The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-24
GEN. WOOD ON CUBA
r.vrH1NG IS HARMONIOUS, HE
SAYS.
NO STRAINED RELATIONS.
ur.r1oN HAS BEEN MUCH MIS-
REPRESENTED.

n convention Is Thoroughly
pepresentative Body-only Needs
+ove Certain Points Explained,
,,,hor the Relations with This
,+rx win Be Pleasantly Ad-
..4ed--Then the Government Can
M turned over to the Cubans in
r-srtv-fOur Hours-He Is Now
,,rrxinr to Washington to Intro
- the Commissioner to the
PRESIDENT.
New York, April 2a.-Gen. Leonard A.
uood. governor general of Cuba, with
Mrs. Wood and his private secretary, ar
rived here tonight from Havana on the
Ward liner Moro Castle.
Can Wood, who expects to return to
1,ay.na on Thursday by way of Jack
sonviIe, Fla, has made the hurried trip
n this country for the purpose of intro
arcine- TO President Mckinley, before the
,o+ter leaves Washington for the Pacific
roast the five members of the special
commission on foreign relations appointed
nv the Cuban Constitutional Convention,
uhio
70 take up for consideration soon the
electoral law which will regulate the sys-
fem by which the first president of the
Cuban republic will be chosen. AS soon
ss the steamship was made fast to its
nier Gen. Wood, his wife and secretary,
were transferred to the tugboat President
and carried to Jersey City in time to
catch the 925 p. m. train for Washington.
Gen. Wood did not hesitate to talk
about affairs in Cuba.
THE object of my hurried visit here"
he said. sis 10 introduce the five members
OF the special commission on foreign re-
lstions appointed by the Cuban constitu-
tional convention to President Mckinley
The members of the commission represent
all the different groups of Cubans COM
posing the constitutional convention.
They have come to the United States for
the purpose of comforting with President
Mckinley on matters which the conven.
ton does not thoroughly understand and
when they return and make their report
am convinced that there will be thor
ougn understanding on all sides of the
controversy.
Never Acted on PIatt Amendment.
The constitutional convention has
nsver voted on or rejected the Plat
sn1endmeur This I can state positively,
Notwithstanding the reports to the con-
trary which have been sent 10 the United
States from Havana Things have been
cabled here which had not the slightest
foundation in fact, which described
strained relations between the repre-
sentatives of the United States
and those of the Cuban peo-
pie. Everything has been harmonious
since ! went to Cuba. and the convention
now in session is a thoroughly represen-
tstive one. Before the Platt amendment
was passed by Congress the Cubans
knew the desires of this government on
the issues which the amendment contains
because they were submitted TO them
through the executive. Intervention and
the establishment of naval stations are
the two things which they do not prop
erly comprehend. and think that when
'hey are fully explained in Washington
the only indication of a difference of opin-
ION Will have been removed.
There are really but two great ques-
lions yet to be settled.
Two Great Questions Remain.
'One is the reduction of the duty on
sugar. The other is the passage of a con-
Sutuuon One is economic, the other po-
Itlcab yet in a measure they are akin.
[lter the constitution has been properly
framed and adopted the economic ques-
uoh VIII disappear, as there must be a
S.eN reduction in the duty on sugar.
men cuba will be prosperous and its re-
iatlOls with the United States settled on
solid basis. That will end the whole
ulmeulty and in "a hours the country can
'urHed over TO the representatives
thosen . by the Cuban people. To-day all
.he departments on the island are prac-
Vdhy IN the hands of the Cubans, who
Fe u7Fe been instructed as to how
uHss can be managed, and
"nen the time arrives all we
"HI nave to do will be to take a receipt
oi tAe money on hand. AT the request of
SmnsIess We have accounted for every
Coildr expended in the improvement of
; uoa since the military forces have been
~ eisTge OF the islands and we hold the
ePOS Tor these expenditures. There
der was such an accurate accounting
1-,.. 1duuel before and it has been complied
"'en Ihere was some trouble in the
postolnce at first, but the Rathbone- -Neely
oes nave been thoroughly worked up and
NJ "ie" VIII be brought to trial in May.
ti. oohds of these men have been for
- and will have to be paid There
a. as peh an agent of the surety company
~. aYaHa lately and after looking over
rs s'onnd he will report back that the
Uonds will be settled
couldn't Please Everybody.
b,ov "nle have said that everything has
char. I'd drInonious since / have been in
eynis', oi CUBAN affairs, must, however.
pIsaot mat it was impossible for me to
a, mease every one down there and esne.
sna "y me ambitious and disappointed
c,o.o ,'alors. etors. Also l found it necessary to
com, we mails TO La Discussion on ac-
IN cr,. 81 a caricature which was likely
paner ate a trouble. Only one copy of the
Of tbo ,alhe to this country and the editor
not soippef papef was arrested. The paper was
N'l as stated in the dispatches.