The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-05
OUR PECULIAR INTEREST IN CUBA

heaueTS OF the Eagle nave nOuceQ u
the cables a disposition 70 criticize
America for the intense interest Il
takes In the affairs of Cuba; and aIsC
direct charges that the United States Is
coRetous OF this island
Every man IN the country who takes
any notice Of public sentiment at al
must recognize that there is today little
OF the spirit Of conquest or acquisition
among the American people. The east
ern part of the United States, which
owns part Of Cuba, may have a selfisf
thought In Its desire for Cuba's free
dom; the greater part Of the United
States has only the desire of seeing q
successful issue % the fight for the
freedom.
But this "covetous government as
the foreign papers call it. does have q
peculiar interest IN Cuba Almost
from the beginning Of the Union it has
been the settled policy of this nation to
deny the right of possession Of Cuba
to all nations but Spain Long ago II
promulgated that Spain could not by
any bargain whatever, transfer its In
terest In Cuba to any other nation but
the United States. This was because
the island Of Cuba Is situated only one
hundred and fifty miles from the
United States, and its possession by
any other nation of Europe than Spain
might be inlmical to this country.
In April, 1923, John Quincy Adams,
then secretary Of state, wrote to Mel
son, our minister 70 France:
In the war between France and
Spain, now commencing, other inter
ests, peculiarly ours, will in all prob
ability be deeply involved. Whatever
may be the issue of this war as be-
tween those two European powers, it
may be taken for granted that the do
minion of Spain upon the American
continents North and South. Is ire
vocably gone. But the islands of Cuba
and Puerto Rico still remain nomInally,
and so far, really, dependent upon her.
that she yet Possesses the power of
transferring her own dominion over
them, together with the poss ession of
them, TO others. These islands, from
their local position, are natural ep-
pendages to the North American con-
tinent, and one of them (Cubal almost
in sight of our shores, from a multi
tude OF considerations. has become an
object of transcendent importance 20
- T..
of our Union. Its commanding posi-
ton, with reference TO the Gulf OF
Mexico and the West India seas; the
character OF its population: its situa-
ton midway between our southern
coast and the Island Of Santo Domingo:
its safe and caDacious harbor of the
Habsna- fronting a. long line OF our
shores destitute of the same advan-
tage; the nature OF its productions and
of its wants, furnishing the supplies
and needing the returns Of a commerce
immensely profitable and mutually
beneficial, give il an Importance in the
sum OF our national interests with
which that of no other foreign territory
can be compared. and little inferior 10
that which binds the different mem
bers Of this Union together.
Such, indeed. are, between the in
teresrs OF thai island and Of this coun-
Try, the geographical. commercial.
moral. and political relations formed
by nature, gathering. in the process
Of time, and even ROW verging 20 ma
turity. thaE, in looking forward 20 the s.
probable course OF events FOR the short
period Of half a century. l. : scarcely
possible 20 resist the conviction that
the annexation OF Cuba 20 our federal
republic will be Indispensable TO the
continuance and integrity OF the Union
itself
The United States was weak then.
but the men OF that day were possessed
Of sublime courage and conviction Of
the future greatness OF this govern
ment. To Americans IS weak kneel
az we are today il seems strange that
those statesmen. with everything west
OF Ohio undeveloped, should be watch