Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-22
President Ethan Allen Denounces
SPANS Proposal Of Autonomy.
Observation-Disclosures TO ACTION
Congress Will Be Asked to Extend
Rights of BelIigerents.
SPANS WAR TALK A BLUFF

NEW YORK, November 22.-President
Ethan Allen of the Cuban League has is
sued the following circular:
To the Members of the Cuban League of
the Uniteo States:
The Cuban problem, which so long has
rested as blight upon the conscience of
our people. approaches it's solution. Inde-
pendence for the suffering patriots now
within our timely action rounds out their
years of trial with deserved recompense.
This great corsumma ton the American
people should forthwith demand from their
political representatives. The cowardice of
wealth seCucing our officials to inaction
while murder has been done, the insincer-
ity of rulers inventing special pleas to
cover their treachery to national duty,
the open and unnecessary interference with
the legal commerce of the country as an
act Of grace to brutal Spain and making us
her ally against those following our his
toric teaching, have all run their courses
to the wounding of national pride and to
our utterly exhausted patience. But time
and the Cuban sword have brought the
crisis which forerunS a final cure in Cuban
Independence. This is the hour of Amert-
cas- opportunity. Effective work can be
done which, If well done, will go far to
excuse our past neglect. Congress is the
objective point. Cuba should be put on
equal terms with Spain regarding supplies
from our burdened ma gaines. Flour, cat
tie. horses and arms from American soil
by night and day go in steady rush to
the Cuban shores for the support of the
forces of monarchical Spain; none of these
can go hence to feed the starving patriots
of republican Cuba. The soldiers we have
thus fed use the life we give them to erase
from the earth an entire population by
deeds of horror whose recitals freeze the
heart of the civilized world. Unmoved, we
have SO far heard the wall Of the victims
or have furnished new blades for Spanish
hands to insure the work of Cuban deci-
nation.
Belligerent Rights for Cuba.
Beligerent rights to Cuba will quickly
change this brutal panorama. The Senate
has already ordered it's verdict for such
rights, and the lower house should respond
before the new year comes in
The Cuban League of the United States
now calls upon it's entire family of five
hundred branches to unite as one voice in a
demand upon their congressional repre-
sentatives to vote this way. All other or
ganized friends, and also Individuals of
whom there are hundreds of thousands
Sympath1zing with Cuba, are urged to the
same activity. Following belligerent
rights, independence is assured. Be not de-
ceived by the ignorance or the hypocrisy
OF those who argue against this remedy.
There are other cures, but belligerent
rights is now the most available and the
most effective. This will enable Cuba to
draw support from US. as Spain has DONE
cover belligerents with the same shield
Cunning sympathizers with Spanish bar
barity affect to see danger to Cuba in this
but the facts and the laws expose their
insincerity. With the grant of belligerency
from u.s. American generosity and patriot
ism would crowd Cuba with hillocks of
munitions of war for the patriots and for
the utter destruction of her oppressors
We are told that this gives to Spain the
right to search our ships. Let it be grant |
ed; but what damage can result to our
commerce, when this search must be linn |
tied to the coast of Cuba, and then for the
contrabands of war prohibited after Span
ish proclamation of a blockade, which, by
the way, has never yet been given? Unrea-
sonable or unnecessary search clearly for |
the annoyance of American commerce. is |
as much forbidden after belligerency as be- |
lore. Let such baseless apprehensions die
In the utterance. Since no official notice
OF war nor of blockade of Cuban ports has
been given to this nation, there is not nor
mas there been, any legal restriction upon
our Tree commerce with even the insur-
gents yet, as a matter of grace and as a
speclai FAVOR TO Spain, our executives have
lhter1ered with our peaceful and legal COM
mefce, TO the great injury of our citizens
New Methods Necessary.
Is 1t not time to change these methods?
win an executive who knows his duty and
Is willing to do it, all this may be rightly
changed as our statutes are now formu-
lated. In the absence of any official
knowledge of war in Cuba, call home our
ponce of the seas and permit legitimat,