Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-12-22
Agreement Between Catholics
and Gen. Wood Repudiated
by Cuban Congress
DISCONTINUE CHURCH RENTALS
House Refuses to Continue to Pay Rent
For Church Properties Under an
Agreement Made by Americans -
May be Violation of the Plat
Amendment.

| Havana. Dec. 22-T'ha lower hous,
of the Cuban congress by a vote of Al
| TO s passed a resolution suspendins
| payment to the Catholic church o
| by the government under contract oe-
| tween General Leonard Wood and
| Archbishop Sbaretti.
The resolution is considered by many
10 be a violation of the Plat amend
n,ent, and it is doubtful if 1t Will meet
with the approval of the senate and
President Palma.
BY virtue of the arrangement made
by General Wood and Archbishop Sha-
retti on Oct. %, 1901, Jan. IL, 1902, and
May 10, 1902, Cuba pays the church
$4,000 annually for the rental of GER
tain buildings occupied by the govern
ment. The principal buildings thus
used are the custom house and the
University of Havana. The contract
gives Cuba the option OF buying these
buildings for S1.500,O00 in 1906 The re
was also another contract involving
church property at Santiago, the
amount there being 100000.
The church was awarded this prop
erty after the Cuban committee had re-
ported that the property belonged to
the church under the cDncordat of 1852
between Spain and the holy see. Be-
fore the intervention Of the United
States Spain paid the church in CUBA
about $450,000 yearly for the support of
worship. The only property tina. was
returned to the church was that which
Spain actually held at the time of the
American intervention. The bulk OF the
property. which previously had been
seized, had been sold. The opponents
of the church argued in the house of
representatives that the United STATES
had no power to exercise acts of SOW
ereigniy In Cuba and that Archbishop
Sharetti could not represent the rs'lig-
ious orders to which the property be-
longed. because they had been su,
pressed. 1t was also claimed that II
the house agreed to thu appropriation
of $4,000 1t thereby sanctioned tle
between General Wood and
Sbaretti.
The supporters OF the church claimed
that the contract was legally made by
The church and Gene.sal Wood. and
protected by the constitution and the
Piatt amendment. The bill now go
TO the senate. 1t is declarsd that tie
property was given 10 he church oy
the United States for political pur-
poses.
The kilograms exchanged by Pre.ii-
dents Palma and Roosevelt upon the
of the reciprocity treaty
were made public yesterday. President
Palma thanks President Roosevelt In
the name of the Cuban psople for his
successful efforts In behalf of the
treaty and says he feels sure the
friendly commercial relations between
the two countries will increase day by
lay. President Roosevelt replied:
Il reciprocate in the narne' of my fell |
ow citizens the cordial sentiments ex-
pressed by you on account of the defi- |
lite fulfillment of the obligations con-
racted in connection with commercial |
Such a basis was assured |
when the United States sealed wi n |
success the noble aspirations of the
people of Cuba for independence by
liding the valiant Cubans to crownt
heir long fight for liberty. InSestabll
ishing this 6eneficial exchange Of +
,roducts the executive and Legislature
f the United States have with pleas
re obeyed the express will of the pei
'le OF the United States. The effect ofl
God will, friendship and justice will he
UTILIZED completely with mutual adj
antage 10 them and the people of
'uha.'
Copies of the proposed new tariff ,
we're distributed lin the. senate yester-
ay. Senator Sanguillv moved that 7,
he matter be discussed today. He j
inted there is something suspicious in ;
he haste displayed by the senate to [
pprove the measure, which proposes
nat President Palma be empowered
, make provisional advance of the
lriffs TO cover the loss that will fof-
NV the operation of the reciprocity
reaty, in order to allow full discus
ion of the proposed changes Feeling
strong over the whole affair.
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