The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1902-08-19
Washington Letter.

Congress adjour ,ed, is now Icing cou
s'dered by the State aud Treasury DE
partmemt anG will doubtless be laid
before the President at an early date.
1t is the loan of s39, 100000 which
Cuba proposes Ia negotiate. By a
distinct and unequivocal provision of
The Plat Amendment Cuba is prohib.
tied to contract or assume any public !
debt, To pay the interest upon which,
and To make reasonable sinking fund
pro, isions for The ultimate discharge
of which, the on binary revenues of the
island, after defraying the current ex-
penses of the government, shall he
inTdrquaie. While, from the stand
fi"t of the United States the Plat
Ane'rlmenl has been made part of
Ih" Cuban constitution there have al
r ~ been murmurs against such All
depreciation of the facts in the Gu
han Congress and now that body has
taken steps to negotiate the Loan re-
ierred to without consulting this Gov
ernment in the matter, nor Is there
any Indication that the Cuban author.
tiles are in frame of mind TO brook
interference from this country.
That the Cuban revenues at this
date warrant the negotiation of a loan
of such proportions so we'll informed
person believes On the other hand,
it is believed in Cuba. that the fail
uie of the Fifty.seventh Congress to
pass the Cuban reciprocity measure is
responsible for the threatened deficit
In the Cuban treasury and for the in.
adequateness of Federal receipts. Tn.
der these circumstances, the govern.
ment of the United States finds itself
in very delicate position. Further
complications arise from the fact that,
as stated by one of the diplomats in
Washington, the sanction of the Loan,
even though it be tatit sanction, by
this government, will be regarded by
investors particularly by foreign in
vestors, as virtual guarantee of the
loan. If this Government protests
against the loan, it is more than
doubtful it the proposed bonds can be
Heated And still again, il the bonds
cannot be hoated, the Cuban treasury
will be left in a deplorable condition,
the children must go without school.
ing and the planters, who is is stated
will receive material assistance pro-
vided the loan is Negotiated, will be-
come bankrupt and untold disorder
may result. A portion of the loan is
10 he devoted to payment of the sol
diers who served Cuba in her struggle
with Spain. That they should be
paid is natural conclusion on the
part OF the Cuban authorities. The
United States has been held up to
them as model OF all that is good
and great, ard today, thirty seven
years after the Civil War, the United
States is paying pensions to a million
ex-soldiers OF that war while a few
pensioners from the wars of the Re-
voiution and Mexico are still on the
rolls. Naturally, Cuba believes it to
be her duty, even to the extent of
mortgaging her future. to pension
those who served her in her struggle
for liberty.
Ii is, at this writing, impossible to
predict what action will be taken b,
the administration. The State De.
partment has attempted to shift all
responsibility to the Treasury Depart
ment, but in the absence Of Secretary
Shaw, 1t is impossible to tell wether
he will be willing 10 assume that re.
sp)nsibiliiy. AT all events, the uIn.
mate decision will doubtless rest
Win tue president and he will, pre-.
sumably, depend largely on the ad.
vice Of Secretary Root in the matter.
The facility with which House
committee has reported il fav0rably,
aud that the chef officials Of this
government are absent from Wash
iDgton, suggests the possibility that
opposition from the United States
was anticipated and an effort made
to rush the Legislation through be.
fore that opposition could take
action.
The tact tina considerable alarm i
felt by the officials Of the Treasury
Department over the financial show.
ing OF the country can no longer be
concealed That the fact warrant
the sensational stories sent out by
correspondence whose papers are op
posed tc the administration, is not |
true. Nevertheless the most careful fg. |
uring fails 20 show the hnancee Of the /