Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1901-05-03
INDEPENDENCE Of CUBA.
Leave for Home lmmedlstclr-Oue Of
the Delegates Makes statenent-
The Oblectisn "a Amendment re.
moved.

New York. May The Cuban dele
gates visited General Brooke at Cover
nor's island and we're much pleased with
their entertainment When seen at the
Fifth Avenue hotel Senor Capote said:
There - No truth in the pubiisied
stories tha, Cubans found fault With tho
expenditure ot the funds contributed by
the junta in New York. Everything in
that direction was most satisfactory.
The report to lie presented 10 the con-
veniion relative to the matters concerning
which We conferred with President Nc
hinley and Secretary Root has noe been
prepared. We are working at it, and do
not expect to complete it much before our
arrival at Havana"
T. Estrada Palma called on the delegates
at the hotel last night and was in confer
enee with them for over two hours Nearly
ail the matters which brought the dele
gates 10 the United States we're gone over
ana General iai,nas views ascsTt tanned.
There is reason to lclieve that the fitting
! candidate for the presidency Was brought
up and that the possibility oi General Pal
MA $ election was discussed.
When asked for u stAtclnent General
Portuondo raid:
| "A great stumbling block has bcen ~
moved. This is all care To say"
What stumbling block do you mean.
scnor." was asked. section three of tls
/ i'iait amendment" ic ahswcrtd. This
Cul.ans fear what some call imperialism.
Now in regard To section three. l think
by the latter amendment it 10 provided
that the United States may send troops 70
Cuba whenever in the opinion Of Waaiaing.
ton such action Is n-s-~,ry. This pro-
vision awakened widespread suspicioA
Many said that it Was only a pretsxt for
the United States to continue a standing
army in Clrba for all time. The presence
OF soldiers, and especially thoss of another
people, can not but be onerous and dis
committing 10 us. Others said that al
though the Uuited States might withdraw
her iorc,-s now, she could, under this pro-
vision, Immediately send them back again.
This was, then, stumbling block. II WAS,
perhaps, magnihcd in the eyes of the CON-
mon people, and they demanded that u
these suspicious were well founded such =
measure should not receive our sanction.
President Mckinley soon assured Us that
these suspicious were groundless."
Demand Absolute lsd~pendeace.
.Iiow do C,lbans feel in regard 10 indo-
pendenccf' Was asked.
Ninety per cent of our people, he said,
want Independence. They will not even
listen to annexation. They want inde-
pendence absolute independence. Now.
do not mean the Cnbans are not disposed
Americans--ail need for their defense.
tell you tina, il the question Of independ-
ence is settled and all differences ON tho
subject are eliminated, everything else can
be arranged"
"What do you moan by independence
Does not each VI the states Of the United
States poee.~- II!
.By independence ] mean sovereignty.
| want TO regulate our own international
, Affairs. But our preference will b. for
America to help and support US in case of
need
Are You SURE, then, that the United
} States Will grant Cuba its desired indo-
pendenccls
, Yes, | am SURF. And believe tlat
Washington will soon announce 10 the
world that Cuba il . sovereign power, and
that Cuba will indeed be nation by Feb
=. ruary "a, 1902