The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-31
THE CUBAN CONSTITUTION
Rejected by the President After a
Long Cabinet Council

The Secretary of sVar Instructed to
Inform the IH~ular Convention
Through General Wood That the
Conditions of Che PIntt Amend
ment Must BE Incorporated-No
Modification of Definite Provisions
Acceptable to This Government.
The President has refused to accept
the Cuban Constitution as adopted by
the Havana convention This announce
ment was made this afternoon imme-
diately after the adjournment Of the
Cabinet meeting The Cabinet was in
session for two hours and half
The full text of the constitution was
laid before the meeting by Secretary
Root and there was & minute examira-
ton of those clauses in which the pro-
visions of the Platt amendment, or
~ Iidca ticns of that amendment, are
embodied It was assumed from the
first that the constitution could not be
accepted in its entirety. for 1t was evi-
dent that not only the spirit but the
letter Of the Platt amendment had been
disregarded in some particulars
It was decided that the Secretary Of
War shall Immediately inform the con
vention through Governor General
Wood that the conditions laid down by
the Platt amendment must be incoIpJr-
ated in the constitution of the new Re
public and that no modification of those
definite provisions can be acceptable
TO this Go oEarnmenL Before the meet
ing Of the Cabinet Senator PIatt Of
Connecticut, Chairman Of the Commit
tee on Relations with Cuba, and author
Of the amendment now in question, had
a conference with the President. This
consultation was continuance of the
talk which Mr.. PIatt and Mr.. Spooner
had with the President yesterday after
noon and left little doubt that the de-
cision Of the Cabinet would be adverse
to acceptance of the insuIar constitu-
ton as it now stands
The Cabinet deliberations were not
curtailed, however, and it was not Ger
tain until the council ended what the
outcome would be II is expected that
the communication 10 the Const1tu-
uoEaI Convention VIII be brief in char
acter, but it wiz be 8, firm statement of
this Governments position.
Secretary Root declined this after
noon TO discuss the action Of the Cabi-
net and said the War Department
would make no official announcement at
present Immediately after the Cabi-
net meeting Secretary Root returned to
the War Department and began the
preparation Of a cabIegram TO General
Wood outlining the decision Of the
President. General Wood viii lay be-
fore the convention the statement
from Washington as soon as it recon
venes
The effect Of the Presidents action
may prolong for several months the
next step contemplated by the conven-
ton This is the enactment of an cleo
toraI law to provide for the organiza-
ton Of a general government. It is |
said to be the opinion of the Cabinet /
that the United States cannot be salts |
fed with an Interpretation by Cuba Of |
the terms Of the Platt amendment, but /
must confne itself 10 the amendment /
itself.
It is held that the Interpretation Civ |
en- by Secretary Root was not for the /
purpose Of having ii Incorporated in /
the plan Of relations, but was given /
merely to enlighten the convention and /
clear up any misunderstanding among |
the delegates a further effect Of the |
conventions action will be 20 delay the /
withdrawal Of American troops from |
the island, as until the relations are de
teTmined upon government cannot be
established, and until that IS done the
troops viii remain.
Senator Platt Of Connecticut called at
Che State Department this afternoon
and had conference with Secretary
Hay, but declined to say anything for
publication in regard TO the PIatt
amendment He also refused TO say /
whether his visit to the State Depart
ment had any relation to the Cuban
question