The morning call., 1893-04-02
SECRET MISSIONS.
American Enjoys to For
eign Countries.
PURCHASE OR ANNEXATION.
Uncle Sans Many Attempts to Ac-
quire Strategical Territory in
Foreign Waters.
written for THE MORNING CALL

is but the duplication in many respects of
former secret missions and ENJOYS sent out
70 other islands and countries by the Fed
eral authorities since Uncle Sam matured
10 mans estate.
The bare recital OF the mora important
events connected with the sending of these
commissioners ana ENJOYS and the adven-
lures encountered by them would form one
of the most instructive and picturesque
chapters Of American history.
In the absence Of any such work and in
the compass Of a newspaper articls one
can but glance cursorily over the more i'm
r9rtant embassies Of this character and
dwell but lightly on the many interesting
adventures and occurrences connected with
them.
Since almost the close of the Revolution
there have not been lacking brilliant
American statesmen who thought ii ad-
ysable for the United States to acquire
foreign territory and Islands and harburs
for The purpose Of establishing military and
naval stations.
And. under the various administrations.
frequent efforts have been made to acquire
either by purchase or annexation islands
and hsrbors that were considered of strate-
Gcal Importance.
Nearly every President and Secretary Of
State has sent one or more private ENJOYS
or secret commissions to this or that island
OF territory with a view to their ultimate
acquisition in case all the conditions should
prove favorable. And, though the reports
Of these ENJOYS and commissions have in
variably been favorable to the proposed
plans of requirement, the labors of not one
OF them has been rewarded by the fin al con-
summation of those plans.
Whether Commissioner BiOunt will fol-
low the precedent and report favorable to
annexation remains to be seen.
When American statesmen began to look
with appreeiatlye eyes upon foreign Islands
they turned south first, down the Atlantic
coast The diplomatic conditions and rea-
lions OF the early half OF the present century
made this both wise and desirable. And
they looked hrst toward Cuba. Cuba is so
. near to the United States aud its position in
relation to the commerce of the Gulf of
Mexico is so important that from the mo-
ment when Florida came into the Union,
in 1920, Ii has been important for the Fed
erRl Government TO know who held the
power there and by what tenure.
When President John Quincy Adams
accredited his pupil and confidential friend,
Alexander II. Everett, a brother OF Edward
81 Everett, to represent the United States at
Madrid, in 1925 the Cuban question was
the most important subject for his diplo-
matte tact TO deal with. Arrived in Spain,
Minister Everett found the King and the
desperately in need OF ready money.
Mr.. Everett suggested to the Spanish
s Ministry plan whereby Spain could save
her honor, receive a large sum of ready
money and become rid of the military and
other charges of the Island O Cuba. In his
plan Uncle sam would have the real though
not the nominal possession of Cuba; would
control its haTbors and its ornaments, and
especially would be in position 10 keep
other powers from possessing it. The plan
was that the United States should lend TO
Spain large sum of money without inter
est for an indefinite time, while Spain
should make temporary eesslon OF the
island as security for the loan.
The Spanish Ministry rejected the proposal
and Cuba remained q colony, in name aud
fact OF the Spanish kingdom.
In 1913 President Folks administration
made another effort TO obtain possession of
the coveted islanG Of Cuba. He authorized
the Minister to Madrid to make Spain an
offer OF Sl000O00O0 for Cuba. This offer
met with a curt refusal.
Lopez a Cuban, in 1851. in spite
OF the opposition of the Federal
authorities. cot out of New Or
leans with q force of several hundred
men, among whom was the Inflated Crit
tenden, and landed them at Cuba. His ex-
petition failed. but it led Great Britain and
France 10 propose to Uncle Sam 10 engage
bv treaty to dscOuntenance all attempts tn
obtain possession of Cuba on the part Of
any individual whatever.
EDWARD EEeTPtt
had succeeded Daniel Webster as Secretary
Of Stale. He pnlitely informed the powers
that the United States could enter upon no
such negotiations. 1t was. he remarked, a
matter that did not concern either Great
Britain or France. The President, he said
considered Cuba as an American rather
than European question.
Two years after this the famous Ostend
conference was held. In October, 1854
James Buchanan, Minister to Iyondun
ini 70
Pierre Soule Minister TO Madrid, acting
under instructions of the Pierce admins
tration, met at Ostend, In Belgium, to con-
slider the Cuban question. The con ference
Of the three Ministers had been called by
Secretary OF Stale Marcy to ascertain the
purposes of England and France toward
Cuba, and whether these two powers really
Intended to AIricanZe the island, as there
was much reason for suppOsing.
But the Ministers, instead of presenting
facts. nut aside the inquiry, and reported as
q result of their conference that in ease of a
refusal on he part Of Spain to sell Cuba the
United States ought to present the alterna-
tive rf seizure. This action Of the Ostead
conference troubled the President and Sec
Tetary Marcy much, and its result was the
resignation Of Minister Soule, who. upon
his arrival in Nsw York, was rendered a
banquet by the leaders of the flibusters
against Cuba.
During the Pierce administration there
was some trouble between the United
States and Spain concerning the unlawful
seizure by Cuban officials Of the mail
steamer Black Warrior. but despite the in
reference Of Minister SUule. who endeav
ored to prevent a satisfactory conclusion of
these matters, an amieable basis was finally
reached through the diplomacy and tact OF
Secretary Marcy.
In 1859 the thirty million bill" was
introduced in the Senate with a view Of
purchasing Cuba for that amount but the
measure was defeated.
In 1869 a private company. with the war
cry Of Cuba fOrthe Cubans." BID $75, 600, 900
for the island, but they failed to get il.
Since the close of the Civil War no further
effort has been made by the United States
20 obtain possession of that tropical island
IN the sun-kissed seas"
o.. While Uncle Sam has always kept one
eye on. and sometimes had a twitchIug of
the PALM for, that most advantageous island
-: OF Cuba, other Islands and ports Of the West
= Indies have not escaped him. Foremost
among the latter Is the island repabIic of
San Domingo Many attempts to annex
this most desirable island, with its splendid
harbor at SANTANA Bay, have been maze,
and the D0minicans themselves have been
as much interested In being annexed as the
American statesmen we're in acquiring their
territory and harhor.
IN February, 1915. the Government of San
Domingo having applied to the United States
for recognition, Commissioner John Hogan
was sent by the State Department as a spe-
cial agent, with Instructions to inquire as To
the extent Of territory of the republic of
San Domingo; as to the character and COM
position Of the population; as to the num-
Der and discipline of the troops: as to The
people Of the island and its division in races,
and as TO its fuances.
In the fall of that year Mr.. Hogan re-
turned and made his report to President
Polk. 1t was highly favorable to San Do
: mngo and advocated the requirement Of
Samaua Bay for naval station In after
years President Grant, in communicating
the papers OF the State Department relative
TO the San Domingo negotiations, spoke in
high terms of Mr.. Hogan's port.
. Again. In response to reiterated urgent
appeals from the republic of San Domingo
.r.r.Et IT,. IL l. L