Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-16
CISNEROS URGES REJECTION
OPPOSED TO PLATT AMENDMENT TO
THE ARMY BILL.
Declares That the Interests of Cuba
Should Not he Compromised
Speaks for His Party.

officials Of the War Department are very
| much interested in circular issued by Sal
| vador Cisneros of Cuba in regard to the
| relations between the United States and
| Cuba. Copies of this circular have just
reached the War Department. Senior Cis-
neros is the head and front of the party
which has Cuba for the Cubans" as its
shibboleth. He is the leading spirit in OPP
position to the Plat resolutions and sets
forth the views of his party in regard to
them in his circular as follows:
1.-The Americans pretend and propose that
the relations between the two nations shall
originate exclusively among the Cubans,
and that they ask for nothing and wish
nothing but that everything which is
granted and obtained be the voluntary act
of the Cubans, so that it can never be said
that they did not come to Cuba for hu-
manity's sake or with interested motives
They believe that they can play another
game like that of giving S75 to each one Q!
our soldiers of the army, when 1t afterWard
appeared that the s75 given was to purchase
from them the glorious rifle with WhIcn
they defended their country's liberty. we
the delegates, in better condition and bet
ter informed, should not fall into the net
selling our absolute independence, ana
grant concessions to the United States.
The United States ought at once and I'M
conditionally give us our sovereignty ana
absolute independence without conditions
of any kind in view of the TACT that we
have gained it, and especially in view OF
the fulfillment Of the Joint resolution.
Let them confide in the gratitude and good
faith of the Cubans, who will never be I'm
grateful, and will grant whatever peneitts'
guarantees and concessions that Can pe
granted to the most privileged nation With
out prejudice to Cubas sovereignty and III
dependence. .
.'The United States, astute and expert in
diplomacy, offer nothing, propose notnins
;cll1 wit
they can accept or reject, thus making the
convention the only responsible party.
There are other reasons which l snail
set forth: Cuba has yet no personal entity;
it is not nation, long as other nations
do not recognize it as such; and how, then,
can it make contracts? OF what value
would they be if made?
I'VE have taken an oath to respect and
to see that our constitution Is respected;
and would it be honorable to establish a
basis at the very beginning of our political
life destroying it in it's most important
articles7 No! a thousand times no!
I'VE, the delegates, should not in any
manner compromise the interests of Cuba,
nor attempt to impose upon or influence the
executive and legislative power in such a
Way as would affect their right of action
on subjects which so directly concern them.
when the republic of Cuba is legally
constituted, and the authorities have been
named for it's government, then, and not
until then, is the time when the govern
ment of the United States should apply to
Cuba as it can apply to other nations and
celebrate whatever treaties they may think
proper and then it would not be degrading
to the government of Cuba to accept such
treaties: neither would it appear that the
government of the United States, taking
advantage of the opportunity, desires to
impose onerous burdens upon US.
Therefore | repeat that l am opposed to
the assembly accepting any arrangement
that would in any way limit the executive
and legislative power of the republic of
Cuba.
Il believe that we Cubans should mani
fest to the American government our SYM
pathy and gratitude, providing that it can
be done with honor and profit to both and
1t occurs to me that we should advise those
having these relations in charge that they
should guard and provide for all the ad-
vantages that can be granted to the most
privileged nation"