gher standard of
living. Mutual respect between natives and Americans grew daily.

Touching Cuba, too, the course of the Administration evoked no serious
opposition. We were in the island simply as trustees for the Cubans. The
fourth congressional resolution of April 20, 1898, gave pledge as
follows: "The United States hereby disclaims any disposition or
intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control over said
island (Cuba) except for the pacification thereof, and asserts its
determination when that is completed to leave the government and control
of the island to its people." This "self-denying ordinance," than which
few official utterances in all our history ever did more to shape the
nation's behavior, was moved and urged, at first against strong
opposition, by Senator Teller, of Colorado. Senator Spooner thought it
likely that but for the pledge just recited European States would have
formed a league against the United States in favor of Spain.

December 13, 1898, a military government was established for "the
division of Cuba," including Porto Rico. The New Year saw the last
military relic of Spanish dominion trail out of Cuba and Cuban waters.
The Cuban army gradually disbanded. The work of distributing supplies
and medicines was followed by the vigorous prosecution of railroad,
highway and bridge repairing and other public works, upon which many of
the destitute found employment. Courts and schools were resumed.
Hundreds of new schools opened--in Santiago city 60, in Santiago
province over 300. Brigandage was stamped out. Cities were thoroughly
cleaned and sewer systems constructed. The death rate fell steadily to a
lower mark than ever before. In 1896 there were in Havana 1,262 deaths
from yellow fever, and during the eleven years prior to American
occupation an average of 440 annually. In 1901 there were only four.
Under the "pax Americana" industry awoke. New huts and houses hid the
ashes of former ones. Miles of desert smiled again with unwonted
tillage.

[Illustration: Slum with sewage running through the dirt street.]
Showing Condition of Streets in Santiago
before Street Cleaning Department was organized.

[Illustration: Street cleaners working on dry roadway.]
Santiago Street Cleaning Department.

A census of Cuba taken by the War Department, October 16, 1899, showed a
population of 1,572,797, a falling off of nearly 60,000 in the twelve
years since the last Spanish census, indica