Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-18
THE CUBAN DIFFICULTY
Why the United States Was
Compelled to Intervene.
SECRETARY TAFT'S TRIP
He Tells in His Report of the Con-
dition of Things.
OUR OCCUPATION NECESSARY
Nothing Could Be Accomplished at
That Time by Him and As
sistant Secretary Bacon.
OUR OCCUPATION NECESSARY

SASSoAt 3SSACIdIy odCOus
Secretary Taft has made q special re-
port to the President in regard to Cuba In
which he gives a full account Of the events
resulting in the Intervention by the United
States and the establishment of the existing
provisional government. THE provisional
| government under Governor Magoon," says
Secretary Taft, 'is gradually bringing about
| tranquil condition and making prepara-
ton as rapidly as circumstances permit for
compliance with the assurances of the
proclamation by which the provisional gov
eminent was established for the holding of
fair elections and the turning over of the
government to the persons shown by such
election to be entitled to conduct IT,"
The Story Of the Cuban Affair.
The story Of the Cuban affair is told in
detail in the joint report Of Secretary Taft
and Assistant Secretary Bacon, who were
sent to Cuba during the height OF the in
surrection Ito assist in bringing about, II
possible, a peaceful settlement of the con-
troversies which had given rise to the in
surrection." AS is we'll known, their visit
to Cuba resulted in the establishment of the
present provisional government. Their re-
port contains ali the correspondence on the
subject most of which has been already
published, and details the political condi-
tons in the island republic, which made 1t
| necessary for the United States government
to intervene and set up provisional gov
eminent. In their report Messrs. Taft and
Bacon, in part, say:
THE four days after our arrival at Ha-
vana we spent in earnest consultation with
both the moderates and the liberals, and
also with as many prominent men, not poll
tcians, having as many different points Of
view, as possible. We found that we could
obtain a great deal of Information orally,
which those who gave it to us declined to
put in writing for fear of its being used to
their disadvantage In future should those
whom they criticised come into power OF
course we could not make a judicial inves
tigation and summon witnesses, put them
under oath, take their testimony and put it
in writing, and subject them to cross-exam-
nation. We were making our fnvestiga
lions under pressure. With 5000 men in
arms living on the country, freed from the
ordinary restrictions of law, depredations
were inevitably occurring in every town and
every country district where insuTrectoS
quartered themselves The danger to large
sugar mills and plantations and to railway
shops and warehouses, especially those be-
longing to foreigners and Americans. was
impressed on us by most urgent appeals
for protection, which we could not give,
and called for as great speed possible
on our part in finding out the facts and
reaching conclusion. By the course pur
sued, we were able to obtain a good under
standing and to reach safe conclusion as
to that part of the recent political history
of Cuba which it was important for US to
know in arriving at an equitable solution of
the difficulties presented by the great emer-
gency which confronted US.
Suggestions Of Gems. Menocal and
Agramonte.
LAS early as the sth of September, just
about the time when President Palma was
sending the dispatches, through Mr.. Stein
hart showing the distressing conditions
that existed as to peace and order and the
instability of the government, General Men
ocal and General Agramonte, two men of
high character and young veterans of the
war of independence, tried to bring about
peace, and they suggested the resignation
of the representatives and senators and
governors of provinces who had been elect
ed at the last election, and the retention
in Office of the president and vice president,
and the redress in the matter of the officials
of the municipal governments, who, 1t was
claimed, had been removed for partisan
purposes In this work they secured truce
between the government forces and the IN
surgents, and got the impression from the
president and his cabinet that their propo-
sitions of compromise might be accepted.
Subsequently, however, President Palma de-
clined to consider the propositions OF COM
promise, and directed that the truce be
report of a successful engagement by the
government troops with the insurgens, or
possibly to the news that the United states
government had sent the Denver 10 pro-
tect property In Havana.
1.-THE result of the conferences and OF the
efforts which were made jealousy by many
to avoid Intervention ana the estapiisHiheIi'
of a provisional government, ana the eVl-
dent impossibility of reaching an agreement
that would be satisfactory to all, seemed
to have made our action in establishing the
| ant
parties rejoiced. The liberaf party had
wished to avoid it, but were glad to have
1t brought about in such way that II
could be charged to the moderate party and
ON a basis which recognized the justice of
the complaints which they had made The
moderate party was always in favor OF In
PREVENTION and was glad to have 1t come,
though thew had sought to escape RESPONSE
bility for it.
Very soon after the provisional govern
ment was established, the leaders of the
liberal party began to intimate that the
moderate party had an the offtces and the
opportunities for influencing the provisional
Change in this respect The liberals have
been uniformly advised that 1t was not
| the intention of the provisional government
| places for liberals, however deserving; that
when vacancies occurred by resignation or
removal of unfit persons, We recognized the
greater prepondefance OF moderateS. and
would prefer liberals until an equality was
restored.
Gen. Bell in Command.
During the last week of our stay in the
| island the expeditionary force of $500 men
was landed, and Brig. Gen. Bell, the chief
| of staff, was put in temporary command
| for the purpose of organizing an army OF
pacification, distributing it through the
island at proper noints in order that 1t
might furnish the basis OF confidence and
| stability of the provisional government,
| garrisoning the larger towns and leaving
| to the rural guards-a verv efficient force
| for the purpose-the duty of chasing and
| SURPRISING the smaA predatory bands
which the dispensing Of SO large force
| Of insurgents and militia was almost GER
| tain to cause. Two thousand marines
which had been landed by the naval vessels
were incorporated IN the army of occupa-
| ton for the time being. One-half Of that
| force has now been withdrawn, but full
| provisional regiment of marines, acting un-
der the command of the whole forces, Is
still rendering efficient service.
eve ought not to close this report without
testifying to the great benefit which the
| presence of formidable naval force gave
| us in effecting a peaceful conclusion ana