Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-20

no right to lsnerk &. existence OF TIL.
Deity. This was tie View taken by a ma
jority of the members, and his position was
attend many sessions of the convention be-
cause of illness. While not liking Ameri-
cans of the type that has been unpleasantly
prominent in Cuba,t be has been looked up
on as pro-AmericaRoin his tendencies. and
has been a severedSritic of the shortcom-
ings of his own people. He is by far the
most picturesque aud Interesting personal
ity among the delegates.
Rafael Portuondo.
The youngest member of the committee
| which comes to Washington is Rafael
Portuondo. He is asdelegate from Santa
go and was appointed fiscal or states at
torney there by Central Wood. He has
been an extreme radical Portuondo was
one of the white 'tdbans who Joined An
tonic Maceo's blacks early in the insurrec-
ton, when the whites, in Santiago province
were holding aloof.J A number of young
men OF leading. families went out to the
woods and Maceo made them members of
his stan. He did not think much of their
military skill, but their presence served to
encourage his own black followers.
Once when there was some real fighting
Maceo posted his staff on hill which was
out of range of the Spanish troops and
then forgot all about them. Later the
Spanish soldiers worked around so that
Nevertheless, these white staff officers of
the black chief remained on the hill until
MaceO. discovering their exposed situation,
sent them emphatic orders to. cut and run.
Afterward ne sWore at them and asked
them what they meant by staying there
when they had no insurgents to support
them. They confessed that they had less
fear of the Spanish bullets than of incur
| ring Maceo's displeasure by retreating
without orders.
Senior Portuondo Is one of the active poll
ticians of the island. He was a member of
the assembly which two years ago under
took to degrade Maxine Gomez for the
latter's action in helping to disband the
lnsurgent troops on the payment of the
$3,0oO.O0O by the United States. He still
belongs to the anti-Gomez faction. While
radical he has not advocated that Cuba
| should cut entirely loose from the United
States, but has maintained that the Mon
roe doctrine and the neutrality of the is
lana, In case this country got into war
with some other. nation, is all that the
United States should require.
Diego Tamayo.
Diego Tamayo, who heads the delegation,
| is a member of General Woods cabinet. 1t
| also happens that he is the only member
| of the committee on relations with the
| United States who was willing to be one
| of the commission to come to Washington.
In politics he is identified with the ma
tionai or Maxine Gomez party He has
and also with the moderate Cuban elements
which are not identified with any party.
Df. iamayo formulated report object
| Ing to the terms of the Platt amendment
| yet not really opposing it's principle He
| laid great stress on the decision of the
Supreme Court in the Nicely case that
| Cuba, as regards the United States is a
foreign country. Yet he proposed that the
island. when once constituted as an in
dependent nation, should ADOPT treaties
| guaranteeing practically everything that
the Platt amendment covered With him
the objection to that action of Congress
was pride and sentiment rather than un-
Willingness to accept the conditions which
the United States deemed necessary 1t is
possible his views have been so far modified
that after conference in Washington he will
be willing to recommend that the condi-
tons be made part of d supplementary or
dlnance to the constitution rather than
left to the future government of Cuba.
1t Is as well understood in Havana as in
Washington that the commission cannot
secure modification of the essence of the
flatt amendment although a liberal con-
struction may be placed by the executive
on the word 'substantially which is mart
of the amendments While not affecting the
principle, this will enable some points re-
garding phraseo1osgy to be cleared up
Some of the Cuban constitution makers are
quite anxious to be assured that these reso-
lutlons do not mean tprotectorate in the
sense in which 1t is understood in interna-
ticnal law. The controversy on that point
is still raging In the Havana newspapers.
CoaIins Or Naval Stations.
1t Is also possible that the commission
will get a better, idea oof what is under
stood by coalng or naval stations No
clause of the Platt amendment was drawn
so carefully as this one, and the whole pur-
pose was to AVOID arousing the sensibli-
ties of the Cubaas. The language follows
closely the suggestions emanating from the
aCt1 nrf mud l1,S
General Wood for the benefit of the con-
vention. This was before Congress had
acted. The objection to cedihg Cuban ter
rltory Is fully met i'll the alternative prop
osition for leasing it to the United States.
Nor is there any mention of Notifications.
1t is quite likely that the conditions under
which the United States recently has &C
quired from Mexico coaling station in
Lower California will serve a means of
enliehtening the Cubans. Undoubtedly in
pl reference to leasing the territory on the
mainland. some members of the commits
sion will indicate their willingness to have
the Isle of Pines declared American terri
tory, yet 1t is still doubtful whether the
Cuban people would indorse that view.
They have good deal of sentiment about
the Isle of Pines and they might just as
we'll have American naval stations on the
mainland as on the isle.
While some of the American business in
tcreStS in Cuba profess to be satisfied with
the present status and willing to have the
military authority continued Indefinitely,
this is not their real attitude. They are
anxious for the commission to reach full
understanding with the administration and
a full knowledge of American public SEN
timent and then go back and urge the ac-
ceptance of the Platt amendment on the
convention. While the continuance of mil
ftary authority is less inconvenient to the
United States than to the Cubans. it has
it's annoyances. One of these is that
the Foraker law prohibiting the granting
OF franchises remains in force so long as
the military authority or the present status
of Cuba continues. Some large financial in
tercsts are quite anxious to have a gov
,rEment established in Cuba which will be
competent to grant franchises.
CHARLES NJ. PEPPER.
McGrigGOr's Sentence Recalled.
An order just issued by the War Depart
ment authorizes the restoration to duty OF