The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1901-06-03
How Secretary Root Molass-
esed Cuban Delegation.
GOOD STORY COMES OUT
Gem-of-the-AntilleS Men Took the
War Secretary at His Word
BUT HE DIDN'T MEAN 1T ALL
Spoke MetaphOricnII, Hfo ger, and
Had No Intent1o eOri
Misleading. g.

Tro1s IAe Journal Bureow. Room As. Post
B"ttdtng, Washington.
Washington, June SIT was one of the
biggest cases of jolly on record, and it
was successful to the last degree. The
Mckinley administration, in the person of
Secretary Root. administered it; the
Cuban delegates received it gladly, and
then went home, where they put it into
concrete form a part of their formal
acceptance of the Platt amendment. Now
that it has been taken seriously, the ad-
ministration announces that it was meant
only in q pickwickian sense, which every
body in this country knew all the time,
and that the Cubans must accept the
Platt pronouncement as it stands, with
out Interpretation, verbatim ct literatim.
This is too bad, for it spoils a good
story; but there is some compensation in
the thought that out of the wreckage
another good story has arisen.
When the Cuban delegates were in
Washington, several weeks ago. it was
announced in these dispatches that they
were received with open arms by the
president and secretary of war who paid
them every attention, the government
paying the bill, even down to tips for
the colored attendants at the Arlington
hotel During the visit there was an
extended conference between the delegates
and Secretary Root, at the latter's Office,
when a full explanation was made of the
intent and meaning of the Platt amend
ment. The secretary was as full Of eX-
planation as hen is full of feathers. The
conference resolved inself into a big love
feast. The delegates announced that in
the light of the secretary's words, they
saw no possible objection to the Platt
scheme. 1t was intended for the good Of
the Cuban people, and was simply another
manifestation of the benevolent designs
of the Washington government. And
then they went home.
And then the trouble began Taking the
secretary seriously and literally. the
Cuban constitutional convention accepted
the Plat amendment, first, however, add
ing copious foot notes by the way of eX-
planning what it meant.
will the Washington government accept
our interpretation" the convention was
asked; and the reply came instanter:
"Of course it will 1t was outlined by
Secretary Root for our special benefit
The secretary, to adopt the vernacular
Of the street, took the delegates into his
confidence while they were in Washing
ton about as follows: You folks are
dead wrong in thinking that we are trying
TO do you up. Your convention has the
wrong steer. We are your friends; ard
more than that we love you like brothers.
There isn't a crooked hair in our heads.
Instead of the Platt amendments propos-
ing to do so and So it really proposes to
do so and so, which is entirely in har-
what you want. and we want it as badly
as you do. This is no con game. The
Platt amendment merely means this, and
this and this" and the good secretary
amplified, in wonderful detail, his views
to which the delegates listened with
beaming faces and with open mouths.
OF course 1t was a 'iolly" but the
Cubans didn't know it. For that matter,
it wasn't especially intended that they
should. 1t was enough if we in this
country understood it and indorsed it.
And we did, and the delegates were sent
home with a great hurrah. and the an
nOuncement was made straightway that
the Cuban convention would undoubtedly
acquiesce as soon as the delegates had
time to explain.
Now, nobody for a moment will charge
that Secretary Root even dreamed of the
probability of friction or delay, or that
he deliberately planned to mislead the
CuDans. Without any question, he acted
honestly and said just what he believed to
be true. And what he said was true only
the government doesn't propose to COM
nit itself in black and white to a pro-
ceeding as unusual as this would be.
There is no doubt that this government
intends to deal with the Cubans as Secre-
tary Root said 1t would, and that his
Jolly" was discreetly confined within
proper limits But there will be no formal
contract to this effect. The Cubans must
accept the Platt amendment in good faith
and leave the administration, in its own
time and way, to interpret it. This is
diplomatic and the only proper course.
The Cubans now understand it, and there
is CONSERVATION in Havana in conse-
Quence. But this will soon die out and
the islanders will accept the Jolly for
what it was intended to be worth, and
see that they have made a mistake A
Jolly is one thing; high diplomacy is
quite another. The Cubans have SEEM
ingly been unable to distinguish between
them. They will be wiser after a while.
NO MORE Solicitor raj
Richards, in a COM
COLLECTIONS, munication to Com
missioner of Internal
PERHAPS. Revenue Yerkes, has
pointed out to that
official that the supreme court has not
finally acted upon the Fairbanks case
involving the validity of the law putting
a 10-per cent tax on export bills Of lad
ing. Further than that, Richards does
not give the commissioner any advice, but
leaves him to act in accordance with the
situation. The commissioner is now out
of town and will not be back until next
Monday, and in his absence it is said thai
nothing will done toward resuming the
collection Of the tax. One official of the
internal revenue bureau to-day gave it as
his belief that collection would not be re-
sumed The war revenue reduction ac-
repealed that section of the law, and the
time in which collections can be made
after the commissioner returns is so short
that 1t will hardly be worth while to star
the government machinery going again
The government will, of course lose The
taxes that would have been collected be-
tween the time the court decided the ia,
invalid and the end of the fiscal year
should the former decision be reversed
but there is no help for it, and the com
missioner of internal revenue will hardly
be called to account for his blunder, bu
will be more cautious in the future The
same internal revenue official said tha
the commissioner will probably not issue
any circular relating to refunds in case
the supreme court adheres to its verdict
but it will be we'll for millers and othel
exporters to file claims for refund of take.
paid, SO that they may not be outlawed