The sun., 1901-06-02
NO THRILLING WITH CUBA:
PLATT AMENDMENT MUST BE INCOR.
P0RATED IN THE CONSTITUTION.


After InAt American tonuoi VIII MOI Cease
Until . Stable and Satisfactory Govern.
msnt Has Been Installed by he Cabans.
WASHINGTON, June lit can be stated on
the best official authority that the United
States Government will continue to control
the affairs Of Cuba until the Platt amend
ment Is Incorporated In the Cuban Con-
stitution without alteration. either implied
or direct. Even after the convention noti-
ies this Government Of its unqualified
acceptance Of the amendment there will
bo no withdrawal Of American control
Of the island until a stable and satisfactory
Government is installed by the Cubans
themselves. The President and his ad-
visers have determined TO obey In every
particular the law OF Congress which makes
il mandatory upon him to accept nothing
short Of the Plat amendments terms In
defining the relations which shall exist
between Cuba and the United States II
is the opinion Of the Administration that
there has been already too much trihing
with this subject by the Cuban Constitu-
tional Convention. and 1t is proposed to
make It perfectly plain that the Platt
amendment must be accepted without
qualification before the United States will
take any step looking to the absolute inde-
pendence Of the island. While this feeling
exists II b not the purpose Of the Admins
tration to enter into negotiations with the
convention nor will 1t discuss the matter
further.
An authoritative statement was made to
The SUN reporter to-day to the effect that
this Government will make no formal state
ment to the Cuban Convention In regard to
the rejection OF It's action In adopting a
plan OF relations. This does not mean that
the convention will not be officially in
formed Of the Administrators views Of the
matter, but merely that no formal docu-
ment will be laid before the convention from
the President. This conclusion was reached
at the conference between the President
and Secretary Root this afternoon.
The paper drawn last night by Secre-
tary Root was mailed TO Gen. Wood this
afternoon, however, and will form the
basis of a statement to the convention by
Gen. Wood The substance OF this paper
was cabled to him this morning, but with.
out special instruction. and was followed
later by a personal letter giving detailed
instructions and accompanied by formal
letter Of about 1000 words setting forth tho
official views Of the Administration on
the question OF the conventions action In
adopting the Platt amendment with a
series Of Interpretation clauses which do not
meet with the approval OF the United States
Government.
II is also learned that the action Of the
Cabinet yesterday merely indorsed the
views held by Secretary Root as already
Expressed to Gen Wood by cable. I'M
mediately on the receipt from Gen. Wood
of the substance Of the conventions plan
of relations the Secretary OF War saw that
it would not meet with the approval OF the
President and so informed Gen. Wood
last Monday by letter and cable, As soon
as the President returned the Secretary
of War laid before him the correspondence
with Gen. Wood, and this was laid be-
fore the Cabinet at its meeting yesterday,
with the result that IL unanimously approved
Of Secretary Roots course and he was
authorized TO draw up more detailed and
complete letter to Gen. Wood for his guild
ance dealing further with the convention.
The reason why the President cannot lay
before the convention any formal docu-
ment which might be designated as a reply
is that nothing has been received by him
from the convention to which to make any
response.
II IL, therefore, necessary to carry on
communication through Gen. Wood. who
will inform the convention Of the views
held by the President on the convention 3
action in misnterprcting the Platt amend.
ment. In doing this Gen. Wood will send
TO the convention a statement based on
that prepared by Secretary Root. 1t will
not be presented. however, as a state paper,
but merely as n statement by Gen. Wood
Of the Presidents dsapproval Of the plan
of relations adopted by the convention,
IL is certain that Gen. Wood will follow
Secretary Roots letter in every particular.
This points out clearly and definitely why
the United States Government cannot
accent As satisfactory the action of the
convention. II is held that this Government
cannot receive the plan Of relations a. an
adoption of the Patt amendment, for
the reason that the Interpretation placed
on the amendment by Cuba is not salts
factory.
Secretary Root proceeds 10 discuss the
reasons for arriving at this conclusion and
calls attention TO the Cuban Interpretation
of the sanitation clause OF the amendment.
He shows that in this instance the meaning
of the clause is changed, while II is difficult
10 understand. the Interpretation placed on
some Of the other clauses IL ~ Indicated
strongly 10 the convention that the Platt
amendment must stand by itself. as this
Government will not agree to any amend
ments or additions To H.
he Otutl lttlul'~ OF llle lalN dlltlll-
ment and their interpretations by the
Cubans discussed 10y Secretary Root relate
To the question OF Intervention and CoalinR
stations. In regard 10 intervention tho
repiy does not hold that the Platt amend
ment clause is altered by the Interpretation.
but il il indicated that the Interpretation
il not satisfactory
A cablegram has been sent TO Gen. Wood
for information a. 10 when the convention
will reasonable and a long confidential
letter has been written to HIM by Secretary
Root in which he freely discusses the whole
subject of cuban relations and the action
of the convention in taCking upon the Plltt
amendment series OF Interpretation
clauses. Secretary Root remarks that his
EXPLANATIONS To the commission were in
tended for their information and guidance
and not with any idea that they were to
form the basis for the adoption OF clauses
OF Interpretation. Secretary Root also
holds that his explanations were gwen with
the understanding that they were not OIL
cial and could not be- said 10 represent OH
cially the views OF the United States Govern
rneni. as these views were clearly expressed
hv Congress in the Platt amendment itself.
which became law and could not be altered
by the President or any one else.
This IL one Of the points upon which
the plan Of relations is rejected. and Gen.