The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-01
THE GOVERNMENTS REPLY
Reasons Given for the Rejection Of
the Cuban Constitution.

The Contentious Interpretation of
the PIutt Amendment Declared TO
BE acknowledgements Alterations
or additions VIII Be Agreed To
The Governments answer to the Gu
ban Convention rejecting the plan Of
relations proposed by Cuba in apPar-
entity accepting the terms OF the Platt
amendment was completed ;his morn
ing by the Secretary Of War and laid
before the President for his cons!d era-
ton After its approval by Mr. Nc
Kinley the reply was cabIed 10 Cover
nor General Wood.
It is a paper of about 1000 wo.ds,
and points out clearly and definitely
why the United States cannot accept IS
satisfactory the action Of the c5nven-
ton. It is held that this Government
cannot accept me plan OF relations PRO
posed by Cuba for the reason that The
Interpretation placed On the Platt
amendment by the Cubans is not salts
factory.
Secretary Root proceeds to discuss
the reasons for arriving at this concIu-
sion and calls attention to the Cuban
Interpretation of the sanitation clause
of the Platt amendment. He shows
that in this instance the meaning Of
the clause is changed, while 1t is diff
cult to understand the Interpretation
placed on some of the other clauses 1t
is indicated strongly to the convention
that the PIatt amendment must stand
by itself as this Government cannot
agree to any amendments OF additions
to it.
The other features of the PIatt
amendment and their Interpretation by
the Cubans discussed by Secretary Root
relate to the question Of intervention
and coaling stations. In regard 10 IN
tervention the reply does not holu hat
the PIatt amendment clause is altered
by the Interpretation but it is indicated
that the Interpretation is not sadsfac-
tory.
a cablegram h9s been sent to General
Wood for Information as 20 when he
convention viii re-assembIe and a long
confidential letter has been written te
him by Secretary Root in which ne
Freely discusses The whole subject o1
Cuban relations and the action OF the
convention in tacking upon the Plat
amendment a series of interpretation
clauses. Secretary Root remarks thai
his explanations 70 the Commission
were intended for their Information and
guidance and not with any idea thai
they were 10 form the basis for the
adoption Of clauses Of interpretation
Secretary Root also holds that his ex-
plantations were given with the under-
standing that they were not official and
could not be said 10 represent GIi:ci1l'y
the views Of 5he United States Govern
ment, as these views w.re cIeaIly ex-
pressed by Congress in the Flat
amendment Itself which became a Law
and could not re altered BY The z'resi-
dent or anyone else. This is one Of tht
points upon which the plan # relation:
is rejected, aad General Woods atten.
ton is called 20 the fact that although
Secretary Root clearly stated TO tbs
Commission that neither he nor tht
President had my authority to chang
the PIatt amendment, the Cuban Cen
vention in its Interpretation made Il
terations and changes IN the meaning
of the amendne IT which tha Presiden
had no authority 10 make and is pc
hibited from accepting for the reason
that they are not in accord with tn
amendment as passed by Congress.