The Washington times., 1902-07-16
GEN BRAL BRAGG SAYS
He Was MISQUOTBD
Denies Objectionable Lar
guage Regarding Cuban>.
Alleged Ofense Not Yet Brought to At
tention of State Department Official
ly-Cubans Accept Statement.

tention of State Department Official
ly-Cubans Accept Statement.
The State Department has not yet
officially had its attention called to the
| sighting utterances in regard to the
new Cuban republic said to have been
made by General Bragg. consul general
Of the United States in Havana.
Ii is not at all probable that any no
tice will be taken of the matter by the
State Department unless either Cuba
asks that somc steps be taken look
| ing to the recall of General BragS.
Recall Would Follow Complaint.
While the State Department officials
hope that the Cuban Government Will
take no notice of the matter, it is admit
ted that if complaint is made General
Bragg will be recalled.
The fact that the letter was addressed
tC General Bragg $ vile ana was not m
tended for publication, and the addi-
tional fact, accepted by the state Depart
ment that the Objectionable extracts
were not correctly quoted, lead tae Off
cials here to hope that the Cuban au-
tEorities will ignore the consul generals
offence.
1t is realized. however. that the agita-
ton of the subject in Havana newspapers
may tend TO make General Bragg unpop-
ular and thus curtajl his official useful
ness. which would be cause Tor his re-
call by the United States.
Officers of the Adminstl alton are dis
posed to see the funny side of the Incl
dent. but at the same time they do not
hesitate to say that it may prove serious.
THE only safe way for an American
representative abroad to avoid making
himself persona non grata," said one cffi-
cial, ''is not to write any letters to his
wife
Consul General Bragg, at Havana,
Cuba. has stated that the publication
of the alleged statements by him in a
letter to his wife that Uncle Sam
might as well try to make a whistle
out of a pigs tail as try to make some
thing out OF the Latin race" was who'll
" unwarranted. He has telegraphed to
the State Department that he was not
accurately quoted.
What General Bragg Said.
What General Bragg said was. that
when Uncle Sam got through trying TO
make n whistle out of a pigs tail he
would report whether he could make an
Anglo Saxon out of Cuban. He wrote
| this in a private letter to his wife
without expectation of its publication.
As a public officer in the consular
| service of the United States. General
| Bragg said. he would not authorize any
such statement for publication. What
| he thinks of Cuba and the Cubans he
will report to the appointing power in
| Washington.
| Cubans in Havana are inclined to ac-
copt General Bragg's statement that he
was not quoted correctly.
| Senior Quesada. Cuban minister to the
United States, has called the attention
| of President Palma to the reported ut
terances of Consul Bragg and asked for
| instructions Until he receives these he
will take no step in the matter.
/ This case is somewhat peculiar, and
there is hardly an exact analogy in the
records OF the Department. Some
months ago the wife OF Sol Berliner
United States consul to Teneriffe. wrote
friend some very caustic criticism Of
the people about her and the letter
crept into publication. but no notice
was taken OF the matter.
| Other consuls and consul generals
! have from time to time been indiscreet
| in their correspondence. but so far as
known none have been recalled for such
crensc. They arc rot in the same
position as diplomats. and for that rea-
son their expressed opinions are not
taken as seriously as are those of such
officials as Lord Sackville West. once
British minister to the United States.
and Scnor de Lone, once Spanish min
lister. who were recalled from this
country by their governments on ac-
count of indiscreet utterances
Ordinarily the incident would be dis
missed with nothing more serious than
an admonition to the offender to be
more careful in the future. but in the
case of Cuba the relations are so pc
culiar and almost paternal, that should
President Palma decide to make a pro-
test. there could hardly be any other
way out of the dilemma than through
the recall of General Bragg, and the ap-
polntment OF some other man to the
place.
State Department of.cials while look
ing upon the affair as one OF those mis-
fortunes that are likely to happen to
almost any member OF the consular
force. or even OF the diplomatic corps.
are dismayed at its coming so close
upon the Inauguration of Cuban inde-
pendence, and are anxious so far as
possible to neutralize its probable evil
effects. They are fully aware that II
Cuba is at any future time to be an
ne=ed to the United States, expressions
of contempt for the Cuban people mad,,
by American officials do not tend making
the problem any more agreeable 20
either side.
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