Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-16
ISLE OF PINES IN REVOLT
American Residents Declare Political In
depIncs from Republic Of 6ubs.
CLAIM TO Be UNITED STATES TERRITORY
President is Notified that Form of
Government Has Been Established
and All subordinate Of
heers Elected.

and All subordinate Of
heers Elected.
NEW YORK. Nov IA cable dispatch
to the Herald from Havana says that resi-
dents of the Isle Of Pines have issued a
declaration of their independence from
Cuba and organized a new government as
a United States territory. A delegate to
congress will be sent to Washington in
order to have questions affecting the future
of the island discussed before the house
of representatives. ignoring Cuban author
ity.
Mass meetings were held under the name
of territorial conventions and officials were
appointed to ill all positions except those
that must be named by the president under
the constitution OF the United States. The
first officers of the new territory are:
B. r. Anderson. secretary of state; James
NJ. Stcere, treasurer; Ed c. Ryan. delegate
TO congress; A. 7. Friese, chief justice;
David r. Wall. sheriff.
The convention divided the island into
five districts and ordered elections to be
held to select members of the legislature
which is TO convene next week; tax asses
sors and collectors. One ticket was named
| in each district, the only political question
being to place the island under the Stars
and Stripes. The election is proceeding In
quiet manner, the men ON the different
tickets announcing that they will take office
Immediately, without regard to those seiv-
| ing under the Cuban government.
! First official notice of the affair is con-
! tanned in this letter
| NUEVA GERONA. Island of Pines Nov
| a. 1S5.-Mr Theodore Roosevelt. President
! Washington: Dear Sr-The people of this
| island, having purchased homes under the
! treaty of Paris, believing It was United
! States territory. and having waited over
three years for recognition Of their rights
| as American citizens. fearing q eontinua-
| tion of these conditions and feeling alarm
| AZ IuS Cphuluoil oI Supd uuhIlS tnN ~ iii III
| ing election. have taken preliminary steps
/ for the establishment of a territorial gov
! ernment, under the constitution of the
! United States, believing this the proper
| step for us to take and the most effective
! way to receive justice and equity from our
national lawmaking body, also relying upon
YOU, our president. for a square deal
| We trust our action will meet your ap-
proval Yours respectfully. ,,r,rpec,-
| Chairman Territorial Convention.
Fully one-third OF those now living on
the island are American citizens. It was
decided to have a legislature of eleven
men two from each district and one dele
gate at large DR.. Randall receiving the
nomination for that office.
WASHINGTON. Nov 15-It has beer
known for several months that American
residents in the Isle of Pines were becom-
ing restive under Cuban control but nc
intimation had been received in official cir
clcs here that they intended to resort &c
radical measures to assert what they be.
lieved 30 be their rights as American ,cItI
zens.
The announcement that at mass meet
ings of residents of the island delegates
were chosen to come to Washington tC
antagonize the treaty pending before th'
E ! senate for the formal transfer Of thu
island to the republic of Cuba no
surprising to administration officials bu
surprise was created at the reported cree
ton of territorial government on th'
: island and the selection of important offl
, ciaIs to administer the affairs Of tina
, government.
4 1t can be said that the would-be seceder
, will receive no encouragement from tn
1 administration. Secretary Root, when III
was secretary of war, was very clear an'
emphatic on the points "that the isle o
! Pines belonged 10 Cuba as a matter o
q right. as a mater of Internal tional Law
. and as a matter Of Justice" Furthermore
I that in procuring naval stations in Cub
% for the United States, there was a genera
understanding that the Isle of Pines wa
TO be ceded to Cuba although its title ha
| been in doubt.
Senior Quesada. the Cuban minister here
r called at the State department today an
seen cd to be considerably agitated over tn
news of the movement in the Isle of Pine
TO oppose the formal transfer of the islam
to Cuba. He had an interview on the sub
n ject with Secretary Root, but declined
It make any statement concerning 1t.
t The contention of the American resident
). of the isle is that as they own in fee sim
IT pie fve-sixths of the ground, and as III
It remaining one-sixth is I'm the hands of on
e or two Spanish families the 100 nativ
ol residents being non-property owners, the
IS have right to be heard by this govern
n ment.
l. PaIma Not informed.
g. HAVANA, Nov. 15.-President Palma sal
N today that the Cuban government had r
definite information about what has ot
" CURED on the Isle Of Pines and he was M
k willing to discuss the matter until officiall
& informed.
1t g. II. Pearcy, a prominent America
B. owner OF land on the Isle of Pines, who
c. now here said: Il do not expect any a
Of tempt at the assumption of offices withol
,e the United States sanction"
NebraskRns and IOwans Involved.
al (From a Staff Correspondent
ol WASHINGTON, Nov. 15.-Special Tel
gram. )-Citizens OF Iowa and Nebrasl
. who have friends in the Isle of Pines ca
De not fail to be interested In the action
Ne American citizens taken in the past fe
81 days in hoistinG the American flag on Il
island and taking preparatory steps lookil
es to a territorial form of government. 1t
is understood President Roosevelt regards 4
st Isle OF Pines as territory that has been q
y fered TO Cuba in exchange for coaling st
IT. tions, and this view is taken by Senat
D. Foraker. Senator Cullom. chairman of I
foreign relations committee, is inclined
take the view that the treaty of Paris ga
ID us the Isle OF Pines as well as Porto Rio
He said:
10 1t is 10 be regretted that American re-
dents on the Isle of Pines took the acti
they did in declaring the island Americ
territory. Not content to let congress Ia
care of this delicate question America
~ on the island have made the situation mu
n more delicate by their ill-advised action.