Evening star., 1897-01-14
GEN. sIckLEs roR FREE CUnA.
He Says President Cleveland should
Interfere to End the War.

He Says President Cleveland should
Interfere to End the War.
Gen. Daniel E. Sickles made a plea last
night for the recognition of Cuba's inde-
pendence by the United States. IN an ad-
dress before the Nineteenth Century Club
at Sherry's. The news that the club was
to discuss the Cuban question, says the
New York Sun, today, drew an assemblage
that crowded the big white and gold BAN
quet hall. The fact that Gen. Sickles had
been minister to Spain led to his selection
as the speaker to open the discussion.
ANY American" he began. has a legal
right to aid the Cuban Insurgents in their
struggle for independence by contributing
either money. ammunition, arms or hos
pital supplies to the patriots
Then, noticing Col Ethan Allen I'm the
audience. he added:
Either Col. Allen or I will go down to
any pier on the river front and superfntend
the embarkation upon any vessel of any
shipment of ammunition that may be con-
tributed, addressed to Gen. Gomez COM
mander,in-chief of the insurgents: without
the slightest fear of interference from any
body, although Spanish spies may be on
hand to watch the whole transaction. We
can defy any interference, in fact. because
law. l make this statement because have
examined the laws bearing upon this point
and found no prohibitory enactment"
There was burst of applause at this un-
n.
other round of applause when he followed
1t up with this statement:
The government can settle this vexed
question today If it wants to. President
Cleveland can settle 1t once and forever,
and public opinion demands it. Civiliza-
tion, patriotism and humanity all demand
it. 1 don't mean to advocate annexation
or conquest There are reasons why be-
lieve that, even were Cuba free and inde-
pendent today, we should hesitate before
We annex her to the United States. Her
people have not yet a sufficient knowledge
OF Self-goVernment, nor have we the navy
to such possession. But the American
capital invested in Cuba is four fold
greater than that invested by any other
power, and that is why America should
have an active interest in Cubas welfare
aside from sentimental considerations
From the Information 1 have, the insur-
gent commanders will never lay down their
arms until they have achieved the absolute
Cleveland ought to interfere now to end
the war. and no talk Of the possible effect
upon stocks in Wall street should deter our
government from acting. Action has been
by Spain Is delusve. The trouble about
these reforms is that they are always
promised and never carried out"
The Rev. Father Ducey followed with a
brief plea as a Catholic priest for the lib
erty of the Cubans. He declared that no
power on earth could prevent the Cuban
patriots from ultimately attaining their in
dependence. Father Duceys advocacy of
the cause of the patriots apparently upset
William E. Rogers. a lawyer. who spoke
next as the avowed friend of the policy Of
the Cleveland administration. He said that
he didn't expect to hear the priest indorse
the Cuban cause. Mr.. Rogers contended
that the stories of Spanish cruelty on the
island were exaggerated, and he argued
that Intervention in the war or the recog-
milton of Cuba's independence was not JUS
titled.
Gen. Sickles replied spiritedly He de-
ciared that it was hopeless to expect Spain
to grant the reforms that Mr.. Rogers de-
clared she was preparing to concede.