tained the assistant secretaries of the government under the Palma régime and had requested that all foreign representatives remain at their posts. at least until such time as peace and tranquillity might be restored and the government placed in order.

On October 13 Charles E. Magoon succeeded Taft as provisional governor and on the same day Taft and Bacon returned home. On taking office Governor Magoon set forth his authority for the act in a proclamation in which, among other things, he outlined the policy he would pursue towards Cuba as follows:

"The policy declared and the assurances given by Secretary Taft will be strictly adhered to and carried out. As Provisional Governor I shall exercise the powers and perform the duties provided for by the third article of the appendix to the Constitution of Cuba for the preservation of Cuban independence and the protection of life and property. As soon as it proves consistent with the attainment of these ends I shall seek to bring about the restoration of the ordinary agencies and methods of government under the other and general provisions of the Cuban Constitution. All the provisions of the Constitution and laws which for the time being would be inconsistent with the exercise of the powers provided for by the third article of the appendix must be deemed to be in abeyance. All the other provisions of the Constitution and laws continue in full force and effect."

be gratifying and acceptable to the provisional government. The gov

ernor was, however, finally compelled on December 2 to summon these men to his residence and notify them that those seats that had been filled at the election of 1905 would be declared vacant the next day by a decree issued with the authority and at the direction of President Roosevelt. Thus nearly half of the legislative body was unseated and during 1907 all legislation was affected by decree of the governor as no legislative body was in session. The Senate, however, retained its validity though it did not resume its sessions during. American occupancy.

The most important work accomplished during 1907 was the taking of a census upon which to base the elections for municipal, state and national officials and in order that after such elections had taken place the government might again be restored to the Cubans. The census was begun on October 1, completed on November 14, and the results published a short time afterwards. Upon the basis of this census the elections were ordered for November 14, 1908 and in March José Miguel Gomez was nominated by the Miguelista convention while the other faction of the Liberal party party the Zayista - nominated Alfredo Zayas for the same office. The latter, however, subsequently withdrew his nomination and the two factions formed a coalition, choosing Gomez for president and Zayas for

nominations were Mario Y. Menocal and Rafael Montoro for the presidency and vice-presidency respectively. The elections were comparatively orderly and lawful and resulted in the success of the Liberal candidates.

Arrangements were then made for the evacuation of the island by the United States troops, so that every vestige of American authority might have disappeared by January 28, 1909, when the inauguration was to occur; but this was later found to be impracticable and about 3,000 troops still remained when the inauguration took place. It was also determined to pay all debts incurred by the provisional government prior to this date before the inauguration, thus launching the new government upon its career under the most auspicious circumstances. This also was only partially accomplished. The inauguration took place on January 28, 1909, and Governor Magoon immediately departed for the United States.

The organization of States out of Territories, and their admission into the Union has always proved a source of prolonged and bitter controversy. This is due to the fact that the two great parties represent, roughly, the North and South respectively, and as a new State means two new Senators, who would perhaps represent a thinly populated region, and yet have a voting power equal to those sent in behalf of older and more highly populated States, its admission is usually

delayed as long as possible unless its citizens are of the political complexion of the majority in power. If this be the case there is little difficulty unless the minority is active, not only in admitting the same, but in dividing it up into two States if conditions at all warrant. Perhaps no legislation of the kind has been more protracted and more strongly opposed than the act for the admission of Oklahoma, Indian Territory, New Mexico and Arizona. As these were all situated in the Southwest, and were strongly Democratic in their policies, it is not strange that the Republican party should hesitate before cutting down its own majority in the Senate. Nevertheless, in an act passed June 16, 1906, it was provided that Oklahoma and Indian Territory should be permitted to adopt a constitution, and be enrolled among the States on its adoption. It was also provided that Arizona and New Mexico should be permitted to vote on the question of being merged into one State, or of remaining separate. The acceptance of Oklahoma as a State was deferred by the radical nature of its constitution, tending, in some details, towards socialism. It was signed after a four months session of the Constitutional convention at Guthrie (November, 1906 May, 1907), and was submitted to the people, September 17, 1907. It was ratified by an overwhelming majority, and was signed November 16, 1907, by President Roosevelt, who issued a proclamation announcing the admis

sion of the new State into the Union.*

He

The President was singularly unfortunate in his relations with the negroes of the United States. had gained the admiration and good will of the South by his policy and the Federal appointments he made in the Southern States. This feeling was sadly marred, however, by his permitting Booker T. Washington, the President of Tuskegee Institute, a colored industrial school in Alabama, to dine with him. While President Washington was recognized both North and South as the most able man of his race, and whose work was doing most to uplift the illiterate negroes, nevertheless, this impulsive act of Mr. Roosevelt's gave umbrage to a great many people in the South. This incident had hardly passed before an entirely different one caused criticism of the President. This resulted from a riot in Brownsville, Texas, in which a colored battalion of the 25th United States Infantry was alleged to have taken part. Several citizens of the town were killed, and the entire community terrorized by the occurrences. The 25th had made an excellent record in the battle of El Caney, but this did not prevent a thorough investigation of the affair, and the issuance of an order by the President on November 21, 1906, disbanding the regiment

* A bill was introduced by Representative Hamilton of Michigan admitting the Arizona and New Mexico into the Union as separate States. This passed the House January 17, 1910.

"without honor." It was generally understood that there were just grounds for this action; nevertheless the opponents of the President sought to make capital out of the same, and the matter was agitated in Congress for several sessions. The leading champion of the cause of the regiment was Senator J. B. Foraker, and upon his retirement from the Senate, in 1909, under something of a cloud, owing to disclosures which had been made regarding his connection with the Standard Oil Company, the matter was allowed to drop from public attention. It was afterwards conclusively proven that certain companies of the regiment were involved in the affray, and while these were discharged, the innocent members were afterwards reinstated.

The state of Venezuela had long been a firebrand, and under the leadership of its president, Cipriano Castro, had

menaced international peace

on several different occasions. Its constant condition of internal ferment, which rendered property tenure and even human life precarious, had caused, as has been shown, intervention by foreign powers in protection of the rights of their subjects. After the arbitration decision of the Hague Permanent Court, rendered February 22, 1904, it was hoped that there would be no further trouble, but hardly had this been settled, than a long-continued dispute between Castro and the New York and Bermudez Asphalt Company came to a crisis. The dispute had dragged

along for nearly three years without any definite agreement being reached, but on July 25, 1904, President Castro placed the property of the New York and Bermudez Asphalt Company in the hands of a government receiver and instituted a civil suit against the company for its alleged financial assistance to and promotion. of the Matos rebellion in 1901. A strong protest was transmitted by the American government and arbitration was also requested, but this was absolutely refused by President Castro on February 15, 1905. The Supreme Court of Venezuela affirmed the decision sequestrating the land and imposed a fine of $5,000,000 on the company in payment of moneys which the government had been forced to expend in crushing the rebellion. Every resource of the American state department was employed in an endeavor to restore to the company its concession in Bermudez, but the efforts were fruitless as the Venezuela Supreme Court affirmed its decision on March 14, 1908. There were also several other claims against Venezuela for which no satisfaction could be obtained because of the highhanded methods of Castro. The Orinoco Corporation claimed that it had been deprived of the benefits of concessions granted for the development of iron mines, hardwood forests and asphalt deposits. The Orinoco Steamship Company claimed that its monopoly in the navigation of the branches. of the Orinoco River had been rescinded. The United States and

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Venezuela Company, also known as the Critchfield Company, contended that a concession to take out asphalt and to build a railroad had been granted to it but that it was not allowed to operate. Mr. A. F. Jaurett also had a claim for $25,000 damages against Venezulea because he had been expelled from the country by Castro.

Therefore, as arbitration was refused and as no settlement of the claims could be forced, President Roosevelt ordered the American legation closed; on June 21 the American chargé turned over the legation to the Brazilian minister; and on July 9 the Venezuelan representative was recalled, thus completely severing diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Castro had also become involved with France, England, and Germany, and the English and German claims were paid out of customs revenues which those countries had seized in payment. Furthermore, in 1908, Castro became embroiled in a dispute. with Holland because of a decree issued on May 14 prohibiting the trans-shipment of goods from Venezuelan ports at the Dutch port of Curaçao which the Netherlands government wished revoked and because of an indiscretion on the part of the Dutch minister De Reus on account of which he had been dismissed by Castro. These acts of Castro's resulted in the termination of diplomatic relations with Holland, who revoked the compact of 1894 with Venezuela, and nearly resulted in war. Castro,

however, had been ill for some time and at this juncture decided that he would give up the struggle against such overwhelming odds, for his own people had now turned against him. Fearful for his own life, he gave out that he was going to Germany for surgical treatment, and departed for Europe, landing at Boardeaux, December 10, 1908. He left as actingpresident, former Vice-President Gomez, who immediately adopted a more conciliatory attitude with respect to the other powers, and the problem of Venezuela, for the time being, ceased to be vexing.

The decade following 1900 will be memorable for the great number of fearful calamities that took place. These were of all kinds: fires, floods, tornadoes and earthquakes. The catastrophe at Galveston in 1900 has already been discussed. This was followed in 1901 by a disastrous fire at Jacksonville, Florida, which destroyed $10,000,000 worth of property. In 1902 the world was appalled by the terrible volcanic explosions in the West Indies. These occurred on May 7 and 8, Mt. La Soufrière in the Island of St. Vincent becoming violently active on the 7th destroying 2,000 lives, and laying two-thirds of the island in waste. The next day Mt. Pelée in the island of Martinique destroyed the city of St. Pierre, killing 30,000 people and doing incalculable damage. A second eruption, which occurred August 30, and lasted nearly a week, closed the chapter of

horrors by devastating a region hitherto exempt, and killing 2,000 more. In 1903 the West Indies were again visited, this time by a destructive hurricane which on August 11 destroyed $15,000,000 worth of property and many lives. The next year was marked by three disastrous fires. The first, occurring February 7, at Baltimore, Md., destroyed $70,000,000 in property. The fire destroyed 75 blocks, comprising 140 acres, and 2,500 houses were swept away. The city has since been rebuilt, and like Chicago, has arisen from its trial by fire beautified and regenerated. Other extensive fires occurred during the same year at Rochester, N. Y., and Toronto, Canada, the latter entailing a damage of $10,000,000. The year 1906, however, stands apart for its record of cataclysms. The first of these was the earthquake that occurred in the Japanese island of Formosa, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives and the destruction of $45,000,000 worth of property. Early in April of the same year Mt. Vesuvius became violently active, causing much destruction of life and property. Yet this was exceeded on August 16 in fearful consequences by the earthquake and fire that occurred at Valparaiso, Chile. All of these disasters, however, fade into comparative insignificance before the earthquake that devastated the Pacific coast of the United States.

At about five o'clock on the morning of April 8, 1906, the inhabitants