The age-herald., 1901-06-01
THE CABINET
 GIVES NOTICE ID THE CUBANS They Must Accept the P|att
 Amendment Without
 Modification WILL HAVE NO AMBIGUITY
WILL HAVE NO AMBIGUITY
cubans Must Carry Out Sanitation Plans, Cede CoaIIng Stations and
 Recognize Our Right To h.
 tervene-The Ultimatum.

Washington, May 3i.-The administra- tion has decided that the action of the Cuban Constitutional Convention in &C., cepting the terms of the Platt amendment with notifications and interpretations of their own was not Substantial compli- ance with our terms within the meaning of the amendment and Secretary Root Root will convey this intelligence to the convention
 The decision was reached at the cabi- net meeting today The meeting lasted over an hour and a half and had been preceded by an hours conference between the President and Senators Platt of Con- necticut and Lodge of Massachusetts AS the author of the amendment, the Presi- dent desired to learn the views of Sem ator Platt and also those of Senator Lodge, who is one of the influential mem bers of the committee on Foreign rela- tions. ~
 At the cabinet meeting Secretary Root took the position that the interpretations of the Platt amendment contained in the constitution adopted by the convention and whereas appended to it, went outside of a fair interpretation of it's meaning and was not acceptable. In this view the cabinet concurred.
 When asked what would be the next step of the government after the Cuban convention had been notified of the rejec- tion of its adoption. one of the members of the cabinet said the government could do nothing further until the convention acted, that as long tho conditions of the Platt amendment were on the statute books compliance with them must pre- cede our relinquishment of control over the island.
 The lnsuIar Decisions.
 The cabinet discussed also the decision of the Supreme Court in the insular cases, especially their bearing upon the forthcoming decision of the court in the Philippine cases. It was the general opin- ion that in some phases the De Lima de- cision might be applicable to the Philip pines, but that in other ways it might be held inapplicable.
 The cabinet was unable to reach any conclusions as to the Philippine tariff sit- uation as affected by the insular decisions. Attorney General Knox will make care ful examination of the language of the decisions at once and ascertain their exact bearing on the tariff between this country and the Philippines
 Members of the cabinet individually re- frain from even expressing their personal opinion as to the possibility of an extra session of Congress.
 Too Many Whereases.
 The cabinet held that the amendments and interpretations of the wealth of whereases placed by the Cuban convention upon the Cuban amendment amounted to practical modification of the Platt amendment, such as was beyond the power of this government to accept. The message of rejection sent to General Wood advises the Cubans in unqualified language that there is no power resting In the United States government to change the terms of the Platt amendment and that this government insists on the acceptance of the Platt amendment with out amendment or qualification.
 The Cuban convention is still in session and the measure of rejection will be de- livered to 1t immediately.
 The administration is confident that the Cubans will understand the exact attitude of this government and make satfsfac- tory acceptance within a reasonable period.
 Secretary Gage pointed out that the surplus of the treasury is steadily mount ing upward and that national financial conditions were very gratifying.
 The Unsatisfactory Points.
 The threee points in which the action of the Cuban Constitutional Convention is regarded as unsatisfactory relates 1t is said, to coaling stations, sanitation and intervention. The Cuban convention took from the coaling stations paragraph of the Platt amendment It's obligatory character and merely authorized the Gu ban government in it's judgment to allow the United States to possess coaling or naval stations. The United States will in- sist on an absolute agreement to grant us these coaling stations. With respect to sanitation the Cubans do not agree to carry out plans already devised and in accepting the Platt amendment modify it's provisions so as to change them con In the matter of intervention our objection is that the Cubans have so changed this vitally important part of the Platt amendment as to make our right to intervene an ambiguous and doubtful matter, whereas we insist on straight. unequivocal acknowledgement of our right to intervene when in our judgment intervention is necessary to as- sure Cuban independence or a stable gov