The St. Louis Republic., 1903-03-21
President Palma Requested to Is
sue Call for Ratification of
Treaty.
TROUBLESOME TIMES AHEAD.
Amendments Made by the Senate
May Lead to the Overthrow of
the Document - Cuban
Minister Dismayed.

! Warrington. March D.-Acting eecretar
or state Locra!s nnd Mr.. Cuesada, the Gu
pan minister, after discussing tho prospect
OF an exchange OF ratifcattcns OF the Cuba
treaty within the ttme limit. to-dsy de
cioea 10 cable President Palma resuest1t
| MIN 10 call the Cuban Congress into OK
fraerdtnary session Immediately for thj
purpose, as that body otherwise would no
meet until April II, seven days after th
fine limit for the exchange OF legal yati
fcatiors.
From such imperfect readings of III
treaty es can bo had at this stage, the Stat
department officials have some Doubt as u
tneT ability TO do anything whatever witt
the convention.
The anne ndments made by the Senate, par
ficles though probably not 80 intended. MAJ
result In the complete loss Of the treaty.
There are conflicting clauses which II ms,
not be possible to reconcile.
Article Ii provided originally that 9TH,
present convention shall be ratified by tn.
appropriate authorities OF the respective
countries, and the ratification ehall be ex.
changed at Washington. D. c., as BOON e1
may be before the thirty-nrrt day Of Jan.
uary. 1903. and the convention shall go into
eject on the tenth day after the exchange
or rauncations, and shall continue in force
for the term OF five years from date Of going
into effect. and from year to year there
after until the expiration Of one year from
the day when either Of the contracting
parties shall give notice to the other Of its
intention to terminate the same.
Caccily 1t is provided that treaty shall
are exchanged, and with the slight Change
In this respect the original ratify.-g clause
or the cuban treaty was in the usual form
and would not have led to complications
Inc date OF january ~ h,-
both Governments before the United States
Senate acred to March 81 and that IS how
sentence:
This treaty shall rot take effect until
the same SHAH have been approved by the
This led to complications which are now
yexing the department. Here were two diff
ferent dates hXed IN the same article for the
opinion .nclines TO the belief that following
the common-law principle. the last stipu!a-
ton should govern. which would defer the
operation OF the treaty until after the Con-
sress acted.
But more serious difficulty has been
pointed out, as follows:
certainly in violation Of precedent, TO ex-
change ratificadons of a document which il
not treaty. as this Cuban convention will
Department people. until "the Congress
has set its approval upon It. II this view
Is correct. then the exchange OF ratiiica-
eiViis WILL nave 10 De deferred until next
winter at the earliest, and this delay II is
thought, would cause the failure Of the
treaty 'Ieh hj in its present form. because OF the
Gbiiity OF the negotiRtors to meet the re-
quirements of article H. which demands
that the exchange take .place before
It is possible that a wayakNfsbe found out
Of this web Of contrariet.es and to that end
the State Department people now are
The Cuban Minister here evidently is dis
mayed at the situation, and, although he
made every effort in his power to keep the
veloped fully to-day. even to the knowledge
of his immediate compliance with the state
Departments sug ggestion that he cable Pres
ng together Of the Cuban Congress, which
IS now in recess