheeler Speaking of the Cubans Cu-bans as he saw them at Saliago he says saysThe The Cubans were badly clothed and badly fed They do not make an impressIve I im-pressIve appearance as soldiers My belief Is that they misunderstood probably prob-ablY the conditions about Santiago which we had to encounter Few of them could speak English and communication com-munication between them and the American troops was difficult Yes I know of the charges that they refused I to work 011 the roads and other projects pro-jects for the assistance of the American army bdt I think their refusal was lue to somIm extent at least to a misapprehension mis-apprehension of the necessity for the work I found Cubans who were willing will-ing to work after the necessity of it was explained to them by interpreters interpret-ers That is the decent and conservative view to take of the matter If there are misunderstandings when people speak the sam language as all know only too well there are how much greater are the chances for misunderstandings misunder-standings when they do not speak the same language Our troops conceived a strong prejudice against the Cubans no doubt because of their anything but prepossessing appearance which was wretched in the extreme and as they stood there in their wretchedness they were unable to exchange Ideas with their American friends And then m clad and the poorly fed people naturally nat-urally shrink from contact with those whose appearance Indicates plenty of everything Let us be just to the Cubans in all things but at present the spIrit of justice jus-tice does not seem to be in the ascen dency in regard to dealing with the Cubans |