mmendations were not
adopted. Its provincial and municipal codes were however put into effect
on October 1, 1908.

The general condition of the island during the second American
intervention was excellent so far as the maintenance of law and order
was concerned. This was largely due to the efficient work of the Rural
Guard, the operations of which were directed by a number of American
officers detailed for that purpose. While brigandage was not wholly
suppressed, it was much diminished and held in check.

One of the chief controversies with which the government of intervention
had to deal was that with the Roman Catholic church over various
properties formerly belonging to it which had been confiscated by the
Spanish government. There was some such property in the province of
Oriente, a part of extensive estates once held by certain monastic
orders. It had been taken by the Spanish government during the Ten
Years' War, and at the end of that conflict the government refused to
return it, but instead of doing so agreed to make an annual
appropriation for the benefit of the church. Upon the separation of
State and Church under American intervention in 1899 these
appropriations were discontinued, whereupon the church claimed that the
property should be restored to it. The validity of this claim was
recognized by the American government, but instead of complying with it
by actual restoration of the property that government purchased a part
of the property from the church at a price mutually agreed upon as
satisfactory. It was over the remainder of this property that the
controversy was renewed, and it was settled by a similar purchase in
1908. Another such controversy arose over valuable property in Havana,
which had been taken from the church by the government for the custom
house and other public offices; and it also was settled by fair purchase
on July 12, 1907.

After the installation of provincial and municipal officers on October
1, 1908, and after the successful conduct of the national election on
November 14 following, the American Government of Intervention busied
itself chiefly with preparations for withdrawing from the island and
returning the control and government to the representative of the Cuban
people. This was finally effected on January 28, 1909, when Governor
Magoon retired and Jose Miguel Gomez became President of Cuba. The total
cost to Cuba of the second American intervention was estimated at about