The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-05
FOR THE PROTECTION OF CUBA.

Senator Beveridge's article on the Cuban
question in the North American Review for
April contains so many suggestive points
that not all could be disposed of in one no.
tice. The main argument of the article
was TO show that the so-called Plat amend
ment defining the conditions on which the
United States would withdraw its troops
from Cuba and leave the island TO the gov
eminent and control of the people went no
further than the protection of both Cuban
and American interests required. The ar
gument was twofold. being based partly on
the traditional policy of the United States
towards Cuba almost from the formation
of the government, and partly on the new
conditions created by the liberation of the
island from Spanish rule. Under the latter
head the senator called attention TO the
Importance OF safeguarding the future
financial interests of the island. No mort
gagged or bankrupt government can be a
stable or prosperous one, and for the United
States to allow the Cuban government to
become mortgaged or bankrupt would be a
criminal blunder. Such a condition would
be fraught with as much danger to the
United States as it would be to Cuba, for 1t
would involve the possibility of forcible in
tervention by some European power that
would leave very little moral ground for
opposition by the United States and would
make war almost inevitable. This govern
ment cannot afford to take so great a, risk.
1t cannot afford to leave unguarded a way
to such dangerous results. To turn the Gu
ban government loose without any ~restric-
tons or safeguards against the results Of
financial recklessness would be placing a de-
gree of confidence in Cuba which the history
of Spanish-American government does not
justify and which would be an open door
for future trouble. To guard against such
a contingency the Plat amendment con-
tains the following:
That said government [Cubal shall not
assume or contract any public debt, to
pay the interest upon which and to make
reasonable sinking fund provision for the
ultimate discharge OF which the ordinary
| revenues of the island after defraying
the current expenses of government shall
be inadequate.
This is one of seven provisions in the
Platt amendment, every one of which looks
primarily TO the welfare and protection of
Cuba and ~secondarily to those of the United
States. Some of these provisions are sani-
tary. some political, and the one quoted
| above is financial. 1t is as necessary for the
United States TO preserve Cuba from self
destruction as from destruction by outside
enemies. The contraction of an over
whelming debt to the subjects of a foreign
power would soon be followed by the ap-
pearance of a foreign fleet in Cuban waters.
and then what? On this point Senator
Beveridge says:
The debt Spain contracted for Cuba was
| 500, OOO.O 900, and this debt the Cuban amend
ment prevents Cuba from ever paying or
being compelled to pay. The bonds issued
by the revolutionary government in the
insurTection preceding the last, and still
held somewhere by some one, are supposed
To reach into the hundreds of millions.
The amount of bonds issued by the last in
surrectionary government, held by persons
i'm Cuba and the United States, is unknown,
but / nave heard Ii estimated at from $780,
| 900. 900 TO $500, 010, 900. No accurate informa-
ton can be had concerning the quantity
of these bonds or of the bonds of the
former insurrectiOnary government. What
part, if any, they play at present can only
be surmised. 1t is doubtful IL they affect
the question. but they are useful as indi-
eating the financial certaintieS of an I'M
restrained Cuban government.
| Inc dSSulipltVH vi NhS NtDN W III W
ban government or the contraction of a
new one of perhaps equal amount is a
contingency not consistent with any theory
Of stable government. The United States
could no more tolerate that than it could
the continuance of a state of perpetual
civil war in the island or the deliberate
return to conditions that made Cuba a
breeding ground for yellow fever. Senator
Beveridge makes it clear that the clause
in the Platt amendment protecting Cuba
against financial dangers is quite as i'm
portant as any other.