Washington sentinel., 1901-04-13
CUBA HAS ACTED,
She VIII Not accept the Platt
Amendment.

vention has rejected the demands
of the United States as Sc. forth in
the Platt amendment to the Arr v
Appropriation bill. Only two OF
the twentY-six members OF the
convention were in favor of grant.
ing the concessions which the
Fifty-sixth Congress named as the
price of Cuban independence"
The convention has acted after due
deliberation, the matter OF Cuba S
relations with the United States
having been under consideration
ever since the Fifty sixth Congress
adopted the Platt amendment, in
the latter part Of February.
The rejection OF the demands Of
Congress, We are informed by
newspapers IN touch with the Ad-
ministration. created no surprise
in official circles in Washington"
Evidently the powers behind the
throne" reason that if the United
States can find some pretext for
prolonging the military occupa
ton OF the island it is immaterial
whether the Cubans accept the
terms proposed to them as a con-
dition precedent to the control oil
their Government. Under the ex-
isting arrangement the United
States is the supreme power in
Cuba. Under the provisions Of
the Platt amendment the Cubans
would enjoy "lImited independ-
ence" under the prote ction and re-
straint OF the United States. Their
right to make treaties with foreign
powers is restricted by the Platt
amendment, as is also their p wer
TO contract debt. They must, in
with the declaration Of
Congress, recognize the right Of
the United States to intervene in
the event OF disorder in the island.
They must sell or lease coaling
and naval stations to the United
States, and they must not claim
the Isle OF Pines as part Of the con-
stitutional boundarIes OF Cuba.
The Washington correspondent
of the Philadelphia Press informs
the readers OF that stanch Repub-
lican newspaper and expansionist
journal that the property owning
Cubans are practically unanimous
in their approval OF the PIatt
amendment. According to this
authority only the revolutionary
element in the island is opposed to
granting everything that Congress
demanded. The principal objec-
tion which this element advanced
against the adoption Of the Platt
amendment, observes the corre-
spondent oi the Press, was that
"the amendment is in violation of
the pledges made by Congress-"
The correspondent has no patience
with such an objection. "rhIs talk
OF the United States ever having
made any pledges to the Cubans,"
he asserts in his most contempt
uous style, "is ridiculous. Where
are the Cubans to whom this
pledge was made3 The few thou
sand men who composed the rev.
olutionarY army scattered around
on inaccessible hilltops and in
swamps were certainly in no
position to demand pledge or to
receive one. To talk ofthe United
States having made a pledge to
these people is absurd" Then, as
# to dispose Of the question for all
time, the correspondent Of the
Py(SS fatty asserts, that the Teller
resolution was "a mere declaration
Of one Congress that could not
bind another" That is to say, the
FiltV-6ith Congress could promise
the world to make Cuba free and
indepe ndent State, " lille the Fifty
sixth could proceed to iasten an
American collar around the necks
OF the Cubans. There would be
nothing disgraceful in a change Of
policy, nothing inconsistent, moth
ing to prove that the Government
OF the United States is not the best
and most enlightened in the world.
It is perfectly honorable and iair
to blow hot and cold through the
mouths Of separate and successive
Congresses.
Although the United States has
been in the world power business
for only little more than two
years, it has assumed all the airs
and ways Of a veteran. In our
parochial days, says the Baltimore
Sun, we were foolish enough TO be
sensitive about national obliga-
tions, and actually were so inno-
cent as to mean what we said.
There is an end TO that sort ofthine
now, however, and the time is fast
approaching when our diplomacy
will take rank with that OF Russia
and China, which we long be.