The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-04-15
Rent BY FACTIONS
Peace and Prosperity in Cuba
Seem Far Away.
President of Cornell University
Reviews the Situation.
CIVIL GOVERNMENT
He Says Is What the Island
Most Needs.
Some Way Must Be Found to
Establish It.

New York, April 15-A Herald dispatch
from Havana says: Jacob G. Schurman,
president Of Cornell university, who has
sailed from this city for New Y York was in
Cuba ten days studying the political sit
uation- He visited four Of the six
provinces of the island, talked with Gu
bans Of all classes in their own tongue
and followed closely current opinion as
expressed in the Cuban newspapers OF
which he was an indefatigable reader
President Schurman in an interview
said:
..The people Of Cuba are less excited
over the menace to Cuban sovereignty
supposed to be contained in the Platt
amendment than are the politicians of
Havana. Indeed. business men and
owners Of property universally favor an
immediate acceptance Of the amend
ment, though they told me they did not
dare to state 50 publicly.
''The present political uncertainty Is
paralyzing to the movements Of capital
which are Indispensable for the recovery
Of the prosperity of the island So, too,
a majority Of the educated men of the
country recognize the necessity from the
Cuban point of view Of the protection
and security guaranteed by tie P'att
amendment. The opposition comes from
the poorest and most ignorant section
of the community, although how far
they have views of their own and how
far they are influenced bp wire pulling
politicians it is very difficult 10 deter
mine.
II have talked with both white and
colo-ed men-and one-third of the pop
ulation of Cuba is colOred. Many of
these have no ideas whatever on the
subject. On the other hand have been
surprised by the earnestness with which
both white and colored-colored perhaps
more than white-have declaimed to me
against the amendment as a menace to
their liberties and an insidious scheme
for reducing them to colonial depen-
dence as oppressive as that from which
the war with Spain delivered them.
stDf course the knowlege Of these peo-
pie is fll-proportioned to their zeal. The
mes sure they oppose has not existence.
but such IS their idea of the amendment
and such their attitude toward the pro-
duct Of their own imagination Nor can
you argue them out of this state of
mind-the less SO as they represent the
class that fought both Instructions
against Spain for the independence of
Cuba. Nothing but the fact of a self
governing Cuba will convince these peo-
pie that their liberties are not in dan
ger. There is the rub.
Our military gobernment has preserv-
ed order, established sanitation, built
pubEc works. opened schools and con-
tribufed to the restoration of )roperty
but like every other military govern
inert. it is incapable OF generating cOrfi-
dences sympathy and affection betwee.-
rulers and people.
THE great desideratum in Cuba is the
of vi.
menr Of CUbans. for CubanS, by Cubans
for the military government of the
United States But such a government
viii have no chance of success at hone
or abroad without the guarantees car
ried in the Platts amendment. which I
am fully persuaded is desired in its es-
sential contents by a majority OF the
people of Cuba
.aThe problem, Is to get the convention
to accept it. do not for a moment
question the ability and patriotism Of
the delegates but j believe they are too
much animated by the irreconcflaDle
spirit of the revolution against Spain. in
which many of them were participants.
but OF which the country is tired. know
ing that the danger of tyranny. thanks
to the United States is now passed away
forever
The United states must insist on ac-
ceptance Of the Platt amendment. Oppo-
sition of the Cuban delegates must be
overcome. believe both ends can 5e
altdlutQ a conference between q CON-
mittee of the convention and President
Mckinley. The Cubans win then state
their desires to the highest authority in
the republic and the very opportunity to
do so will predispose them to be conciIi-
atory and the tact and diplomacy of the
president combined with the self-inter-
est Of the Cuban delegates viii discover
a way either by defining the conditions
OF Intervention or abandoning the isle os
Pines, or specifying the number of coal
ing stations or by some other formal
concession to reach an adjustment
which win save the face of the deic
gates and enable them to return to their
political parties bringing peace with
honor. At the same time the firmnesS
Of the president may be- equally trusted
to maintain the substance of an act CT
congress the terms of which he is re-
Quired to substantially enforce.
Then VIII follow civil government il
uCba by Cubans and a renewal of cor
dial relations with the United states
and this consummation is devoutly to be
wished