Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1901-06-05
CUBANS EXPLAIN.
declare the Resolution Adopted Re-
&arding the Plat Amendment
Had Been Approved by Root.

Havana, June g. Cable dispatches
from America stating that President
Mckinley and his cabinet have decid-
ed that the vote in the constitutional
convention is not a substantial COM
pllance with the terms of the Platt
amendment have caused universal sur
prise here. Gen. Wood authorized the
statement that he had received no Of
hclal information from Washington
regarding the ma litter. The rumor that
Secretary Root will cable Gen. Wood
That the convention must accept the
Platt amendment without any expla-
nations is not believed. The resolu-
ton embodying the action of the con-
vention concerning the amendment
has not yet been delivered to Gen.
| Wood for transmission to Washing
ton. The delegates are astonished to
hear it said that they had no right
to incorporate in their resolution of
acceptance the explanation made to
the Cuban commissioners by Secre-
tary Root, and that the conventions
Interpretation of the Platt amend
ment went outside of what could be
considered a fair Interpretation of
the act of congress. They say that
President Mckinley authorized the
secretary to confer with the Cuban
commissioners and afterward ratified
Mr.. Roots declaration giving the
presidents decision on what was the
substance of the Platt amendment.
1t is said that the conventions in
tot &c Saorotorr Poot,c
depreciation, taken bodily from the
official report of the Cuban commits
sioners in Washington, and that the
report gives a complete and exact &C
count of the conferences in Washing
ton. 1t has been generally known in
Havana for many weeks that if the
convention should accept the Platt
amendment it would be with the I'M
derstanding that it means what Sec
rotary Root said that it means. Re-
ports of the Washington commission
and the committee of relations, which
made this clear, were published in
full in all the papers here before the
convention took final action. The del
egates say that Gen. Wood knew the
commission would include in its res
olution of acceptance the explana-
tions made by Secretary Root.
Washington, June st is officially
stated that the United States will re-
main in control in Cuba until the
Plat amendment has been "substan-
TALLY" adopted. This was made known
to Gen. Wood last Tuesday by Secre-
tary Root, and his action has been
approved by the president. Secretary
Root was with the president for about
an hour and a half Saturday, discuss
ing with him the cablegram which
was sent to Gen. Wood. This message
will not be made public at this time,
and probably not until the convention
takes action. Secretary Root has re-
ceived no official copy of the Cuban
constitution as adopted. The copy re-
ceived was furnished by Gen. Wood,
and consequently the action taken
aow is considered of the same I'M
official character, but indicates the
determination of the government to
reject the constitution in it's present
form.
Havana, June 3.-The press deplores
o1e InlSuHucl SldLuIIS Will lue WASH
ington government, but generally adj
mits the possibility of a wrong con-
struction being put upon the amend
ment by the explanations and inter
preta tons, and that it will be best
for the convention to take up the
question Immediately and accept the
amendment as passed by congress.
The municipal election passed off
quietly. The nationalists claim the
election of Senior Gener, their candi-
date for mayor, and a majority Of the
council.