The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-11-18
WANTS Isle OF PINES
Senator Declare ]. Belongs to United
E states-vaIuable as Health Resort.

states-VaIuable as Health Resort.
WASHINGTON Nov. 1s.-"The stat.
us OF the Isle Of Pines may have been
small matter as long as 1t remained
dormant. hut 1t involves political
question OF the highest Importance to
the United States"
This statement was made to a cor
respondent by prominent member of
the Senate Committee on Foreign Re.
latiops. VINO Is of the opinion that the
! Isle of Pines is American territory and
WHO will oppose the ratification by the
Senate of the Squiers-Montes treaty. of
1909. by which the United States would
relinquish AL claim of title to the
island in favor of the Republic OF Gu
ba. The Senator in question pointed
out tina; In the Spanish-American trea-
ty tho word independent" was ea.
pressly omitted in all references made
to amy government to be established"
on the Island Of Cuba after the close
OF :.Ie American military operation.
He declares that the American govern
ment did not undertake tc establish
an independent government" on the
Island of Cuba. and that, while re-
public has been established it is, Sin
fnct. not absolutely independent" OF
the United States because OF the force
OF The Plat amendment to the Cuban
Constitution.
aave v. .. All Other islands"
The Senator. in contending that the
Isle OF Pines is American territory.
points out that under the first article
of the treaty Of peace Spain reln-
euished all claim Of sovereignty over
Cuba, and that In the next article of
that treaty Spain ceded to the United
States "the Island Of Porto Rico and
other islands now under Spanish SOW
ereignty In the West indies" These
otlier islands are not named In the
treaty. which, however, indicates that
the Isle Of Pines is one OF them mas
much as the eighth article of the peace
treaty declares that in conformity with
the provisions of several previous ar
ticles Spain relinquishes in Cuba and
cedes in Porto Rico and other islands
in the West Indies" all property be-
longing to tile Spanish Crown as part
of the public domain.
| He points out that Mr.. Root. when
he was serving as Secretary Of War, In
his instructions to Governor Wood for
the transfer from the American occu-
patton to the new Cuban Republic, de.
clured in expressed terms that the Uni
ted States Government then under.
stood that the then government of the
Isle OF Pines should continue as de
facto government pending the settle
mGnt of the title to that island by
treaty.
che Senator contends that when the
military occupation of Cuba ceased, in
1902. the Isle Of Pines was left under
control OF an alcade appointed by the
American military administration in
Cuba; that this alcade is still serving,
and that, while the American govern
hi'hl SeeiliiSiy iell lHe Americans on
the Isle Of Pines in position which
led them TO believe that island to be
American property, our government
negotiated a treaty for tie cession OF
the island to Cuba: that the American
Government virtually left the Ameri-
cans there to shift for themselves, and
that the Cuban Government. by ap-
pointing one official after another to
tax the people of the Isle of Pines with
out making public expenditures for
their welfare, has been gradually alb
sorbing control of the Isle of Pines.
while this Government remained mac
tive.
Isle of Pines Health Resort.