Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1901-04-18
THE CUBAN SITUATION.
President Schurman of Cornell Has
Been Studying the Problem
on the Ground.
He FINDS IT A VERY COMPLEX MATTER.
IL would be simple Enough IL the
People only UnderstoOd the In-
tentions Of the United states
which are Misrepresented by the
More Radical Politicians.

New York, April 15.--A dispatch to
the Herald from Havana says:
Jacob G.. Schurman, president OF
Cornell university, who has sailed
from this city for New York, was in
Cuba for ten days studying the po-
liticnl situation. He visited four of
the six provinces of the island, talked
with Cubans of ill classes in their
own tongue, and followed closely cur
rent opinion as expressed in the Gu
ban newspapers, of which he was an
indefatigahle reader. President Shur-
man, in an interview, said:
The Plntt Amendment.
"rhe people of Cuba are less cx-
cited over the menace to Cuban SOW
ereignty supposed to be contained in
the Platt amendment than are the
politicians of Havana. Indeed, bust
ness meh and owners of property uni
versally favor an immediate accept.
ance of the amendment, though many
told me they did not dare state SO
publicly.
PnrnIyzing Uncertainty.
"The present political uncertainty
is paraly2ing to the movements OF
capital. which are indispensable for
the recovery of the prosperity of the
island. So, too, IA majority of the
educated men of the country rccog'
niZc the necessity, from the Cuban
point of view, of the protection and
security guaranteed by the Platt
amendment. The opposition comes
from the poorest and most ignorant
section OF the community, although
how far they have views of their own
and how far they are influenced by
wirc-pullug politicians it is very diff
fCult to determine.
Only Know what They are Told.
81 have talked with both white and
colored mcn-and one-third of the
population of Cuba is colOred. Many
of these have no ideas whatever on
the subject. On the other hand, !
have been surprised by the earnest
ness with which both white and col
ored- cOlored perhaps more than
white-have detained TO me against
the amendment as n menace to their
liberties and insidious scheme for re.
ducing them to colonial dependence as
with Spain delivered them.
Measure that Has No Existence.
"Of course, the knowledge of these
people is ill-proportioned to their
zeal. The measure they oppose has
no existence, but such is their idea
of the amendment, and such their at
titude toward the product of their
own Imagination. Nor can you argue
them out of this state of mind-the
less so as they represent the class
that fought both Instructions against
Spain for the independence of Cuba.
Nothing hut the fact of a self-gov-
ernng Cuba will convince these people
that their liberties are not in danger
There is the rub.
Our Military Government.
"Our military government has pre-
served order established sanitation
built public works, opened schools and
contributed TO the restoration OF
property, but, like every other mill
tary government, it is incapable OF
generating confidence, sympathy and
affection between rulers and people.
The Great Desideratum.
THE great desideTatum in Cuba is
the immediate substitution of civil
government of Cubans, for Cubans, by
Cubans. for the military government
of the United States. But such IA gov
ernment will have no chance of sue
cess, at home or abroad, without tn,
guarantees carried in the Plat
amendment, which, 1 am fully per
suated, is desired in its essential con
tents by a majority of the people o
Cuba.
The Present Problem.
"The problem, therefore, is TO ge
the convention to accept it. | do no
for a moment question the ability anC
patriotism of the delegates, but | be
leve they are too much animated b.
the irreconcilable spirit of the revolu
ton against Spain, in which many o
them were participants, but of which
the country is tired, knowing that tn
danger of tyranny, thanks to tn
United States, has now passed ava.
forever.
United states Must stand Firm.
"The United States must insist o.
acceptance of the Platt amendment
Opposition of the cuban delegate
must be overcome. | believe bot
ends can be attained by confer
ence between a committee of the cor
vention and President Mckinley. Tn
Cubans will then state their desire
TO the highest authority in the reput
lie and the very opportunity to do
will predispose them to be concilit
torv and the fact and diDlOmacV &
the president, combined with the sell
interest of the Cuban delegates, wi
discover way, either by defining tn
conditions of intervention, or abaI
doning the Isle of Pines, or specif.
ing the number of coaling station
or by some other formal concession
TO reach an adjustment which wi
save the face of the delegates and Ell
able them to return to their politics
parties bringing peace with honor.