The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-18

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Strange as the fact may be, nevertheless
It seems to he true that the presentation
of the PIatt amendment to the Cuban
Constitutional Convention has created
very widespread surprise in the island, if
not among delegates to the convention
No doubt a great deal Of this ignorance
of what could always have been assumed
as necessarily the intentions of the
United States, and hence much of the
present native ill-feeling. might have
been avoided by the timely and inteIli-
gent application Of those principles and
practices Of diplomacy to which any 9TH
er civilized nation would have resorted
a a matter of course. but of which the
Administration appears TO be amiahly I'M
able TO conceive. much less utilize.
= wise craftsmanship would have be
gun to prepare the Cubans for the inevi-
table as soon as the Treaty Of Paris had
been ratified Instead OF that, very dis
ingenious assurances OF an official OF Of
ficially inspired. character have been per
Eitted to reach the Cuban populace who.
therefore, are largely excusabIe for as
Stunning that the EXTREMIST construction
OF the observation-disclosures TeIler. reso-
luton Of April. 1898. would be followed by
this Government, and that the United
States would allow Cuba an absolutely
Iree hand, unlimited Independence and
sovereignty, and all the rest of it.
We are afraid that. at the time
these assurances were most generally
current they may have been used as. the
cheapest means OF keeping the negro and
other radical clements from making
trouble For similar reason the Admin
lstratlon seems to have encouraged Gen
eral Wood t. give the leaders of this rev
olutionary aud chronic long grass fac
ton important and remunerative Offices.
Two things have resulted. The radicals
have believed that they would not be in
teTtered with in setting I'D a sovereign
state Of the Haitien sort, and that the
control OF insular politics which the
course Of the American authorities has
assisted them TO seize, could be main
tanned.
In beginning 10 discover their mistake
the Cubans are having a rude awaken
ing, IN which they are entitled TO a Ger
tain amount OF sympathy This country.
too. has every cause for dissatisfaction
with the lack Of good policy on the Part
Of our rulers. of which the present sftua-
ton is the direct and logical conse-
quence- In one respect IN partic ,Ilar.
whoever is responsible for the blunder-
IS greatly 10 be blamed for not letting the
Cuban Constitutional Convention know at
the outset about what limitations would
be placed upon the International. war
making, and debt-contracIIng powers Of
the new autonomous State. by the neces-
sites Of the American Suzerain Govern
ment
There was no occasion for such an
omission that We can discover. one of
the delegates in the convention. GonzaIo
de Quesada. has been fully aware from
the start that the United States would
never consider a Cuban government sta
BILE which should not secure TO the
county that degree OF American protec-
ton necessary TO ensure the integrity Of
Cuban territory, TO avert danger Of for
eign aggression, and TO safeguard the
joint mutual and several interests OF both
countries-the protected as well as the
protector MI Quesada, whose exact sta
tus at the present time Is either not IN
derstood OF is anomalous, as Cuban Com
missioner at Washington. a place he per
haps yet fills uominauy, must have
learned that the settlement Of American
Cuban relations would have TO be based
upon something more tangible and sane
than the Teller resolution. Indeed we are
quite confident that he was fully con-
ylaced % the fact pretty nearly a year
ago. General Wood should have caused
Mr. QUesada to warn his colleagues ac-
coTdinsIy- Then there would not be a
r=grettable opposition and & revived feel
ing Of Latin dislike for AngIo-Saxons to
overcome
Of course it VIII all come to the same
thing III the end. The Cubans viii sub
init because there is no other solution
possible either Cor them or Us. 1t is d
pity. however, that the process of their
enlightenment could not have been a liz
tie more straightforward and sincere