ed for Cuba and for
Cubans. His shameful and unpardonable treason--a double treason, to his
own party partner as well as to the government of his country--was not
inspired by the genius of Marti. It did not comprehend the gigantic
responsibilities which it so lightly sought to assume, but was marked
with the irresponsibility which has characterized so many revolutions in
other Latin American countries, and which has brought upon those lands
disaster and measureless reproach.

Under the third Presidency which Cuba has enjoyed that responsibility is
happily comprehended in complete degree. Not even Estrada Palma
possessed a higher sense of duty to the state and to the world than
Mario G. Menocal, nor gave to it more tangible and efficient exposition.
Nor shall we incur reproach of lack of reverence for a great name if we
perceive that in certain essential and potent particulars Cuba's third
President is even more capable of discharging that responsibility than
was the first. The younger, alert, practical man of affairs, expert in
the duties of both peace and war, has the advantage over the elder sage
whose life for many years had been cloistered in academic calm.

We might not inappropriately gauge the extent of Cuba's discharge of her
responsibilities as a sovereign nation by the measure of her progress in
various paths of human welfare. This is not the place for a
comprehensive census of the island, or for a conspectus of its
statistics. _Ex pede Herculem._ From a few items we may estimate the
whole. In the days of unembarrassed Spanish rule, before that
sovereignty was challenged by revolutions, the island had a population
of a million souls. It had between two hundred and three hundred
teachers, and--in 1841--9,082 children enrolled in schools. That was one
schoolchild in every 110 of the population. To-day the island has a
population of 2,700,000, and it has 350,000 children enrolled in its
schools. That is one child in every eight of the population. The
contrast between one-eighth and one-one hundred and tenth is one valid
and expressive measure of Cuba's discharge of her responsibility.

Under the administration of President Menocal the annual appropriation
for public education is more than $10,000,000. There are six great
normal schools to train the 5,500 teachers who are needed to care for
the 350,000 pupils; and as the national government conducts all the
schools there is no discrimination between poor places