The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-23
DO NOT WANT IT
LAND sPECULATORs THE TROUBLE
 IN ISLE OF PINES.
Adininistration VIII Pay No Attention to Plea of Americas Residents. No Value Anyway Except
 GraninG.

withdraw from the senate the treaty ceding the Isle of Pines back to Cuba The recent movement on the island which resulted in the proclaiming of a territorial form of government by a handful of Americans there. has made the Government here only the more de- termined to carry out it's bargain and return the province to complete Cuban sovereignty. There is the more reason in this because Elihu Root, who Is now Secre- tary of State, and in that capacity deals with Cuba as foreign country was Secretary of War when the new republic was made free, and Is per fectiy we'll acquainted with the nego- tiations which led up. first of all. to excepting the Isle of Pines from the general treaty and finally to the Tne- gotiation of separate convention re- turning it to its former mistress.
 The opinion is general in government circles that the agitation in the Isle of Pines is engineered entirely by cer- tain land companies which have resort ed to extraordinary means to sell lots to unfortunate American investors. and which now are seeking to 'embroil the relations between the United States and Cuba for the single purpose of be- ing bought out by one of the two na- tions.
 No Hope Unless Cuba Is Annexed.
 The Senate has the treaty under con alteration, but the Isle of Pines has been managed by the Cuban Govern ment ever since the Spanish war. and there is not the slightest prospect that it will be taken possession or ny tnis nation unless the whole island of Cuba Is annexed, which is a thing most pub lie men expect within the next ten or a dozen years.
 In looking up the history of the Isle of Pines and of the various movements which have been made for It's annexa- tion to the United States or for it's in- dependent government, 1t has become at once apparent that promoters or various land companies have been guilty of the grossest deception In the statements they have made to the pub lie regarding the political status or the dependency.
 So far from it being true that the War Department at any time claimed 1t as United States territory. 1t has always been held to be geographically and politically an attachment of Cuba. It was not mentioned in the treaty or Paris at all for the simple reason that the Isle of Pines is off the south coast of the larger island. and was at that time and always had been subordi- nate province of Havana.
 Never Was a Misunderstanding.
 When the treaty of Paris was nego- tiated. the Spaniards were still In con- trol at Havana, which they did not re- Anguish until Jan. l. 1899. They then were administering the Government or the Isle of Pines. and 1t never mas been under any exclusive authority since that time.
 When the American forces took con trol of Cuba there was not the slightest attempt to separate this subordinate island from Havana proper. on the contrary. 1t was governed at all times by the military governor of Cuba' ana when the United States turned over the great island to the new Government under President Palma the tail went with the hide, and the Isle of Pines was as much a de facto province or Cuba as Havana itself.
 The only reason for withholding 1t from the original treaty between the United States and Cuba was to make 1t A guarantee that the Cuban Congress would cede to the United States the two naval stations 1t desired to establish on the island of Cuba. The political sovereignty of the Isle of Pines was held in suspense by Secretary Root with the distinct understanding be- tween him and President Palma that after the naval stations had been made over properly to the United States we would in turn cede to Cuba the Isle of Pines. which meanwhile would remain under direction of the Havana Govern ment as 1t had remained during the en- tire period of Spanish sovereignty.
 Duty Bound to Keep Faith.
 Subsequently the Cubans performed their part of the bargain. The United States has not kept faith with the Gu bans, and the Secretary of State as matter of course feels he is in duty bound to carry out the bargain he made as Secretary of War.
 Some of the promoters of the Isle of Pines land companies, who have in- duced a couple of hundred Americans to migrate there by extraordinary promises. have endeavored to make 1t appear that they went to the island un- der the supposition that it was to be- come an American territory. Histori- cal facts as proved by the records In the State Department are all the other way.
 Nearly three years ago. less than a year after the transfer to the new re- public of Cuba. General Leonard Wood. who had retired from his position as military governor, made the official tn- dorsement now on file in the war de- partment which specifically disclaimed on the part of the United States any in tention of making the Isle of Pines a part of this country. In this report he said:
 At the date of the transfer of the island of Cuba to its duly elected off1- cials the Isle of Pines constituted municipality included within the mu- nicipality of the province of Habana. and located in the judicial district of BeJucal.
 status Distinctly Outlined.
 The Government of the island is vested in it's municipal officers. subject to general control of the civil govern or of the province of Habana. who is vested under the constitution of Cuba with certain authority in control of municipal affairs. Under the military was governed by the municipal officials civil governor, who received his au- thority from the governor general.
 The Isle of Pines, as it had existed under the military government, was transferred as a de facto government to the Cuban republic pending the final settlement of the status of the island by treaty between the United States and Cuba.
 The action taken by the military government was in accordance with telegraphic orders from the honorable Secretary of War. The Government of the island today is in the hands of its municipal officers, duly elected by the people, under the control of the civil governor or the province of Habana and the republic of Cuba"
 This indorsement by General Wood was dated February 20. 1903. It was