The record-union., 1898-12-11
Talk of a Proposed Excursion to
Cuba and Porto Rico.
The Subject Eagerly Discussed in Washing
ton Official Circles.
Practical Unanimity That the Con-
templated Trip of the Chief
Executive to Havana is Fully
Warranted, So Long as the
American Flag Flies Over the
Island


Island.
NEW YORK, Dec. 10.-A special to
the Tribune from Washington says:
A report that the President intends
to visit Cuba and Porto Rico at the
hrst favorable opportunity has be-
come known in the State War and
Navy Departments, and was quickly
made the subject of serious speculation
among various officials on account
of the exceeding interesting questions
1T raised. Among other things, there,
was spontaneous revival of the fiction
that the Chief Executive could not pass
the boundaries of the United States
without forfeiting his office. 1t is PEI
culiar how persistent is the notion
even among higher officials that some
constitutional or statutory restriction
confines the Executive to American
soil. when, as q matter of fact al
though none Of McKinley's predeces-
sors have ever left the country during.
their terms of office, their actions were
alone affected by considerations of pro-
priety or precedent, which no one
could hold to apply in the present in
stance.
President might naturally wish to,
make personal tour OF inspection in
those islands as soon as he could
spare time from pressing public busi-i
ness in Washington, and that no valid
objection could stand against such a.
tour as he was understood to contem-
plate. 1t is pointed out, however, that
1T would be practically impossible for
him to spare the time requisite for
such an extended voyage as that to,
Porto Rico before Congress adjourns
on March 4th, which is, fortunately,
about the best time of the year to
make short stay in the tropics. Dur
ing the first six weeks of the new year.
IN addition to the continuous executive
routine business, the social obligations
involved in the programme of public
receptions and state dinners would re-
strict the President closely to Wash
ington. and after next weeks South
ern tour he will hardly find it possible
to leave the White House for more
than two days at a time before the
beginning OF Lent, in the middle of
February. For the ensuing two weeks,
with the rush. of legislation which
marks the closing days of a short ses-
sion of Congress, there will be no
leisure for the Executive, and, there
fore, his pennant could hardly fly in
the harbors of Porto Rico before the
middle of March.
With Havana only a single nights
run for the dispatch boat Dolphin from
Tampa, there might be a chance for
the President to spend two whole days
there in a weeks absence from Wash
ington, and remain always in close
telegraphic communication with the
executive departments, so that if a
critical emergency occurred he could
be in a railway train speeding toward
the Capital within twelve hours. No
thought is entertained however, of a
Presidential trip to Havana before the
Spanish flag is hauled down on Janu-
airy 1st.
Practical unanimity of opinion pre-
walls among officials that the contem-
plated visit of the President to Havana
has as full warrant as his trip to
Porto Rico, so long as the American
flag flies over Cuba, although a few
quibblers may hold that Porto Rice
itself is not actually a part of United
States territory until Congress has
made declaration to that effect, either
in so many words or by ratifying the
peace treaty of Paris. This fine point
is not seriously raised except to show
that Porto Rico and Cuba must be
considered Identical in view of the fact
that they are governed precisely alike.
by military officers under the immedi-
ate direction of the President as Com-
mander-in- Chief.
The belief is expressed that the Pres
ident would not care to set foot in
Cuba if it were held to be foreign ter
ri ha iohf iSI1 fn
the country, for that might be a per-
ilous precedent to establish. But no
one appears to controvert the right as
we'll as the advisability of an Execu-
tive visit to the new American pos
sessions, provided it does not involve
too long an enforced absence from
Washington
Before the outbreak of the war with
Spain the expediency of Presidential
visit to Hawaii was thoroughly can
vassed.
1t was held by competent authorities
that the President would not be COM
PEELED to leave the jurisdiction of the
United States even momentarily dur
ing such a tour, as he would be con-
structively on American territory OH
a national vessel even when on the
high seas. In this case, however, the
long voyage would have required the
President to be without means of
communicating with Washington for
at least week at a time, and even
had there been a cable to Honolulu
he would have been out of touch with
the country for at least two periods
of five days each. These considera-
tions prohibited further contemplation
of the visit.
When the President visits Porto Rico
and Cuba he will undoubtedly be ac-
companied by Mrs. Mckinley and sew
eral members of the Cabinet. with
their wives, and, although the stay of
the party in each port visited will not
be longer than a single day, an abb
sence of two weeks from Washington
will be necessary.
Tt is probable that Secretary Alger
and several army officers will go to
San Juan, Santiago Havana and other
points in the island before the Presi-
dent visits those places.