The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-25
THE CUBAN PROBLEM.
Two solutions Discussed by Senator
J1iaft of Connecticut

my Appropriation bill defining the Terms
on which the United States troops will be
withdrawn from the island. contributes to
the May number of the Worlds Work
an article on The Solution of the Cuban
Problem. from which the following ex-
tracts are taken:
Two solutions only are possible. One,
the annexation of the island by the Uni
ted States; the other. the establishment
of an independent republic there in which
the vital and just interests. both Of Cuba
and the United States, shall be defined
/ and maintained
The project Of annexation may and
ought to be dismissed 1t should not for
| a moment be considered except in case of
the diTest necessity The people of Cuba,
! by reason of race and characteristics,
cannot be easily assimilated by Us. In
! these respects they have little in common
I with US. Their presence in the American
! Union, as i State would be most dis
turbing, and we have already asserted, as
! the deliberate conclusion of Congress, that
} they ought to be free and independent
/ There is nothing to be gained, much, even
1 honor, to be lost, by the annexation OF
I Cuba
/ The real question. then, is. How can an
/ independent republic be established there
under conditions and circumstances which
{ shall best subserve the interests of the
people both of Cuba and OF the United
/ States? That our people have interests IN
/ Cuba which must be subserved and pro
/ tected goes without saying. We cannot,
and viii not. permit any European power,
much less a hostile or Unfriendly Power,
/ to acquire rights or privileges in Cuba to
( our disadvantage. The essence Of the
! Monroe Doctrine asserted and justly in
/ sisted upon for nearly eighty years for
/ bids it Nor can the United States per
nit the existence of 4 government in Gu
/ ba in which peace and order, the protec-
/ ton OF life and of property and the main
tenance of all international obligations are
not observed In respect to the future
| government of Cuba our interests and
| those Of the Cuban people are identical;
/ the government of Cuba must be stable,
as well as republican. in form Again, our
/ obligations to the world at large, created
| ard assumed by the act of intervention,
demand of US that We become responsible
/ both for the character and maintenance
/ OF the new government If duty required
us to see TO it that Cuba was free, duty
/ equally requires Us to see to it that the
! Cuba of the future shall be both peaceful
| and prosperous.
| We cannot. If we would, honorabIy re-
/ lieve- ourselves from OF treaty obligation
to see that the life and property Of Span
/ iards and those CUbans who did not join
/ IL the revolution are protected by the new
| Government Perfunctory advice to that
| Government viii not meet the full meas
/ ure OF our obligation. Our work was only
/ half done when Cuba was liberated from
| its Oupressor. A nation which undertakes
TO put an end to bad Government IN q
/ upighboriug country must also see that
just and good government follows Ma
/ tons have duties to perform as well as IN
I terests to guard and protect, truth
which It Is encouraging to note IS Delng
( better understood throughout the Wofla
/ now than ever before From the hlgh
/ 1tT9T3I of DUTY alone not less than by self
/ interest the United States Is committed
! to the Tnaint enance of good government
! in Cuba and its policy must hTSt Oh al
/ be determined by TINS consideration II
/ cannot escape responsibility II must meet
.-Trf7e new Government of Cuba viii have
/ neither an army nora navy mere are
/ something like $500. 600. 900 Of Spanish bonds
! outstanding. for which the revenues OF
! Cuba were pledged at the time OF thelr
/ issue These bonds are held largely IN
! Germany and France 1t IS eDtlFelE pTOD-
! able that Cuba being left without any
/ means Of defence these Governments on
/ behalf of their citizens. would demand
/ and endeavor TO enforce their assumption.
/ Cuba only guarantee against this VIII De
/ the fact that any nation attempting TO
| compel il to pay this Indebtedness VIII
/ understand that it has the United States
| to deal with Between revolutioGlStS and
Standards and CubanS who were loyal 10
J Spain there is little love With no army
/ 10 repTess disorder it is certainly within
the limit Of reasonable probability that
! the revolutionary and turbulent party
I may attempt the destruction or COnnSca-
! ton OF Spanish and Cuban property
! which the new Government would be at
/ terry pOweTleSs to prevent We most Ger
/ tainly owe a duty to our own citizens in
/ Cuba that they shall be protected in the
/ enjoyment OF their property and kept free
| from the dangers which attend. TevOiu-
| tiOnaTy upTisings. Indeed, anyone who
| knows public sentiment in Cuba Is aware
| that il is expected by Cuban people that
/ If difficulty, either foreign or domestic,
| shall arise. the United States VIII be call
1 ed upon to meet it Even those who in
| SiSt that nothing should be put into the
/ so say that the United States VIII do il as
/ a matter Of course Their strange atti-
/ the United States to their defence. but
viii not agree in advance that We may
| assert that right
| The United States needs this mutual ar
! rangement because for its own defence it
| cannot permit any foreign Power To dOmi-
/ nate. control or obtain a foOthOld in this
/ hemisphere or its adjacent territory. and
cannot tolerate such revolutions or dlsUr-
| ders upon an island so near our coast, as
! frequently occur in South American re-
| publics: more than all. because it stands
/
! citizens Of Cuba and to all the world to
maintain quiet and peace and good gov
eminent in Cuba In word, Cuba needs
| seIf-gOVeTnmenf. peace. tranquility and
prosperity The United States asks for
nothing more than this. but il recognizes
its obligation and insists upon its right to
| see that such results are to be permanent
y secured
1T is not easy to understand the reason
ing Of those who assert that We propose to
| limit or detract from the independence Of
Cuba nor is II easy 20 understand the sen
SitiveHess which seems to prevail among
/ some of the members Of the constitutional
| convention on this subject. The oyeTtUres
of the United States are friendly oVeTtUres.
/ President Mckinley in his recent Iuaug-
| uraI Message. with his rare faculty Tor
| expressing whole argument in "A single
| sentence accurately stated the situa ton;
With our neighbOTs we must remain close
/ friends
1t is sad 10 reflect that sometimes peO-
I! pies as well as men are inclined to turn
their backs upon their best and truest
friends. We have shown our friendship
for Cuba in most generous way. The
lives Of our brave young men have been
freely sacrificed, an immense amount of
treasure has been expended; we have re
lieVed the starving TecOncentradOS, we
have assumed the payment of all dam
ages which our citizens sustained during
the revolution. and we ask nothing in re
turn but that there shall be an indie
pendent government established and per
maneutiy maintained IN Cuba, a govern
ment which shall insure the continued
pacificatiOn of that island Surely We NAV
ask the L.t.Ssn people if this generous ex-
hibitiOn Of our friendship is not a gUaran-
tee that we desire 70 be their friends in
| the future
+F,~