Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-05-01
CUBA's NEW SITUATION.

days they have been in the United
: States have made one important reve-
latlon and have learned several impor-
tant things. They have denied the
truth of the reports from Havana that
any considerable body of the Cubans
were anxious 70 have Gen. Wood re-
moved. They have discovered that the
President cannot evade the stipula-
tions of the Platt amendment even if
he wanted to, which means that the re-
lations between Cuba and the United
States which are outlined in that meas
ure will have to stand until Congress
meets next winter, and they are not
likely to be modified then except pos
sibly in the direction of greater strin-
gency. Cnat is, they have learned that
these terms are at least as good as
any which ever will be offered to them
and that wisdom demands they
| ticable moment. Another thing which
they have discovered is that many per-
sons in the United States are favorable
| to the erection of Cuba into state of
the Union, which, of course, would give
il all the independence which any of its
inhabitants, except the more radical
element, want.
Thus when the Cuban commissioners
return to their own country they will
carry news of the highest moment to
their compatriots. All doubt as to
whether the United States intends to
enforce the terms of the Platt stipula-
tions will Immediately removed. The
constitutional convention will then ad-
dress itself to the Platt proposition,
and let Cuba and the United States
know just how they stand on that mat
ter. The terms there offered are as
favorable as any they will ever get |
and they must be accepted without any |
reservation. A failure to do this will |
simply mean the prolongation of AM
erican military ascendancy in the ISL
and, for the Americans are pledged to
see to it that stable and modern re-
gime is set up in the island before they
can abandon it. The American Gov
ernment will be the judge as to when
these requirements are met. All of this
has been made plain to the committee
of the Cubans who are now in this
country They will reveal the exact
situation to their compatriots wnen
thek get back to Havana, and the con-
stitutional convention will then be un-
der the necessity of adjusting itself to
this situation.
OF course the proposition for the ad-
mission of Cuba as state is open to
certain qualifications. Cuba could not
be admitted Immediately, even if the
Cubans, should ddclare in favor of an
nexation. That locality would have to
remain in a condition of territorial
tutelage for a few years in any case.
Its people have not yet had sufficient
coaching to enable them to govern
themselves wisely as an American COM
or to assist in governing
the rest of the country. Texas was ad
mitted to statehood Immediately on
but Texas had been an in
dependent nation for close to ten years
at that time, and had been governing
itself with considerable success. Cali
fornia was admitted as state before
the politicians had time to organize it
as a territory, but its inhabitants, in
large part, were Americans and others
who had assisted, in some degree at
least, in governing themselves long be-
fore they rushed to California in th2
gold excitement. Cuba would need
Americanizing before it could be erect
ed into a state, but eight or ten years
experience as a territory would give i
tuition and, moreover, an
leXation would send to the island d
great number of Americans, English I
nen, Germans. Frenchmen and others
low engaged in helping to govern v
themselves who would not emigrate to S
hat country if it were under govern e
nent of it's own. Cuba at this mo- O
nent has great opportunity to make p
II mar its political fortunes.