The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-26
COSTLY POLICY FOR THE UNITED
STATES.

There is an aspect of the Cuban question
which should be accorded large weight IN
determining the future policy of the United
States vet which has received little or no
consideration We mean the cost to the
United States of maintaining Spanish rule
in Cuba during the last fifty years. NO at
tempt has ever been made to estimate this
cost and it cannot be estimated with any
degree Of accuracy, but it is safe to say
that in the aggregate it would amount to
hundreds of millions of dollars. These
words are carefully weighed, and it is
asserted deliberately that the maintenance
of Spanish rule in Cuba during the last
half century has cost the United States
government and people, directly and indi-
rectIy, hundreds of millions of dollars. To
appreciate the force of this statement IL
must be remembered that there has been
no time during the period named when the
American people have not desired to see
Cuba free. and when thousands of them
would not have enlisted to secure her free
dom if they had been permitted to do So
There have been several rebellions in cuba
during the period named, and in each one
of them it has required the vigilant and
energetic efforts of this government to pre-
vent the sailing of armed expeditions from
the United States to aid the insurgents
But for these efforts such expeditions would
have sailed in numbers and force sufficient
to have driven Spain out of the island. They
were only prevented from doing so by the
determined attitude of the government The
government itself need not have sent a
ship. a gun nor man to have secured the
liberation of Cuba. 1t only needed to re-
move its hand and refrain from repressive
measures. Instead of spending millions of
dollars to maintain Spanish rule in Cuba,
it could have brought about its end with
out spending a cent 1t is true the govern
ment's motive in pursuing this policy, the
enforcement of neutrality, was honorable
and praiseworthy, but that does not alter
the fact that the existence of Spanish rule
in Cuba to-day is owing to the. persistent
and untiring efforts of the United States
made at large cost, ito maintain it. This
was true during the insurrection of 1901 and
in the more formidable and prolonged in
surrection of 1858 to 1878. 1t is equally true
of the present insurrection, which has now
lasted more than three years. This has
been a very expensive policy. In october
last Secretary of the Navy Long made a
statement of what had been done by the
United States to prevent the shipment of
arms from this country to the Cuban in
surgents- The measures included a Gordon
of ships along the coast and a feet of reve-
nue. cutters on patrol duty. The secretary
stated that up to that time these measures
had cost about 100000 and this has been
greatly increased since.
Another item of cost in the maintenance
of Spanish rule in Cuba is the damage to
American interests in the island and TO
American commerce. This has been almost
beyond computation. 1t has been incident
to every insurrecton. In 1915. after seven
years of war in Cuba. President Grant said
in his annual message to Congress:
The protraeted continuance of this strife
seriously affects the interests of all COM
mercial nations, but those of the United
States more than others, by reason of
close proximity, its larger traue and inter-
course with Cuba, and the frequent and
intimate personal and social relations
which have grown up between its citizens
and those of the island. Moreover. the prop
erty of our citizens in Cuba is large, and
Is rendered insecure and deprecated in
value and in capacity of production by
.the continuance of the strife and the un-
natural mode of its conduct.
What was true in 1875 is truer in 1898,
when our commercial interests are larger.
Less than two months ago the New York
Chamber of Commerce adopted memorial
in which 1t was stated that the war in Cuba
during the last three years has resulted