The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-24
'Cubans Must Decide for Them
selves-Peace or Interven-
tion Ultimatum Delivered to
Both Parties by Secretary
Taft.
INSURGENTS TO SURRENDER
AND SPONSORS FOR PALMA
Both Sides Will Have to Make
Concessions-Government
Ready to Act.

Annotated Press Cable to The Evening
Times.
Washington, Sept 24.-The higher
officials of the government in WASH
ington maintain that it is entirely too
early to Judge intelligently of the mis-
sion of the secretary of war in Cuba.
They submit that the president and
Secretary Taft both appreciated that
grave obstacles would be encountered
when the latter started for Cuba, and
they intimate that Mr.. Tafe has plan
for pacifying the insurrention and in
suring practical peace in the island,
which in due time he will submit to
the contending leaders. No intima-
tiOn of the character of this plan is
vouchsafed, but it Is insisted that until
the secretary of war has had oppor-
tunity accurately to estimate the sit
uation in Cuba, to conform the details
of his plan to the existing conditions
and then to canvass the sentiment of
the leaders on the subject. predictions
regarding the outcome are premature.
1t is suggested that the most ac-
ceptable solution of the present prob
lem would be an agreement whereby
the insurgents would lay down their
arms on conditions dictated by Secre-
tary Taft, with provision that the
president appoint one or more repre-
sentatives to remain in Havana and
act in an advisory capacity to the Gu
ban administration, at the same time
seeing to it that the agreement en-
tered into with the insurgents was
carried out.
Failing the possibility of such an
agreement, it is believed that imme-
diate intervention will follow; that the
United States will garrison Cuba, and
that return to military administra-
tion similar to that conducted by Gen
eral Wood will be established. How
long it would be necessary to main
tain such an administration would de-
pend wholly on the disposition of the
cessary to maintain 1t until time had
disposed of the present generation of
trouble makers and professional revo-
lutiOnists, and new generation of
men taught to earn their living by
honest toll had been raised up to take
their places.
All this, it is urged, might be done
without making necessary the annexa-
tion of Cuba, which it is believed would
be an unpopular move on the part of
any administration which undertook
1t. 1t is argued that the refusal of
congress to pass the Cuban reciprocity
bill, and the reluctance of the senate
to ratify the reciprocity treaty, are
excellent indications of the opposition
which would develop in the national
legislature to any move which had for
its end the annexation of the island,
an end which would inevitably be fol-
lowed by an almost irresistible de-
mand for free trade with the island,
precisely as the administration is now
demanding practically free trade with
the Philippines.
But while they deprecate the talk
of annexation, the officials of the mill
tary departments of the government
are not neglectfng any detail in the
preparation for military intervention.
In fact, everything is in readiness for
naval, military or marine corps oc-
cupatiOn If it shall appear during the
next week or SO that drastic steps are
necessary. The navy is we'll repre-
sented this week at Havana by the
Louisiana, the Virginia, the Tacoma
and the Cleveland, which arrived at
that port today; by the Denver and the
Des Moines, which have been there
some days, and by the New Jersey.
the Newark and the Minneapolis,
which will larrive there soon.
Under the war department, the
activity has now in view the possible
necessity of placing in Cuba force
of infantry, cavalry and field artillery.
In the meantime General Frederick
Funston leaves Washington tomorrow