Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1901-06-14
PLATT AMENDMENT
MUST Be ACCEPTED.
The Administration Cecid,s on Firm
htt.iu.e TO Cubans.
LETTER FROM SENATOR PLATT OUT.
Il was Confidential, and Dec cared His Amend
ment Meant No Protection or Suzerainty.'
This Letter, TO the Astonishment OF the Gov
eminent, Has Eeen Published In Spanish In
Havana

Washington Especially There Is con-
siderable iihcasincss felt by the admins
ieratoh at The sulleii attitude OF the
Cuban Constitu ional Convention: At
the meeting of the cabinet Secretary
Root laid before his colleagues number
of dispatches and kilograms from Gov
c.nor Wood. all indicating a refusal on
the part of the Cubans to take any tur-
Their steps in completing their constltu.
ton They have given General Wool
to understand thai the refusal OF the
United States to accept the interpreta-
ton which they have placed on the Plat
amendments will not cause them to ae-
eept this governments demand to take
The amendments. as they were framed by
Congress, and the result is apparently d
dead ock,w.th constantly growing t:el-
ing of sharp irritation on both sides.
The administration takes the ground that
the Cubans must yield to the inevitable,
and that until they de American troops
will continue to hold the island. No
fear is felt Of any violent outbreak or
manifestation of open hostility towards
United States, but should such an un-
fortunate incident occur, the American
troops on the island are strong enough
to promptly suppress any uprising.
The principal difficulty appears to be
over the third clause of the Plat amend
ment, which the Cubahs seem to iriter-
pref as establishing the suzeraifity Of tile
United States over the young republic;
1t is difficult to understand how this
fear can be sincerely felt, for at the. re-
quest of Secretary Root; Senator Plat,
the author of the amendment, wrote a
letter for the use of the Cuban commits
sioners who were in Washington dis
tinctly explaining that this country har-
bored no such designs. This letter was
made public 1t is as follows:
Il am in receipt of your letter Of this
date, in which you say that the members
of the commission of the Cuban Consti-
tuticnal Convention fear that the pro-
visions relative to Intervention, made in
the third clause of the amendment which
has come 10 bear my name, may have
the effect of preventing the Independent
dence of Cuba, and in reality establish
ing protectorate or suzerainty by the
United States, and you request that |
express my views of the question raised.
"1n reply, ! beg to state that the
amendment was carefully prepared with
the object OF avoiding any possible idea
that by the acceptance thereof the con-
stitutional convention would thereby
establish a protectorate or s,Kerainty,
or in any manner whatsoever compro-
mise the independence or sovereignty
OF Cuba, and speaking for myself, it
seems impossible that such an interpre-
tation can be given to the clause. |
believe that the amendment should be
considered as a whole, and it ought to
be clear on reading it that its well-de-
fined purpose is to secure and safe
guard Cuban independence, and set
forth at once a clear idea OF the friend
ly disposition OF the United States to-
ward the Cuban people, and the express
intention on their part to aid them, il
necessary, in the maintenance Of said
independence These are my ideas, and
although, as you say, | cannot speak
for the entire Congress, my belief is
that such purpose was well Under
stood by that body.
Very respectfully yours.
20. H. PLATT."