The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-03-03
MAKES NO
BONES ABOUT
KEEPINGCUBA
CONTINUED from Tenth Page.)

have already established a government
and as a government asked our aid
against a superior foe Upon such an
understanding we declared war and sent
our army and navy 10 aid them. Instead
of aiding them we could find no govern
ment nor even an army, with the result
that Skaters army, which went 10 aid
Garcia's 10000 trained warriors and by
timely support assist them to crush the
Spaniards, was put face to face with al
most twice its number of soldiers and
fortified in q town.
That army of which they boosted as
having met and defeated the Spanish
forces on so many bloody fields, finally
materialized into less than 5000 hungry.
ragged refugees who had been hiding in
the interior and had never seen a Spanish
soldier except by furtive glances over the
! shoulder. Their government and the
capital city, which they called Cuban
mas" never materialized and even the
seat cannot be located. There never Y as
a government and never an army. The
so-called army was simply a gang Of
cowardly thieves and cut-throats, mostly
negroes and the riff-raff of the population
who were in many instances refugees
from justice and whose sole idea was TO
! live by plumber and the blood money TO
be extorted from plantation owners by
threats Of burning of the cane fields and
| the plantations themselves When this
money was not forthcoming they prompt
| ly put their threats into execution. There
are many authenticated cases where the
/ planters being compelled to pay both Gu
bans and Spaniards and found their funds
exhausted and themselves unable to pay.
AS the war dragged on other and more
| pressing demands were made, and not be-
ing met, the helpless owners were forced
to stand idly by and see their property
| destroyed To turn the government over
to Cubans means a repetition of these
scenes; means that the United States, the
most highly civilized nation in the world
has deliberately shut her eyes to stern
facts and given UP the fairest spot on
earth to anarchy, murder and rapine; a
million and a half of people who, as a
rule, wish only peace, but who are too
| ignorant and uneducated to know how to
gain it, to be given over to the tender
mercy of a political clique who care only
for themselves and their own pockets.
These people are excitable, passionate and
INSCRIPTIONS, 50 that any disappointed
office seeker could easily stir them up to
deeds Of violence
But there is possible danger to the
United States in allowing an independent
government so near our door. The Gu
bans are nation of ingrates They al
ready dislike US and often have 1 heard
speakers in public places comparing us
and our government with that of Spain
much TO the advantage of the latter
plauded. The Cubans themselves would
be powerless to harm US, but as an allied
friend TO some foreign power they could
do an incalculable amount Of damage to
all our southern ports and shipping. even
to the extent Of blockading every point
J from Mama Florida. to the extreme
point of Texas. At first thought this may
! seem impossible, but take a large map
and study the tuition. See how Cu,a
/ lays in such shape that any ship leav-
ing the gulf must pass near her. From
Key West it is only eighty nautical miles
to Havana, while the extreme western
end of the island is only a little over
fifty-six miles from Yucatan, so that a
| fleet of even second rate ships, with Ha-
vana as q. base and protected by the
guns from Moro and Cabanas on the
north end Cienfuegos as a base on the
south, would completely block traffic and
| every person being in the districts de-
pending upon the gulf for shipments
would find business paralyzed. Especially
would it be felt by the wheat and cotton
raisers as we'll as all southern factories.
But even suppose that Cuba remained
neutral or a friend to America. what
would prevent strong naval power like
England. France or Germany by a sud
den dash Selling the island. iustifying
themselves to the world that it was a
necessity. It is true that it would hardly
be safe to try to reach Hanava, but there
is already under way the beginning of a
railroad to connect Havana with Santi-
ago. This railroad is backed by s20OO0O00
and will be completed in two years It
will have branch roads touching every
seaport town, so that a landing anywhere
would put troops in direct communication
with Havana The coast line is too long
to be effectually blockaded by our fleet.
so that il would be no difficulty for
foreign power to have an immense army
at cur very door and a base of supplies
for her fleets that would bring a war TOO
close home TO US to be comfortable.
OF course, being so close we could easily
raise large army and, reaching cuba.
the little field, eventually drive out the
foe, but TO do so it would require a much
larger army than we used against Spain
and could only be accomplished at a
heavy cost.
BY many the holding or giving Up Of
Cuba seems to involve the national honor.
I cannot see it in that light That reso-
luton that was rushed through congress
in the exciting times just prior % the
declaration Of war was a blunder that
can only be accounted for that il was not
given the consideration due so weigbty a
proposition. II was passed also in the De-
lief that the Cubans had a wei organized
government and an army ready and
capable Of being welcomed into the fam
lily Of nations. 1t was mistake made by
cur government which should be correct /
ed. Every business house makes mis-
takes. but they do not allow these mis-
takes 10 stand simply because they have
been made Il possible they are rectdei
and care taken that as ut5le harm as
possible should result from them Why
should not our government which is but
q business house on a large scale, take
the same course and the same pre-
cautions that are allowable TO -ler-
chant. I see no reason against H. That
resolution was not treaty and cannot ~
considered nor given the weight as such.
Had ID been the results 81 an agreement
entered into between our government ana +
another then I would say stand bv IT, m
matter what the cost But r. was net. /.
was simply a resolution proc.aimlng q
future policy and Is 70 more binding on
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