Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-20
INVITATION TO CUBA
SENATOR NEWLANDS WANTS
ISLAND REPUBLIC TO JOIN UNION
Resolution introduced in Senate and
Explanation offered by the Gen
tleman From Nevada.

Senator Newlands. author Of the resolu-
ton annexing Hawaii, today introduced
joint resolution inviting Cuba to become
state of the United States upon terms OF
equality with the states of the Union. 1t
provides that Porto Rico shall become
county province of Cuba: that all present
officers of Cuba shall retain their positions
until their terms expire: that the $35Ooo,Eo
bonds of Cuba shall become the bonds OF
the state of Cuba with interest reduced 10
per cent. and per cent to be applied 10 d
sinking fund; that present rural guard y.
Cuba shall be Incorporated into the army OF
the United States; that the money In the
Cuban treasury shall become the money OF
the state of Cuba
The resolution closes with the follo"lnS
declaration
That the foregoing resolutions are in
spired not by d desire to annex forclply, or
to assert sovereignty over. the lsland o.
Cuba. or to exercise any form OF cohpui-
sion: but solely by a regard for the interest
of the two countries and a CONVICTION tnat
the interests of the states composing tna
federal Union and Cuba are IDENTICAL ana
that they can be best secured by union
under one form of government in which all
shall be represented on equal terms and ne
governed by equal and undiscriminatirS
laws insuring freedom of trade and equal
ity of right and privileges.
Senator Newlands offered the following
digest of facts which. he claims. fully sup
port his resolution Offering to Cuba a place
of equality in the sisterhood of states OF
the federal Union:
Statement of Facts.
1.-The resolutions present an easy way out
of existing complications. Cuba is now an
independent republic, relying upon her
stronger neighbor for protection and sup
port Cuba wants free trade with us. The
best way of securing it is by political union
with the United States under our Constitu-
ton and laws Under the arrangement con-
templated Cuba would become sovereign
state of the Union. enjoying the equal laws
which she would share in making. Upon
her annual crop of 900 900 tons of sugar
for which she receives in markets
S15OCOGOO. less the customs duties amount
ing to about $50, 900 or S40,nl0 900 net
she would receive the S75,Ol000O without
reduction. a clear gain of $50 UO0,WO annual
ly. She would also gain on tobacco and
other products.
NO violent change would be required.
The president and vice president would
become the governor and lieutenant gov
ernor of the newly admitted state, the
ofhclalS of the presidents cabinet, and
generally of the executive, Legislative
and judicial departments. would main
tain their present positions and salaries
under the new state, and on. Cuba is
now Offering $4,000, 900 of bonds with
interest at , per cent, at 90, and there
are no takers, and her patriotic army of
the late war is still unpaid. AS Il state
Of the Union her bonds at 3 per cent
guaranteed by the United States would
sell readily at par, and her soldiers would
be paid Immediately. The remaining
per cent could be applied to the sinking
fund, and the United States would be Sc
cure against any loss. On this tranSac-
ton alone Cuba would. before the ma
turlty OF the bonds, save in interest over
$4,000, oOO-sufficient to pay the princi-
pal.
Benefit to Porto Rico.
AS to Porto Rico. she would be freed
from her present anomalous conditions of
dependency subject to the absolute will
of a sovereign oountry-neither territory
nor state The size of the island pre-
cludes the idea of separate statehood AS
Il county of Cuba she would share in the
state government, and in the election of
President and selection of senators and
congressman of the United States
1t VIII not do to wait for Cuba to take
the initiative. She is suspicious of our
motives, since Porto Rico and the Phil
lppineS were annexed without constitu-
tional rights and privileges. She will
fear that If she takes the initia tive we
Will reduce her to a dependency. Our ac-
ton regarding Porto Rico and the Phil
ippines will constitute an unanswerabIe
argument against her public men who
may aSitate annexation. We must in
clear and unequ1vocal terms give Cuba to
understand that we will welcome her as
an equal that we do not contemplate an
nexation, but sisterhood, and that she
n h