Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-02-22
CUBANs THREATEN.
ISLAND SEEMS RIPE FOR AN.
OTHER WAR.
Natives Demand Withdrawal ofrroops
and Refuse Guarantees Eciief in
Wasliingto that Crisis in Oar Re.
lations Cannot Long Be Deferred.

The most serious question now before
Congress and the President, although the
people at large seem to have little appre.
citation of its real gravity, is rapidly com
ing to II head, says II Washington CORE
spondent. 1t would he impossible to- cN-
aggerate the serious concern with which
the cabinet ut recent meetings has dis
cusaed the Cuban situation, both as 10
the relations of the Cubans toward each
other and of the future relations between
the United States and Cuba. There has
been such an Official derryiIs OF 'scns;,-
uonnliSm that most OF the Washington
correspondents have retrained from using
exact words i'll referring to the outlook.
hence the masses of the people have not
appreciated how critical it really is. One
word describes both the fear and the am
hcIpation of official Washington concern
ing the question: War. Those who have
given serious attention to the subject will
regard 1t as almost Il miracle il open rup-
turcs between the two peoples concerned
ana resort to arms by misguided Gu
bans is avoided
"A year ago the Cuhans were apparent
ly grateful To Americans for what had
been and WAS being done for them. To
day they say that they had about attain
ed their independence before the United
States stepped in. and their charges that
the United States was an intcrloper with
sinister purposes are accompanied by co
vert threats of war. Not only are the
Cuban factions ut swords points with
each other. but the dominant radical cle-
ment has shown itself wholly unamcnu-
bic to the wholesome influences of the
United States. and in the preparation of
constitution they have adopted high
handed and insulting attitude toward this
country. So far as it goes, the proposed
constitution. apparently with intent. COM
pletely ignores this country. makes no
provision for a naval base for us. gives
us no specific rights over Cuba's policies.
whc! We will assuredly demand. and re-
serves the right to eNpcl any foreigner
"as pcrnicious to the government" and
this last provision is doubtless aimed at
any Americans who may become trouble.
some to the Cuban authorities.
Cubans Talking of War.
To show that the air of Cuba is full of
serious talk of war against the United
States it is only necessary to quote the
following extract from an editorial from
one OF the conservative journals of the
island, El Nigilanca:
lit must not he forgotten" says El
Nigilanca. THAT the first cry of armed
rebellion, the first shot that echoes
through our fields. will he the signature
written by Cubans themselvcs--to the
death sentence of the independence OF. the
country. The courage tenacity and will
ingness to suffer demonstrated by the
greater part of the Cubans who fought
against the Spanish army were mugniti-
cent. But the American army is twenty
times more numerous, and American re-
sources twenty times greater.
I'VE would lack the support of a great
nation such ais we had yesterday against
Spain. We would lack refuge to which
to fly; we would lack arms, ammunition,
even field in which to operate: in fact,
we would have nothing with which to
carry on Il war except men, WHOM Sc as
suredly could find among the former revo-
lutionists. That our ultimate victory
would be impossible is indubitable.
Our long-sustained ideal would be ev-
erlastingly placed beyond our reach by
the brute force of potent race. To pre-
vent this. to preclude the possibilities
of any opening shot being fired, is work
of humanity and worthy labor for intelli-
gent natriotS