The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-18
our INTERVENTION IN CUBA.
TAFT GIVES A HISTORY OF TIE
INSURRECTION
"A Makes Public All the Letters and Teie-
grams That Passed Between Havana
and oyster nay Before tho Estsbsisbs
ment OF a Provisional Goyernmcnt.

WASHINGTON; Dec. 17.-With extraordi-
nary freedom Secretary Of War Taft repro
duces in his annual report practically all
OF the correspondence on the American
Intervention in Cuba from the time he
and Assistant Secretary OF State Bacon
went to Havana as the American peace
commissioners until their return to WASH
ington following the establishment OF the
Provisional Government OF Cuba, first with
Mr.. Taft as Governor and then with Charles
E. Magoon In that position.
Besides the report OF Mr.. Taft and Mr..
Bacon to the President all Of the kilograms
and letters between Havana and Oyster
Bay, with the exception OF a few sentences
in which expression OF opinion as to per-
sons and things are given in such a way
as to make it unwise and impnident to
make them public at this time in view Of
the delicacy Of the position of this Govern
ment in Cuba, are included in the report,
and they form the most complete chrono-
logical history Of recent events in Cuba.
The attitude Of every one concerned, from
U cElOtu hOOStNclb dhN IND IohbN OOth
missioners down TO u~nimportant members
of the political factions, appears some
where in the correspondence, and Mr.. Taft
unreservedly makes public all his inn
pressions and opinions of the Cuban situ-
alton as il developed while he was in Havana.
The facts az set forth make II apparent
that the peace commissioners had a thank
less task on their hands and hat they
continually had to deal with opposed
interests which seemed TO have made
progress toward a compromise impossible.
Some OF the kilograms which we're sent
back and forth between Havana and Oyster
Bay are rather picturesque. In one despatch.
after telling of the failure 70 effect a COM
promise, and evidently with his patienos
and good humor about exhausted, Mr.. Taft
cabled the President at Oyster Bay:
In a characteristic way, however. Palma
and the Moderates will now take away
their dolls and not play"
This and other remarks show pretty well
the frame Of mind Of Mr.. Taft.
Secretary Taft's efforts in Cuba to bring
about an end to an impossible situation Gull
minated on September %, when he cabled
the President that il was hopeless TO con-
tinue the negotiations, and that a provi-
nional government should at once be estab-
lished. He vigorously urged this course upon
President Roosevelt, who at first was averse
TO il, coming as It did from Palma, who
tried to force the situation upon the United
States. Finally the President, who was then
of Provincetown with the Atlantic feet
watching the target practice, sent this
message:
All right; land forces and issue proclAms-
tion as su ggested in my name. but II possible
emphasize the fact that you are landing only
at Palma's request and because there IL M
government left, so that ii Is imperative to
establish one and TO land forces TO protect
life and property. Also tell them that the
government you form is only provisional
and temporary until the Gu bal ms can form ons
for Themselves. | suppose you will get ths
insurgents to disperse by telling them YOU
will carry out su bsta ntially the agreement
TO which they once before assented.
| The agreement TO which the President
refers was made by Zsyss, leader Of the
Liberals, who said that II a provisional
government were established the insur-
gents would lay down their arms.
In one of his messages to Secretary Tsft
the President said that in his opinion 10
seemed at least doubtful under the Plat
Amendment whether the resignation of the
| regular Government would not amount to
substituting the insurrectionary party ~
the Government de facto. To this Secre-
tary Taft replied:
The even INmote possibility suggested
in your telegram Of last night, that under
! any possible hypothesis the Plat Amend
ment may require the present insurrec-
tionasy force TO be treated as a govern
ment de facto, makes me SILVER at the
Then follows Secretary Tafts opinion OF
the insuTrectos As a force: 1T il moi a
government with any OF its characteristics,
but only an undisciplined horde OF men
under PARTISAN leaders.
One of President Roosevelt first direr-
tons to Secretary Taft was TO instihits
investigations to see what Americans, II
any, we're furnishing funds to the revolu-
t~ionists. Secretary Taft made this investi-
CATION and found that there were no con-
tributions from Americans, except in small
sums from the Isle of Pines, where there
il a large American colony. and that sub
stantially all the money was obtained by
local contribution and WAS being added
to by blackmail Of property owners in fear
of injury to their property.
When Secretary Taft and Mr.. Bacon ar
rived in Havana they found a most chaotic
state Of affairs. The revolutionary forces
had surrounded Havana and the city was At
their mercy. President Palma had an
nounced his ~irrevocable determination to
resign and the Government had practically
already fallen. The situation was made
worse by the temporizing and selhshness Of
the various party leaders, both Moderate and
Liberal, and one after another suggestions
of compromise. coming not only from the
Americans but from the opposed political
factions themselves, failed, and the estab-
lishment Of the provisional government
was the only
Secretary Taft's Investigations showed
very clearly that the elections were illegal
and that the registration OF voters, which
began in the first days OF October under
control OF the M~oderates. resulted In a total
Of 432 900 voters In the island, whereas by
no possibility could the total number OF
voters exceed 800 900, and az many Of the
Liberals, realizing that their candidates
had no chance, did not register, the fraud
involved amounted TO an increase Of $50, O0n
names. A unique explanation OF this inn