Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-20
CUBAN COMMISSION
Personnel Of the Body Of Men Coming
Here.
ALL ARE ACTIVE POLITICIANS
Some Things 1t is Thought They
-.~. Will Lean.
r E S u LIT S EX p z c. Z E D
Written for The Evening. Star.

Written for The Evening. Star.
With the coming of the Cuban commits
sion a better understanding of the present
situation is certain to be obtained. On ac-
count Of the influence which the members
may be expected to exert on the constitu-
tionai convention when they return to Ha-
yana something about their own personali-
ty, is interesting. Probably also their pres
ence will dissipate the notion which has
been encouraged in this country that the
convention was made up solely of wild-eyed
resolutions representing the ignorance of
the island.
All the members of this committee are
professional men, and, it happens. law
yers. They may be taken as fairly repre-
sentative of their associates, for they rep
resent all shades of opinion from extreme
radicalism to timid conservatism. In one
sense it is a pity that the commission was
not made up entirely of ultra-radicas. The
latter, after a visit to the United States,
could not fail to understand American pub
lie sentiment. and whatever their individual
views none of them would have been so
wild as to report the probability that the
Flatt amendment could be changed That
was responsibility which the ultra -radi-
Gals were not willing to take, and most of
them declined to serve on the committee.
Juan Guaiberto Gomez.
= Juan Gualberto Gomez, who made the
report hostile to the acceptance of the
Platt amendment, which report never was
adopted by the convention, not withstanding
the reports to the contrary was not willing
to be one of the delegation visiting Wash
ington. Yet from the beginning he favored
sending commission to confer with Presi-
dent Mckinley and Secretary Root
Don Juan, as his opponents call him. is
very shrewd politician of the mixed
negro and Latin type, though his own
blood is almost pure African He Is ambi-
tlous to exert strong influence in the fu-
ture commonwealth but he does not pro-
pose to do it by drawing the color line In
stead ne is wise enough to know that If
he is to succeed in his ambitious projects
he must have the support of the two races
Occasionally, when pressed, he may appeal
to the negroes. but he will never go beyond
a certain line. His idea has been that the
Cubans who have not held office of any
kind under, the American authority will be
the most potential when that authority is
withdrawn. This is one reason for his de-
Ginning place on the present commission
Another reason Is that it leaves him free
to criticise in his newspaper and in his
place as a member OF the convention what
ever the commission may 90. and at pres
ent the critical attitude is the one most
congenial to the Cuban mind
When General Wood took control in Ha-
Vana he offered Gualberto Gomez a posi-
ton as keeper of the archives For an
n
most desirable place. for what archives
the Spaniards left are Of great value for
historical research. Popularity the depart
ment of archives or records is known as
the pigeonhole department. The Ameri-
cans want to pigeonhole me-" Gualberto
Gomez told his friends. but I don't pro-
pose to be placed on file" This remark
repeated, with various additions gave an
exaggerated notion of his supposed hos
tlity to the American authority
He and Bishop Sbarreti have been great
friends, and Gualberto Gomez has coon
Grated with the bishop in seeking to pre-
serve the influence of the Catholic Church
He even opposed the clause in the Cuban
constitution which forever forbds any
union between church and state on the
ground that the Catholic Church in the
future might be a useful means of pre-
serving the Latin identity Bishop Sbar-
reti Is something of an eccleSia stical poll
tician after the Italian ideas, and In Ha-
Vana the query frequently was raised
whether he was using Gualberto Gomez or
whether the latter was using him. Events
seem to indicate that the negro leader
came out ahead of the bishop.
With this knowledge Of the source from
which the Cuban criticism of the commits
sion is likely to come, something may now
be said about the members who are Ger.
tain to be criticised.
Domingo Capote.
Domingo Capote is the presiding officer
OF the constitutional convention and is
one of the younger members. He was a
law clerk in Havana when the insurrec-
tion broke out. and is now a partner in a
leading firm. He saw no military service
but was secretary Of the so-called revolu-
tionary government. He has influential
American connections who cared for mem
berS or his family while he was in the
woods. He is a man of considerable force
of character and is what in the United
states would be called an extreme parti-
Capote is identified with the radical ele-
rent, yet his radicalism has it's limita-
tons. He never has advocated absolute
severance of relations with the United
states Immediately after the American
control he was criticised by some Of the
insurgents because he was alleged to have
stated that after the experiment of indie
pendence long enough to satisfy their as
pirations. the destiny of the Cuban people
was to become Il part of the United States
AS member of General BroOke's cabinet
he drew upon himself a good deal Of I'M
popularity on the part of the Cubans for
one reason because of his tendency to APP
point his own relatives to office lust as if
he had been an American politician After
his retirement from the cabinet he re-
gained his popularity to considerable de-
gree and now represents a fairly influential
following. CapOte belongs to what is
known as the republican party and is hos
tile to the influence of Maxine Gomez
some of his followers think that in time he
VIII become candidate for the presidency
DR.. Berrlel.
Dr. Berrel had the distinction Of editing
the constitution. That Is, he was chairman
Of the committee on literary style which
made the final draft Of it. He was also a
member Of the committee which made the
original draft, and 1t bears his impress as
strongly as that Of any one man. He is
noted for his scholarship, and is a professor
In the University of Havana Sentimentally
DR.. Berriel Is a radical. though in practice
he has little leaning to the revolutionary
elements. He stands strongly on interna-
tional law. and that was one of the grounds
on which he objected to the convention de-
filming specifically the relations with the
United States. While recognizing that in
practice the interests of this country must
be paramount over those al any OF her No.