Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-06

which is responsible in our information
al relations. to enforce the rights
aliens under treaties. Even as the
law now is something can be done by
the federal government toward this
end, and in the matter now before me
affecting the Japanese everything that
it is in my power to do will be done,
and all of the forces, military and
civil, of the United States which may
lawfully employ will be so employed.
There should, however, be no particle
of doubt as to the power of the nation
al government completely to perform
and enforce it's own obligations to 9th
err nations. The mob of single city
may at any time perform acts of law
eigners which would plunge us into
war. That city by itself would be
powerless to make defense against the
foreign power thus assaulted, and if
independent of this government ii
would never venture to perform or
permit the performance of the acts
complained Of The entire power and
the whole duty to protect the offending
city or the offending community lie
in the hands of the United States gov
eminent. 1t is unthinkable that we
should continue a policy under which a
given locality may be allowed to com
NIT a crime against friendly nation
and the United States government linn
tied not to preventing the commission
of the crime. but in. the last resort to
defending the people who have com
mitted it against the consequences of
their own wrongdoing.
Cuba.
Last August an inslIrrection broke
out in Cuba which it speedily grew ev-
ident that the existing Cuban govern
ment was poweress to- quell This
government was repeatedly asked by
the then Cuban government to inter-
vene and finally was notified by the
president of Cuba that he intended to
resign, that his decision was irrevoca-
BILE, that none of the other constitu-
tional officers would consent to carry
on the government and that he was
pOwerlesS to maintain order. 1t was
evident that chaos was impending, and
there was every probability that if
steps We're not Immediately taken by
this government to try to restore order
the representatives of various Euro
pean nations in the island would apply
to their respective governments for
armed Intervention in order to protect
the lives and property Of their citizens.
Thanks to the preparedness of our
navy,,I was able Immediately to send
enough ships to Cuba to prevent the
situation from becoming hopeless, and
l furthermore dispatched to Cuba the
secretary of war and the assistant sec
rotary of state in order that they might
grapple with the situation on the
ground. All efforts to secure an agree
ment between the contending factions
by which they should themselves come
to an amicable understanding and set
tie upon some modus vivendi, some
provisional government of their own
failed. Finally the president of the re.
public resigned. The quorum Of con
6ISSo dSSOAilpiCo 1oiiSo w uSllDCl q IG
purpose of it's members, so that there
was no power to act on his resignation
and the government came to halt. In
accordance with the so called Plat
amendment, which was embodied in
the constitution of Cuba, thereupon
proclaimed a provisional government
for the island, the secretary of wal
acting as provisional governor until he
could be replaced by Mr. Magoon, the
late minister to Panama and governor
of the canal zone on the isthmus
Troops We're sent to support them and
to relieve the navy, the expedition be
ing handled with most satisfactory
speed and efficiency. The insurgent
chiefs Immediately agreed that theil
troops should lay down their arms and
disband, and the agreement was car
ried out. The provisional government
has left the personnel of the old gov
eminent and the old laws, so far as
might be, unchanged and will thus ad
minister the island for few months
until tranquility can be restored, 8
new election properly held and a new
government inaugurated. Peace has
come in the island, and the harvesting
of the sugar cane crop, the great crop
of the island, is about to proceed.
When the election has been held and
the new government inaugurated in
peaceful and orderly fashion the pro
visional government will come to an
end. l take this opportunity Of ex
pressing upon behalf Of the American
people with all possible solemnity oul
most earnest hope that the people OF
Cuba will realize the imperative nee6
of preserving justice and keeping or
| der in the island. The United States
wishes nothing of Cuba except that il
shall prosper morally and materially
and wishes nothing of the Cubans save
| that they shall be able to preserve or
der among themselves and therefore tt
preserve their independence If the
elections become a farce and if the in
surrectionary habit becomes confirmed
in the island, it is absolutely out Of the
question that the island should con
tinue independent, and the United
States, which has assumed the sponsor