The sun., 1901-06-14
CUBAN REPUBLIC IN 1902.
THE ADOPTION or THE PLATT AMEND.
MENT ASSURES 1T.

The President Will Now Approve Of the Cos.
.titution. and All That WIN Then Remain
TO BE Done WIN Ne the Passage Of an Elec.
toral Law and the Election Of Onicers.
WASHINGTON. June i3-The main OBJ
stacle to complete independence for Cuba
has been removed by the action OF the
Constitutional Convention In accepting the
Platt amendment without the explanatory
appendix which was Objectionable to this
Government This view Is generally ex-
pressed in Official circles here. and Is shared
by Senators and Representatives who are
in town and who talked with the President
on the subject to-day. II Is not likely, how
ever, that new Government for the island
will be established before Congress as
sembes in December 80 that there will be op-
por,unity for any additional legislation that
may be necessary before the American
Government relinquishes control Of the
island. The Administration Is ready to
carry out its promises to the Cuban people
whenever all the measures necessary to
insure law and order under Republican
form of government have been complied
with, and the question Of annexation would
not be considered unless the Cubans ex-
pressed a desire to remain under the con-
troll Of the United States. For the present.
American control must remain supreme
in the island, and at the earliest the with
drawal of the American troops cannot
begin until about the beginning Of next
year.
With the acceptance by the Cuban Con-
vention Of the Platt amendment, without
change or alteration from the form in
which II was adopted by Congress, prac-
tiCally nothing remains TO make the oon-
sttution satisfactory to this Government
there have been no official exchanges
between the convention and the authori-
lies here since the convention met. all
the negotiations having been conducted
through Gen. Wood the Governor General
Of Cuba Gen. Wood has Kept the war
Department advised OF every step taken
by the convention, and the ADMINISTRATION
has been able to follow its workings from
day to day and by suggestions enabled
the delegates to frame constitution whose
approval by the President Of the United
States is assured in advance. When the
constitution has been completed by the
convention, II will be sent to Washington
for approval, and in the meantime the con-
vention will devote itself TO enacting an
electoral law. This electoral law has
already been drawn and has received the
approval OF the Administration. Should
IL pass in Its present form. nothing will
remain to make the Cuban Republic a
fact except the election OF officers and their
inauguration
Ii is said here that whether the United
States troops will be withdrawn az soon as
the new government has been put into
operation will rest largely with the Cubans
themselves.
They may not desire to have the troops
taken away until military or constabu-
larry force for the maintenance Of public
order has demonstrated its efficiency.
Under the electoral law the elections can
rot take place until ninety days after notice
has been given, and this means that II
will be late in the fall before the Cubans
will have the opportunity OF selecting those
who are to govern them.
All those who are familiar with the cir
cumstances connected with the adoption
of the Platt amendment by the Constitu-
tional Convention. unite In giving credit TO
Secretary Root for the happy outcome OF
a situation that at one time promised TO
prove very embarrassing 10 this Govern
ment. Mr.. Root was emphatic in his op-
position 10 accepting the action OF the
convention in adopting the Platt amend
ment with an explanatory appendix. pur-
porting to be based on the remarks made
by Mr.. Root to the delegation sent to WASH
ington by the convention. The state
ments made by Mr. Root TO the delegation
were entirely unofficial and he so told the
delegates, but there was no reference TO
his remark TO that effect In the appendix,
which was also garbled in such way that
its acceptance By the United States as part
OF the constitution OF Cuba would probably
lead to endless controversy between the
governments at Washington and Havana.
The communication addressed by Secre-
tary Root to Gen Wood. explaining why
the United States Government would not
accept the original action Of the Const itu-
tional Convention with reference to the Platt
amendment evidently brought the con-
vcntion to n realization Of the firm pur-
pose Of the Mckinley Administration TO
have the relations between the two countries
cearlv understood before the Cuban Re-
public became fact. This appears TO be
demonstrated by the adoption Of the Platt
amendment in its original form as part
of the Cuban Constitution by larger ma
iorily than that which adopted the amend
ment after ii had been coupled with the