THE STORM IN CUBA

The sending of General Crowder to Cuba is of particular interest at this time. There has been a Naval Inquiry in Hayti; complaints over the administration as conducted by this country have been heard from Santo Domingo; and the question of independence for the Philippines became acute when President Wilcon recommended such action in his last message to Congress. What is going on and what shall go on in our island neighbors is of great importance.

Cuba has been looked upon as a sort-of barometer. The United States took almost unprecedented action in becoming a big brother to the island; its venture was in the nature of an experiment. What we shall do in other parts of the world depends more or less on the success of this experiment. It is not reassuring to discover that conditions in Cuba are such as to warrant talk of intervention for the third time since the island became independent. The financial problem is probably the worst, especially since the moratorium which has existed since last October was extended to February first. Almost as complicated is the election problem. Although the votes were cast in early November nobody knows who is to be the next President. There is much fraud and violence; the courts do not function; blood has been shed; and the lack of credit has disrupted trade completely. Help is certainly needed.

There is no doubt that this country, through as able a man as General Crowder, will be able to straighten out Cuba's difficulties. But the mere fact that President Wilson had to send an American to the assistance of President Menocal is enough to prove that the experiment begun by the United States is not yet successfully completed. It shows that whatever action taken concerning Hayti or the Philippines, it must be cautious and taken with the full understanding that our Cuban barometer, after many years of watching, has not yet risen from the "storm" to the "fair weather" mark.