The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-12-07
WASHINGTON.

Washington ID, c. Dec. 8, 1905.
The announcement that Minister
Herbert Squires has quit his post
in Cuba and will be succeeded by
Edwin Morgan. late mirister to
Seoul, is no great surprise but It
shows a few things in the diplo-
matte relations of this country. 1t
indicates that we are trying to keep
ND good relations with both Cuba
and Japan and it is another remin-
der to diplomatic representatives
abroad not to be too strenuous.
The trouble with Minister Squires
has been brewing for some time.
1t is nothing TO his discredit that
he has gotten out either. He has
been minister OF Cuba ever since
the American evacuation of the
island. At first his relations with
the Cuban government were pleas
ant enough. Then came the ques
ton OF Cuba living up to the pro.
vision in her treaty with the United
States which obliged her to main
tain the state of sanitation in which
the United States left the island
when it vacated. This has always
been a sore point with Cuba. 1t
took money and it took trouble 10
keep the place clean, and a great
deal of good coin that might other
wise have been absorbed as graft
had to go to the purchase of coal
oil, disiniectants and to pay the
sanitary corps. This was hard
and unheard of state of things
where the natives were used to re-
gard official perquisites as limited
merely by the things that were too
heavy to move.
Minister Squires was urgent
about keeping up the sanitation OF
the island and made himself unpop-
ular.
Xxx
Then came the question of the
Anglo-Cuban treaty. 1t has never
developed Just what those i'll author
ity were 10 get for letting this treaty
through, for 1t gave everything to
England and Cuba, as nation, got
nothing in return. 1t was an ex'
ceedingly distasteful treaty to the
United States and Minister Squlres
fought it squarely aud beat it for a
time at least. This made him more
unpopular. Then he was accused
of siding with the Gomez faction in
politics. This he may have done
personally and not been far wrong
either. But he committed no OFF,
cial act that would impair his stand
ing as a minister. He never went
to the length of either Lord Sack
Vile West nor Depuy de LONE IN
this country. But when the matter
of the Isle of Pines came up, he
took the American view of that
controversy also, and as the State
Department was very anxious to
keep out of tangles with Cuba just
now, Secretary Root called the Min
lister sharply to time tor what
might have been construed as often
sivc partisanship. Mr.. Squires
promptly cabled his resignation to
the State Department, and 1t has
been as promptly accepted. There
has been no talk of finding Mr..
Squires something equally good. "
But the diplomatic service loses a
very faithful man by his resigna-
ton and one whose only fault seems
to have been that he was too much
American for foreign post.
Xxx
Mr.. Suuires successor has been
announced from the State Depart
ment as Mr.. Edwin V. Morgan,
late minister of Korea. Since the
announcement of the Japanese pro-
tectorate over that country, the
powers have been decided to with
draw their diplomatic representa-
tives and transact all business
through Tokyo. This arrange
ment is satisfactory to Japan OF
course. But it is bitterly resented
by Korea. 1t promises to wipe out
Korea's national identity and make
it another Finland or Poland. 1t
is to be hoped Of course that Korea
will get little better government
than Poland or Finland had under