New-York tribune., 1902-03-26
TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT
THE UNITED STATES WILL. CONTINT-E
TO RETAIN SOME CONTROL
OVER CUBA
OVER CUB,


l
| Washington. March 2J.-To the fun limits Of
| its power the executive authority has defined
! the political relations that shall exist between
| the United States and the Republic Of cuba
| II now remains for Congress 10 provide A basis
| Tor the commercial union that is bind the
/ new republic in closer and stronger bonds to
/ this country than be forged by the executive
! authority Of tn" government under its consti-
tutional limitations. The political relations re-
ferred to are outlined in letter Of instructions
/ 10 Governor General Wood, which was framed
] yesterday by the Secretary Of War and which
| sets forth clearly and distinctly the policy on
| which the United States releases military con-
| trol of the island and transfers responsibffty
| and authority 10 the Cuban people through the
! officers they elected under the guidance Of the
war power Of the President Of the United States.
! The letter drafted late yesterday after fire.
| quent conferences between President Roosevelt
| Presdent-eIect Palma Of Cuba. Secretary Root.
| Secretary Hay and Attorney General Knox II
| is a terse but carefully thought out document.
, every word of il having been cautiously weighed
| before being employed. and it is predicted that
| IL viii take high place in history among the
! model papers of statecraft ana diplomacy. It
/ is regarded not only an expression Of Presi-
| dent Ro0seveIt's administration on the tmpor-
/ tant subject Of what this governments obIiga-
/ tions to Cuba are but also as a response from
! Cubas first President Of what he earnestly de-
! si.os shall he the enduring relations between
| hi beloved country and the mighty nation
| which converted "Cuba Libre" from dream oe
patriots 10 a reality of statesmen. When Con-
| gress discharges the duty now pressing hard
| upon II, as President and his advisers have
! discharged their duty, those best acquainted
| with conditions IN Cuba say there need no longer
| he any fear that prosperity and peace will not
bless the union that then will he formed
| MILITARY NOT WHOLLY WITHDRAWN.
\ perusaI of Secretary Roots paper VIII show
! that ne has taken high ground and expressed
| boldly and without attempting to veil motives
| behind ambiguous phraseoIogy the matured pur-
pose and policy II the United States not 70 per-
| NIT the Cubans To- get wholly from under the
control of this government While his instrUc-
| items to General Wood concerning the inaugura-
! tion Of the new regime at Havana are based on
! the directions Of Congress as expressed in the
Platt amendment, they also 90 step further
| and declare that the military power Of the
| United States shall be ever present on the ISL
| and, even after the Cuban Republic assumes IT'S
| place among the independent nations OF the
| world After iuStructjng General Wood to ter
inmate the military occupation Of the island b.
the United States and TO withdraw from the Isl
and the military forces now there Mr.. Root
Ids
But for the preServation and Of the
coast defence~ of the island. avoid
leaving the island entirely defenceIes.
against external attack. you leave in
the coast forttfcattons such small numbe- OF
HrttlIcrymcn may b>, necessary. for such
. reasonable time he required n
able the GOV ernment to orGnnize and
substitute therefor adequate military
fore" of its own. by which time il Il anticf-
Pnted that the naval stations referred in
tn" >tatut, and in the appendix to the con-
stItuti"n of Cuba will have been agreed
upon, aud the said RrtiIIcrymen may he
. transferred thereto.
II is denied that plainly the meaning of
this is that the army Of the United States is to
. ne perpetuaIly represented on the island by a
force adequate 10 cope with any emergency that
may arise and that the coaIinE stations will be
occupied by the army and not the navy. Be
hind this is the right distinctly reserved in the
+ Platt amendment. which now is part of the
. organic law of Cuba. for the United States 10
( intervene with a military force. of whose dInen-
sions this government is 20 he the sole Judge.
whenever occasion may demand such interven-
tion. In other words. the military occupation OF
the island is 10 he terminated only in name
when the force now there is withdrawn in ac-
. coriauCe with the instructions issued to-day by
. the adjUJant general of the army at the direc-
tion of the President
WHY TROOPS WILL STAY IN C,1-R4
While the Cuban Government viii man the
Notifications of the island republic with its own
forces, if it sees tit to do So there viii be con-
stautly within reach of the central authority at
Havana well trained force of United states
soldiers quartered territory ar strategic
PORTS CeGed the United States by treaty.
These soldiers can he dispatched 70 the defence
Of the Cuban Government for the restoration OF
peace and the maintenance Of order whenever
the President of the United States is called upon
for this kind OF aid. whenever the President Of
the United States may in his discretion desire