The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-06-13
PLATT AMENDMENT
MUST BE ACCEPTED.
The Administration Decides on Firm
Attitude to Cubans.
LETTER FROM SENATOR PLATT OUT.
II was Confidential, and Declared His Amend
ment Meant No Protection or Surerainty.-
This Letter, 10 the Astonishment Of the Gov
ernment, Has Been Published Ia Spanish In
Havana.

Washington (Specia) There is con-
siderable uneasiness felt by the admins
istration at the sullen attitude OF the
Cuban Constitutional Convention. AT
the meeting of the cabinet Secretary
Root laid before his colleagues a number
Of dispatches and kilograms from Gov
crnor Wood, all indicating a refusal on
the part of the Cubans to take any tur-
ther steps in completing their constitu-
tion. They have given General Wool
to understand that the refusal OF the
United States TO accept the interpreta-
ton which they have placed on the Platt
amendments will not cause them to &C
cept this governments demand to take
the amendments as they were framed by
Congress, and the result is apparently a
deadlock with constantly growing feel
ing of sharp irritation on both sides.
The administration takes the ground that
the Cubans must yield to the inevitable,
and that until they do American troops
will continue to hold the island. No
fear is felt of any violent outbreak or
United States, but should such an un-
fortunate incident occur, the American
troops on the island are strong enough
to promptly suppress any uprising.
The principal difficulty appears to be
over the third clause of the Platt amend
ment which the Cubans seem to inter
pret as establishing the suzerainty of the
United States over the young republic.
1t is difficult to understand how this
fear can be sincerely felt, for at the re-
quest of Secretary Root, Senator Platt,
the author of the amendment, wrote a
letter for the use of the Cuban commits
sioners who were in Washington dis
tinctly explaining that this country har-
bored no such designs. This letter was
made public 1t is as follows:
Il am in receipt of your letter of this
date, in which you say that the members
of the commission of the Cuban Consti-
tutional Convention fear that the pro-
visions relative to intervention, made in
the third clause of the amendment which
has come to bear my name, may have
the effect of preventing the independent
dence of Cuba, and in reality establish
ing a protectorate or suzerainty by the
United States, and you request that
express my views of the question raised
"ln reply, | beg to state that the
amendment was carefully prepared with
the object OF avoiding any possible idea
that by the acceptance thereof the con-
stitutional convention would thereby
establish protectorate or suzerainty,
or in any manner whatsoever compro-
mise the independence or sovereignty
OF Cuba and speaking for myself it
seems impossible that such an nterpre-
tation can be given to the clause l
believe that the amendment should be
considered as a whole, and it ought to
be clear on reading it that its well-de-
fined purpose is to secure and safe
guard Cuban independence, and set
forth at once clear idea OF the friend
ly disposition OF the United States to-
ward the Cuban people, and the express
intention on their part to aid them, il
necessary, in the maintenance OF said
independence. These are my ideas, and
although as you say, l cannot speak
for the entire Congress, my belief is
that such purpose was we'll under
stood by that body.
Very respectfully yours,
90 H. PLATT."