The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-02-19
ouR G H IN CUBA.

editors of the United Staes
assume to better know what Cuba
requires than do the Cubans them
Only on this assumption can
be based the demands they are now
making on the administration. They
insist that this government shall in
stanter evacuate the island and turn
it over to the Cubans without regard
or thought Of the future and accept
thereafter whatever they may see fit
to give us. in return for the RESPONSE
bility we took upon ourselves when he
set about the task of driving the Span
iards out of the island. They con-
tinual]y revert to the Teller resolution
and in their attempts to discredit the
administration are blind to all else.
The instructions given by the presi-
dent and secretary of state to General
Wood to remind the delegates to the
constitutional convention Of their obli-
cations to incorporate in the text of
the instrument certain requirements
Of the United States, do not contem-
plate insistence upon as much as GER
tain influential and intelligent Cuban
newspapers propose should be given
us. The requirements mentioned by
General Wood were recognition of the
Monroe doctrine, the abstention of
Cuba from mortgaging the island to
any foreign power by contracting a
foreign debt, thus giving a lien on the
property, the granting of naval sta
lions to the United States and reten-
ton Of a part of the military force
now in the island. 1t should be
understood that the latter stipulation
is intended to be temporary only and
until such time as the stability Of gov
eminent required by the treaty of
Paris shall have been attained.
La Lucha and La Nacion, both
prominent newspapers of Havana,
offer more as the extent of the direct
ing power of this government in the
islands affair. They propose that the
United States shall have absolute con
troll of Cuban foreign affairs for a
period of two years and shall also be
permitted to retain it's military occu-
pancy of the island for the same
length of time. All this in addition
to naval stations and other advant-
ages in the way Of commercial rights
and privileges.
But this is not all there is to the
case. The Cubans themselves are
bound by the requirements of a recog-
milton Of the rights of the United
States in the island, voluntary made,
that they cannot we'll escape. From
the very day that American occupa-
tion OF the island began the Cubans
have recognized the rights OF this
country. When they held their cleo.
tions for delegates to the constitu'
tional convention now in session, they
did that which recognized American
right and authority, for the conven'
tion itself met in pursuance to a cal
issued by General Wood, the military
governor of the island, holding hi!
position under the United States anG
who issued the call under direction o.
the president. In the call under
which the convention assembled thu
much exploited Teller resolution wa
embodied, to explain the attitude O.
this country toward the island. ant
after reviewing the progress made b.
the Cubans in the direction of self
government it was declared that a
another step toward autonomy the.
, were through their delegates t.
formulate an organic law and estab
/ lish a general government. AS a par
!, of that organic law, the call stated
they were ''to provide and agree witt
the government of the United State
upon the relations to exist between
| that government and the government
of Cuba and provide for the electio
by the people Of officers under sue
constitution and the transfer Of gov
eminent to the officers so elected.
When opening the convention Cover
nor Wood said to the delegates thu
! after they had framed and adopted
constitution it was their duty to form
ulate "what in your opinion ought
be the relations between Cuba and tn