Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1901-06-13
The United States Will Not Toler.
ate Any Proposed Changes in
the Plat Amendment.
NOTE SENT TO ROOT IS An uLTlMA1uA:
Administration Does Not Propose to
u.v~ ANY Strings Attached to the
Acceptance-W0rk Of Forming .
Constitution Must Halt Until Our
Terms Are Met.

been instructed O1nclally 10 say TO the
Cubans that they cannot proceed to.
form their government until the Platt
amendment in letter and spirit has,
been accepted. This was the result of
meeting of the cabinet Friday. The
latest telegram from Gen. Wood had
convinced Secretary Root that the
chances for the acceptance of the
Platt amendment without a string tied
to it were not good at this time.
Result of Cabinet Meeting.
The outcome of the cabinet meeting
is thus stated by member of that
body:
1--WE feel that It will be some time be-
fore the Cubans accept the Plat amend
ment. The determination is that that
amendment shall be accepted before the
Cubans are allowed to establish their own
government. It Is very much our affair
and yet the Cubans are the ones who are
the losers, they losing just so much time
in getting their government a-going. We.
on the other hand. will continue military
occup&tion and control as at present.
There are no indications of change Of
policy here, and am glad to say that
there are no signs of trouble in Cuba. In
time the Plat amendment will be adopted,
but perhaps not very soon"
No New InstructiOns.
After the cabinet meeting Gen.
Wood was again informed by Secre-
tary Root that there were no new in
structions, and that the administra-
ton would insist on the adoption Of
the Platt amendment as prerequisite
to the formation of government
without any Understandings being
attahed thereto.
Senator Platt's Views.
Washington, June 8.-During the re-
cent conference here between Secre-
tary Root and the Cuban commission
the secretary wrote letter to Sem
ator Platt, of Connecticut, who intro
duced the Plat amendment, asking
for his views relative to intervention,
and the senator replied as follows:
ST am in receipt of your letter of this
date, in which you say that the members
of the commission Of the Cuban constitu-
tional convention fear that the provisions
relative to Intervention made In. the third
clause Of the amendment which has come
to bear my name may have the eEect OF
preventing the independence of Cuba and
in reality establish a protectorate or suzer-
ainty by the United States, and you re-
quest that express my views of the ques-
ton raised.
s'In reply beg to state that the amend
ment was carefully prepared with the OBJ.
ject Of avoiding any possible idea that by
the acceptance thereof the constitutional
convention would thereby establish pro-
tectorate or suzerainty, or in any manner
whatsoever compromise the independence
or sovereignty of Cuba; and, speaking for
myself, 1t seems impossible that such an
Interpretation can be given to the clause.
believe that the amendment should be
considered as a whole. and 1t ought to be
clear on reading 1t that its well-defned
purpose is to secure and safeguard Cuban
independence and set forth at once clear
idea Of the friendly disposition of the Unit
ed States toward the Cuban people and the
express intention on their part to aid them,
II necessary, in the maintenance of said
independence. These are my ideas, and,
although. as you say. cannot speak for
the entire congress, my belief is that such
a purpose was we'll understood by that
body. Very respectfully yours.
20. II. PLATT."