Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-14
CUBAN DIE IS CAST
Island is Under the Ban for a
Few Months.
FUTURE Is ALL IN DOUBT
Congress May Change Entire Course
of Events.
TAFT'S TASK A DIFFICULT ONE
Question of Observation-Disclosures of
Former President Palma-How
Liberals. View Situation.
TAFT'S TASK A DIFFICULT ONE


HAVANA. Cuba. October 6, 1906.
Whether the independence of Cuba can
again be restored and when depends en-
tirely upon the Cuban people. This con-
clusion has been forced upon observers
of events here in the last two weeks. Re
CARELESS of the Cuban policy already en-
tered upon, President McKinleys statement
is true today it was the day of its
utterance that 1.-THE destinies of Cuba are
in some rightful form and manner irrev-
ocably linked with our own, but how and
how far IS for the future to determine in
the rpeness of events Thus if in the
rpeness of events our Cuban experiment
shall prove failure it will be difficult for
the United States to refuse to save the
island from its i'll effects. lest such action
be inconsistent with our present policy.
1t is one thing for Secretary Root in the
course of fiattering letter to the Cuban
minister at Washington to express his con-
viction of the ability of the CubanS to
+ govern themselves. but it is another for
Secretary Taft to spend two weeks in their
midst, each day of which has paraded be-
fore him a sckening string of instances of
the incapacity of the Cubans for self
government, and confronted him with
abundant evidence of the failure of our
Cuban experiment.
americans regardless of party have
taken pleasure in Boosting of how We
broke the worlds record and turned out
in five years ful-fedged republic, indie
pendent and ready for business, an in
FAINT nation which walked without crawl
ing, but only to a few of us has the hui
initiating experience come of standing at
the death bed of this three-year-old prod
ICY and later of witnessing the efforts of
Secretary Taft to raise it from the dead.
The Banquet to Wood.
At the farewell banquet which the Cuban
people rendered Gen Wood a few nights
before the American evacuation he said
of the newly elected president of the re-
public: Estrada Palma has a work to do
that is almost divine Thinking the
speaker referred to the sacredness of the
task the banGueters cheered the remark.
few close friends of the retiring COVER
nor general knew that he used the word
divine a synonym of superhuman. The
same may be said of the task of Secretary
Taft
In the early days of the Philippine in
surrection the American people were de-
ceived by the predecessors of Gov. Taft.
who sent cablegrams which came to
Washington periodically telling of the dy-
ing out of the revolution and always end
ing with the assurance situation well in
hand. Later the people realized that
these dispatches We're mere SopS to public
opinion and it was but human that they
resented being deceived. Rightly or
wrongly, when he went out to the Philip
pines Mr.. Taft was numbered among those
who believed the absolute independence of
the Filipinos question of but a short
time The knowledge he obtained at first
hand of conditions in the islands con-
WINGED him that date for Self-govern-
ment for the FilipinoS should be set and
he was man enough to come out and say
much. Face the facts was his policy
in the Philippines and for the sake of
Cuba as well as in the interest of a proper
ly informed public opinion at home it is to
be hoped that Secretary Taft will be at
liberty to continue that open and above
board policy toward this island.
A Contradictory Situation.
If the dispatches and correspondence ap-
pearing in the home papers from Havana
since the arrival of the American mission
have been contradictory from day to day
1t is because they chronicled contradic-
tory situation. Kaleidoscope was the
word Secretary Taft applied to it in the
course of a cablegram to the President.
While the negotiations were in progress it
was no 1nfrequent occurrence for the
statements made in letter mailed in the
morning in time to catch the homeward-
bound steamer sailing at noon to be en-
trely upset by the events of the after
noon. With the establishment Of the pro-
visional government the die has been cast
SO far as the administration of affairs in
Cuba is concerned for at least six or eight
months, anu IL Is HOW possible TO write OF
the present situation with some degree of
confidence that it will be that of tomorrow.
So swift has been the progress of events
during the last two weeks that in yielding
to the temptation to keep up with the pro-
cession 1t was necessary to touch only in
general way on the days happenings.
The result of the negotiations gives an
abiding significance to the more important
steps of the last two weeks and of the
events leading up to the condition which
Secretary Taft found upon his arrival In
dicatiOnS abundant here that, every
step of these negotiations will be fought
over In Congress when it convenes at
Washington in December. Major Runcie,
Gen. Wood, has not been pleased with the
turn of events and is telling his friends
that he will obtain a congressional inves-
tigation of the whole affair.
Attitude of Palma.
He Is quoted also as saying that he has
KILLED off Taft in Ohio" In Cuba and
the United States those interests which
favor the annexation of the island, and
as a preliminary to that will work to OBJ
tain the retention of American protec-
torate, will see to 1t that the Cuban prob
lem Is kept constantly before the American
people for long time to come. Nor are
these interests confined to American prop
erty owners in the island. No less dis
of Cuba. Estrada Palma, has joined the
ranks of the annexatiOnists and he has
Cuban following who favor this step as the
only permanent salvation of their country.