The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-20
THE ANNEXATION OF CUBA
 NECESSARY TO UNITED STATES
This is View of Senators Morgan and NeWlandS. Will Not Vote for Tariff Reduction Unless It Be
 Accompanied by Formal Invitation.

, pose being to give the Cuban people an |! opportunity for deliberatiop and con ! sideration unaffected by pending econom- ! ic distress.
 .IAs to, whether the proper method Is for this Spvernmeht to extend an invita- tion. 1t Seems to me there can be no I two views1 ] believe that in view of the fact tliatSwe have lately entered upon | a policy of imperial expansion. Cuba would naturaly be reiIctant to apply for
 annexation. fearing that her fate would | be that of Porto Rico and the Philip 1 pine Islands. | am convinced that the policy Of the Republican party is to wait I until economic distress shall drive Cuba | into application for annexation. and then i to, accept her simply as 'amilitary de- pendency. instead of as an Infant state or Territory Now, whatever arguments
 may be used in favor of that policy to- l ward tsthe Philippine Islands. certainly they cannot apply to Cuba, which is a natural part of the American system and , lies right at our doors
 Why Cuba Has Fears. -' l For the first time in our history we have claimed the right to annex terri tory which is to be subject to the juris- diction of the United States and not a. part of it. The right is asserted to hold the people of such territory as subjects and not citizens. It is not to bo expect ed that Cuba will be willing to assume so abject a position. and it is perfectly natural that she should fear to make the first overtures toward annexation on the ground that she may be put in the inferior position now occupied by the Philippine Islands. It seems to me, there fore. the part of wisdom for this govern ment to show her at this time that she has no reason for apprehensions -ot this sort. The course by which this may be done is perfectly simple. Cuba is now asking for commercial union There Is no reason why we should not make A counter proposition and invite her into a political union which will mean the freest commercial union and which would ultimately make of Cuba one of the wealthiest. most prosperous and most powerful States in the Union"
 Mir. Newlands cont ids that there IS nothing at all in the idea of some senu- mentaiists that there would be a breach of faith on the part of the United States in taking the course for which he argues There is no force involved in an invita- ton extended In this way. As an inde- pendent government the new republic will have absolutely no. more right to de- mand tariff concessions of the United States than have other countries. An in- vitation extended in this way would be an honor to Cuba. T have no douht," said Mir. Newiands. that Cuba will acc ,pt the invitation to become part of this republic: but should she see fit to decline and to remain an independent republic she can certainly never complain that America has not acted generously in ex- tending to her an invitation which puts her upon an equality with the rest of the republic and opens up to her people i-bouniless opportunities for prosperity and ,ha ppiness. Cuba Is independent and must remain so, if she wills it. Cuba must come to us willingly and jcyfully or not at all But certainly Cuba will be desirable part of the United States if she does come willingly.
 Value to United States. Speaking of the value of Cuba to the United States, Mir Newlands points out her manifest advantages from a military standpoint and holds that our people can live there without degeneration. The isl- and is caplble of supporting twelve to fifteen nallion people. The Cuban people, he holds, are less undesirable now than
 they will be after ten or fifteen years of
 independence. The transition can be
 much easier now than 1t could be after
 years of independence. The protectorate
 we will exercise over Cuba will, in all
 probability, give rise to greater friction
 than could possibly come from terri
 torial relation carrying with it the pros-
 pect- of ultimate Statehood.
 Tn view of these conditions" says Mir.
 Newiands, there seems to me no ques-
 ton that the time Is opportune for eX-
 tending such an invitation as l propose
 to the Cuban people. It does not involve
 anything like coercion or force. It gives
 them ample time for deliberation 1t is
 the highest honor which the United
 States could extend, and it is an honor
 which in my opinion, would be accepted