Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-09-27
CUBA MUST BE GOOD.
PEACE ALONE WILL INSURE HER
INDEPENDENCE.
The Solemn Warning by President
Roosevelt Is Followed by Dispatch
of Taft and Bacon to the Island,
and Revolution Must Cease.

Washington correspondence:
Events are crowding one another in
the Cuban situation. The revolt which
a short while ago the Cuban govern
ment regarded with a sembIance Of
contempt, processing itself able to
crush in a short time, has developed IN
til the United States has practically
been constrained, il the interests of
peace and order to intervene. The
Palma administration has failed to
deal effectively with the revolt, which
is now widespread, menacing the in
dustrial, social and political order Of
the whole island.
The first serious international phase
given to the Cuban situation came,
when three companies of United States
marines were landed from the cruiser
Denver, at the solicitation of charge
d. Affaires Sleeper, acting in conjunc-
ton with President Palma. 1t was
represented to the Commander ColwelI
that the marines were needed to pre-
serve order and safeguard American
interests and they at once took up d
position in Havana commanding the ap-
proaches to President Palma's eXecu-
tive mansion. AS soon as the authCri-
ties at Washington were advised Of
this proceeding orders were promptly
issued directing the withdrawal of the
marines, with the exception of a guard
to be stationed at the United States le
CATION building. To allow the troops
to remain around the palace of the
President would be construed, it was
feared, as an act of intervention by
the United States and as one faYoring
the Palma government. 1t was so con-
strued by the insurgents in the field,
many of the leaders of whom offered
to surrender to the United States au-
thority on board the cruiser Denver.
The withdrawal Of the marines, how
ever, with the exception of the guard
stationed at the legation, obviated this
entangling difficulty.
First Step Toward Intervention.
The second and most important de-
velopment in the situation came when,
at a conference held at Oyster Bay be-
tween the President and Secretaries
Bacon, Taft and Bonaparte, represent
ing the State, War and Navy Depart
ments, it was decided to send Secre-
tary Taft and Secretary Bacon to Cuba
to investigate the conditions there and
lend their good offices III establishing
peace.
President Roosevelt in a letter to
Senior Quesada, Cuban minister to the
United States, clearly sets forth the po-
sition of our government relative 90
present conditions on the island. In
this letter the President processes his
good will and that of the American
people toward Cuba and then defines
our responsibility in the matter.
This nation, says the President, asks
nothing of Cuba, save that it shall con-
tinue to deevlop as it has developed dur
ing the past seven years, that 1t shall
know and practice this orderly liberty
which will assuredly bring an ever-in-
creasing measure of peace and prosperity
to the beautiful queen of the Antilles.
Our intervention in Cuban affairs will
only come if Cuba herself shows that she
has fallen into the insurrectionary habit,
that she lacks the self-restraint necessary
to peaceful self-government and that her
contending factions have plunged the
country into anarchy.
solemnly adjure all Cuban patriots to
band together to sink all differences and
personal ambitions and to remember that
the only way that they can preserve the