New-York tribune., 1901-06-14
SETTLING Up IN Cuba.

One by one the loose ends of affairs in Cuba
are gathered UP. and step by step progress Is
made toward a final. beneficent and sauSIactor!
settlement of the issues which arose three-quar-
ters of century ago. and which assumed an
acute and critical form through the war Whlcn
redeemed that island from Spanish domination.
The unqualified acceptance and Adoption or the
so-called platt amendment by the CUBAN Ton
stitutional Convention. which after regrettaDle
hitch was effected on Wednesday, may he re-
carded as a long and important step in the
right direction. There remain. OF course
others The first will he the adoption OF a
proper electoral law. providing for the estap-
lshment of a government under the consutu-
ton Thirty days later will follow the election
of members of that government. ana. AT SUIT
able interval. their installation. There VIII
next come the negotiation of the permanent
treaty with the United States provided for in
the Platt amendment. Then. at last. the Cuban
Government being found. to the satisfaction OF
the United States, competent to fulfil its func-
tions. the transfer of authority will he made and
the United States forces will be withdrawn from
Cuba. save from such places as are agreed upon
rs naval stations of the United States.
The proprietv of such settlement rs is made
hv the Plat amendment. and the justice of ask
ing Cuba TO enter into such engagements as
those which il prescribes. may he clearly per-
ceived through a consideration Of what the con-
trary course would mean. That would DE that
Cuba might surrender her independence to any
European power or give any such power lodge
ment upon the island as base of hostile oper-
ations against the United States: that Cuba
might run herself into bankruptcy as quickly as
she pleased: that Cuba might suffer foreign in
vasion or domestic anarchy, but the United
States should never intervene 10 prevent or cor
rect such occurrences: that the acts or the
United States in Cuba during the military occu-
patton might b. repudiated: that sanitafloh
might be neglected and Cuba he made a menace
TO the health of this country. and that the
United States should have no facilities IN tupa
for nrotecting that island from foreign aggres
sion or for the safeguarding of its interests
These things are obviously undesirable every
one of them. But they are simply the reverse
of the Platt amendment.
1t may be said that absolute independence In
wolves the right to do all of these things. even
If they are undesirable foolish and ruinous.
Academicaily speaking, that may be. But IL is
absurd 10 suppose that the United States inter
yened i'm Cuba and fought n foreign war in
order tG give Cuba the right 10 do such things
Rather was il In order 10 put an end forever to
the doing of them. and to the possibility or
their heing DONE The United States did not
make Cuba independent Of Spain in order that
it might become dependent upon some other for
eign power. 1t did not save Cuba from crush
ing burden of Spanish debts just to let hef
bankrupt herself in some other way Ii dld not
exercise a virtual protectorate over the island
for seventy-five years. and then fight war IN
its behalf just TO let every detail OF that work
be undone This country means. in settling up
Cuban affairs, to settle them up for good it
means TO establish and to preserve for all time
the beneficent results of all that it has done
II means not to reverse and to repudiate, but
TO ratify and TO set final seal upon the CON
sistent policy of three-quarters of a century.
And in so doing il has the grateful assurance
that 1t is doing the best possible thing. not only
for itself. but likewise for Cuba and for all
whom il may concern.