New-York tribune., 1906-08-24
THE UNITED STATES AND CUBA.

ft Is TO be expected that the Cuban insurFec-
tion will be suppressed 10y the lawful govern
ment Of that island without its attaining the
dignity or the menace of civil war anu Without
any aid or need of aid from the United States.
Various circumstances make Ii not inappropriate
however, TO recall TO mind the relationship OF the
United States TO Cuba and the potentiai rights
and duties of this country Ia case OF some uii-
desired contingency Among these are the facts
tbet the Cuban insurgents are said to have
made plots in and 10 have received material
aid from this country, that they are boasting
that IL they do not succeed I'm overthrowing the
Palma administration they WILL at least coliipei
Intervention by the United States, ana that there
is talk of their being reinforced by ieVies from
Central American states.
More than eighty years ago the paramount III
terest of the United States in Cuba was author-
itatively proclaimed, and ii has never been sue
cessfully challenged. Slxty-six years ago the
United States declared itself ready to use all
its naval and military forces against any nation
in the world 10 protect Spain in her ownership
of Cuba or TO aid her 20 recover 1t. Fifty-nine
years ago the United States served notice upon
the world that il would not tolerate any invasion
OF Cuba by citizens OF any other state Ihese
declarations have never been repudiated They
are an integral part Of American policy and the
principles which they embody, amounting TO
49,
effective to-day. The same is TO be said of MIR.
Secretary Fishs declaration In 1872 that "our
commercial and other connections with that ISL
'and compel us to take q warm interest IN its
peaceful and orderly condition" That interest
is at least as great now as ii was then. and our
legitimate objection is as strong 10 breaches OF
peace and order by Cubans against Cubans as by
Cubans against Spaniards. Mr.. Fish also spoke
OF the opportunities and temptations for reck-
Inv md
embark in hostile expeditions thither." Such
doings would be as much a violation Of law now
as they were then, and would be a much greater
violation Of moral sense and patriotic sentiment
In 1893 the United States interviewed forcbly
In Cuba 30 put an end to barbarous conflict. TO
protect the lives and property of American cit
izens TO abate grave injury 10 commerce. trade
and business and TO free this country from the
menace and expense caused by chronic state
OF war In so near territory, and 1t exercised
sovereignty jurisdiction and control over the ISL
and for a time for the purpose of pacifying it.
The statement is made that under the treaty OF
Paris the United States pledged the world that
'peace should prevail in Cuba" That is a strange
misstatement. The United States did no such
thing. On the contrary, it explicitly stated, not
only once but twice in that treaty, that the
responsibility OF this country for Cuba and for
| the fulhlment of Cuba's obligations TO the
world was limited TO the time of its occupancy
thereof" The right or duty of the United States
to maintain peace in Cuba arises not from any
thing in the text of that treaty, but from its
natural relationship to the island and from its
long established and consistent policy toward it.
We should add that that right was finally for
/ mulated and confirmed in the sOcalled Platt
amendment, which may be regarded as a sort
Of digest or codfcatiOn of our Cuban policy and
relations of more than eighty years, and which
| has both treaty and constitutional validity. I'm
der the third paragraph of that instrument 1.-The
government of Cuba consents that the United
"States may exercise the right to intervene for
| 1.-The preservation of Cuban independence, the
maintenance Of a government adequate for the
protection of life, property and individual lib
'erty, apd for discharging the obligations with
respect to Cuba imposed by the treaty of Paris
ION the United States, TO be assumed and
undertaken by the government of Cuba" This
stipulation, it will be perceived left the United
States with q free hand. It did not make the
United States responsible to the world for Cuba
and for Cuban peace. but it reaffirmed the right
of this country to assume such responsibility at
it's own discretion. and also to intervene for the
protection of the Cuban government against re-
bellion whenever, in its opinion, life, property
and individual liberty were menaced.
These data indicate with ample clearness the
extensions and limitations Of American policy
toward Cuba. 1t is to he sincerely hoped and
expected that there will be no occasion for this
country to exercise it's legal and moral rights
which are as indubitable as its physical power
NJ But those who making trouble in Cuba, and
especially those. if there are any. who are doing
so with a view Of provoking American interven
: ton, will do well to take notice of what this
country might do if Occasion-of which it would
! be the juGge-should arise, and 20 reflect thai
intervention b. this country might not and in al
probability would not be to the advantage o
: those who had provoked IT,