BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-05-09
SAN JUAN, MAY 9, 1901.
Good Effect of Cuban
Commissioners Visit
to Washington

According to the cable dispatches to the
BOLETIN from Havana yesterday, annOuuc-
-ng the return of the Cuban Commissione
from Washington and their reception by
-" Constitutional Assembly, quite diff
ierent feeling seems to TervsGe that body
than before their departure. Tie Assembly
is SAID to have listened to the report of the
Delegates ,cith intense interest They ex.
planned to their colleagues the reasons ad
vanced by the United States in support of
the Platt amendment, and this seems to
have had good effect, as tha Cablegram
adds:
" 1t is believed that tie spirit Of the
Assembly is in accord with the action Of
the [ nited States and that the recommen
datiOns of tue Executive ,rl be folC red"
This means. if il means anything, that
the Platt amendment will ultimately be
accepted by the Constitutional Convention.
In vleW of the overwhelming majority
against it before the Commissioners went
to Washington, this shows that much :Lore
has been accomplished by their trip and
the mutual exchange of ideas and explain
atonS than anyone looked for at the time.
AS a matter of fact the Platt amend
nent was very much misunderstood in
Cuba. 1t appeared to them as if the Unit
ed States intended to still hold control Of
the Island while giving to the people ne
rely nominal independence. Especially was
this feeling shown in the vigorous opposi
tlOn to the Intervention feature Of tue pro.
gramlne. Tie Commissioners in Wash
lngtOn made a strong stand on this until
they understood better what it meant. 1t
was explained to them that the question
was largely one of diplomacy. Without
the right, secured by treaty, TO intervene.
the United States woull he placed in an
unfortunate diplomatic position IN case il
1cas ever obliged to step in between Cuba
and some foreign power If, however,
Cuba and the United States establish del.
iberately, by treaty, such h0nd between
themselves as Is proposed, It would be not
only the right, but the duty of the Amer
lean Government to protect the young Re
public against aggression
The sentence of Castro Garcia yesterday
TO thirty tcO years Imprisonment for defal-
cation and perjury may seem to be very
severe one, but his crimes were cumulative
and as there were absolutely no extenuatng
features, the Court gave him the limit of the
lac.
In the case Of Mr. Santiago l.. Palmer,
much sympathy is expressed for him on ac.
count of his previous good record and homo
rable standing in the community. At the
same time he made possible the crimes of
Garcia by what was at the least criminal
negligence or carelessneSS, and which looks
very much like collusion. That a man who
had practised the profession of Notary as
long as be should have been deceived into
certifying to the solvency of four fctitiOns
bOundSmen seems almost incredible, and his
sentence, although light enc, will be
warning to other officials, sim lsrly situated,
to be moe careful in the discharge OF their
duties.
Many witnesses from San Jaan in cases
pending before the United States District
Court are complaining that they have been
directed to be In Ponce at the opening of
Court next week, instead Of being notified
on what days The cases aoill come up, and
summoned accordingly, so that they need
lose no more time than necessary from their
business here.
The mail steamer from the United States
came in on time to-day. Thtmail was not
as heavy as usual, owing to tht fact that the
Transport "Mc g elan" brought down the
three days mail which was ready on the day
It left Nelo York.