The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-24
|CUBAALLRICHT
GEN. WOOD SAYS THE ISLAND Is
READY FOR sELF-RULE.
United States Is Prepared to Sur
render Control When the People
Have Chosen a Representative.
EN- ROUTE TO WASHINGTON
WHERE HE WILL INTRODUCE DELE
GATES TO THE PRESIDENT.
Governor General Confident the Platt
Amendment Will BE Accepted
When 1t Is Explained.
BUT TWO QUESTIONS OPEN
ONE Is THE PROPOSED REDUCTION
OF THE DUTY ON SUGAR,
While the Second Is Adoption of the
COnstitutiOn-PrOspe Predict
ed-The General Situation.
Governor General Confident the Platt
Amendment Will BE Accepted
When 1t Is Explained.
BUT TWO QUESTIONS OPEN
ONE Is THE PROPOSED REDUCTION
OF THE DUTY ON SUGAR,
While the Second Is Adoption of the
COnstitution-PrOspe Predict
ed-The General Situation.

Wood, Governor General of Cuba with
Mrs. Wood and his private secretary ar
rived here tonight on the Ward liner
Moro Castle General Wood, who ex-
poets to return to Havana on Thursday
by way of Jacksonville, Fla, has made the
hurried trip to this country for the pur-
pose of introducing to President Mckinley
before the latter leaves Washington for the
Pacific coast the five members of the special
commission foreign relations appointed
Icy the Cuban constitutional convention,
which is still in session and is expected
to take up for consideration soon the cleo
toral law which will regulate the system
by which the first President of the Cuban
Republic will be chosen.
AS soon as the steamship was made fast
to its pier General Wood, his wife and
secretary were transferred to the tugboa,
President and carried TO Jersey City in time
TO catch the 9:25 p. m. train for Washing
ton General Wood did not hesitate to talk
about affairs in Cuba. THE object of my
hurried visit here" he said, ''is to intro
duce the five members of the special COM
mission on foreign relations appointed by
the Cuban constitutional convention to
President Mckinley. The members of the
committee represent all the different groups
of Cubans composing the constitutional
convention. They have come to the United
States for the purpose of conversing with
President Mckinley on matters which the
convention does not thoroughly understand,
and when they return and make their re-
port l am convinced there will be thor
ough understanding on all sides of the con-
troversy.
1.-The constitutional convention has never
voted on or rejected the Platt amendment
This l state positively, notwithstand-
ing the reports to the contrary which
have been sent to the United States from
Havana. Things have been cabled here
which had not the slightest foundation in
fact. which described strained relations
between the representatives of the United
States and those of the Cuban people
Everything has been harmonious since
went to Cuba. and the convention now in
session is a thoroughly representative one.
WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Before the Platt amendment was passed
by Congress the Cubans knew the desires
of this government on the issues which
the amendments contain, because they
were submitted to them through the execu-
tive. Intervention and the establishment
of naval stations are the two things which
they do not properly comprehend, and
think that when they are fully explained
| in Washington the only indication of
difference of opinion will have been re-
| moved.
There are really but two great questions
| yet TO be settled One is the reduction of
| the duty on sugar and the other is the
passage of the constitution. One is econo-
| mic and the other political, yet in a meas
ure they akin. After the constitution
has been properly framed and adopted the
economic question will disappear as there
| must be great reduction in the duty on
sugar. Then Cuba will be prosperous and
| it's relations with the United States settled
| on a solid basis. That will end the whole
| difficulty and i'm twenty-four hours the
| country can be turned over to the repre-
| sentative chosen by the Cuban people.
To-day all the departments the
| island are practically in the hands of the
| Cubans. who have been instructed as to
how things can be managed and when the
time arrives all we will have TO do will be
! to take a receipt for the money on hand
| AT the request of Congress We have ac-
counted for every dollar expended in the
| Improvement of Cuba since the military
| forces have been in charge OF the island
and we hold the receipts for these expendi-
lures. There never was such an accurate
| accounting deman1ed before, and il has
been complied with
| There was some trouble in the postoffice
| at first. but the Rathbone- Neely cases have
| been thoroughly worked up and the men
will be brought TO trial in May. The bonds
| Of these men have been forfeited and will
| have to be paid. There has been an agent
| of the surety company in Havana lately
and after looking over the ground he will
| report back that the bonds must be set
| tied.
| while / have said that everything has
| been harmonious while / have been in
| charge of Cuban affairs. | must, however.
| explain that il was impossible for me TO
| please every one down there, and especially
| the ambitious and disappointed spectators.
| Also, / found ii necessary to close the
mails TO La Discussion on account Of a
| caricature which was likely to create
| trouble. Only one copy of the paper came
to this country. and the editor Of the paper
was arrested. The paper was not seized,
| as stated in the dispatches
1