The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-31
MACON COMING Home
Cuba's Governor VIII Be
Sent to the Philippines.
MUCH TROUBLE ON ISLAND
Business Interests FOHent DtseOrd.
President and Secretary Taft Con-
template Necessity OF Keeping the
Troops in Cuba and POstpOning Eff
forts for SeIf-g0veTnment.

forts for SeIf-g0veTnment.
Gov. Magoon is soon to be recalled
from Cuba and another provisional gov
ernor is 10 be sent down there.
Gov. Magoon will come back TO be
made a member Of the Philippine Com
mission, as was planned before he was
sent to Cuba. When he was appointed
provisional governor there it was with
the understanding that he was only tenn
porarily DETECTED from his real destina-
ton. which was Manila, where he is very
much needed. It was hoped that his stay
in Havana would not have to be long
Now it is seen that the task of the pro-
visionai governor is destined to last much
longer than AIagoon can wait A new
man must be selected so that Magoon can
go 10 Manila, and with that selection will
come 10 the Cubans the announcement
that the Washington government realizes
fully what is before it.
Despite the denials Of Secretary Taft
and other administration officials that an
outbreak against American authority in
Cuba is impending, the situation there
is causing President Roosevelt no little
anxiety.
Plan Is In Peril
The plan to hold an election, turn the
government Of the island over to the
officials then chosen, and withdraw is in
decided peril, and that from the Cubans
themselves. Instead Of getting TO work
to settle their grievances and TO patch
up some sort of agreement among them
selves whereby they could help along
the American programme, they are split
ting up into more and more factions,
and multiplying their dissatisfactiOns.
When Secretary Taft issued his pTOCla
nation there were but two parties in
the island, the AIoderates and the Liber-
ais. Now there are four or five. each
with its eyes on the Offices. The Liberals
began 1t with a split under the name Of
a reorganization The Moderates fol-
lowe6 suit with a reorganization which
left two parties where there had been
one. Then there was an OffshOOt from
the Liberal offshoot, and the process Of
subdivision is going on with a facility
that promises soon to make it con-
firmed habit
Cause of Anxiety.
The result is perfectly apparent 10
President Roosevelt and Secretary Taft,
and that is the real cause Of their anxiety
about the Cuban situation. They know
that it viii be impossible TO hold the
promised election until there is some sort
Of guaranty that the Cubans viii abide
by its verdict.
When the Intervention proclamation
was issued. 1t was hoped by the President
that the election could be held within a
few months His first thought was that
II could be had about the beginning Of
the new year Then, when he found that
that could not be done. he fell in with
Secretaries Taft and Bacon in tentatively
fixing the date as in June. But now 1t
appears that there Is no chance OF a
Zane election. The situation is less salts
FACTORY now than il was in October, and
there is no promise anywhere that IT viii
improve. The prophecy of many AmeTi-
cans IN business in Havana and elsewhere
about the island is being borne out With
practical unanimity they declared that
the Intervention Of last October meant
that the Americans had come 10 Cuba to
stay They said that there would never
be such an improvement OF the situation
as would justify the United States IN
quitting the island again.
The only political force recognizable in
the island was the itch for Office. That
view has been amply borne out by the
experiences Of the provisional govern
ment. The Liberals began with solemn
declarations to Secretary Taft and Gov.
Magoon. often repeated, that they did
not want offices, but their continual cry
since has been for turning out of the
AIoderates from the places they held and
the filing Of the vacancies by Liberals.
Their procedure has been a steady dem
onstration of the truthfulness OF Alfred
Zayas, their leader, when he said to Sec
rotary Taft, in explanation of his course:
I say one thing, but do another.
May Never Get Ont.
It is constantly becoming clearer to the
administration that the United States is
in danger of never being able 10 get out
OF Cuba. We have the bear by the tail
and we can't let go Meantime the bust
ness interests Of the island are chuckling-
They want American government there.
They are in favor of any government that
will secure them peace and good order
so as to permit the uninterrupted trans
action of business. They have even dis
cussed the feasibility Of provoking in
sUrrectiOns on their own account in order
10 keep United States troops in Cuba. The
scheme as outlined by the manager of
one of the largest sugar plantations in
the island was very far from being
wholly jocular. He was discussing the
situation, when this question was put to
him:
I'VE are going to hold an election down
here that will be absolutely free from
coercion Of any sort Every man entitled
to vote viii be permitted 70 go to the
polls and cast his ballot without inter
ference from any source. The govern
Tnent chosen at that election will be duly
installed, be it white or black. How long
will il endure?'
reply.
why so IOng?" ne was asked. why
not fifteen minutes?"
THAT would be better he said, but
Wen give it fifteen days"
Then what will happen?'
Another revolution"
who VIII make it?'
I'VE VIII said the sugar man.
You mean to say that the business
interests of the island will start revO-
luton themselves
Sure" was the emphatic response
Why not? You people have just shown
US the way to keen YOU down here Al
we want is peace and order. so that VT
can run our plantations, get in our crops
and transact our business generally That
is all We have ever wanted We knew We
could do that, II you would take hole
of the government here. but we didn'i
know how to get you TO do that. Now
you have shown Us, The minute there Is
an insuTreCtiOn down here and threats
are made 20 destroy sugar and tobacco
crops down you come with the troops
All right. Just as soon as you start &C
go qWaV We will prepare to take 10 the