The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-18

]
situation became very critical about Sep
TENDER ., and on that date President
Roosevelt sent a cablegram through Sec
/ rotary Taft to President Palma, urging
him 10 continue in Office
Palma Urged to Retain Office.
IN this telegram he said to Palma:
1T is evident that under existing cir
/ cumstances the government. executive
/ and legislative. as now constituted, can
not stand by itself. and that to attempt
to maintain it merely means disaster and
perhaps ruin for Cuba. Under you for
I four years Cuba has been an independent
republic. I adiuFe you. for the sake of
your own fair fame, not to conduct your
self 50 that the responsibility, If such
there be. for the death Of the republic
can be put at your door I pray that you
I viii act so that It viii appear that you,
at least, have sacrificed yourself for
your country, and that when you leave
office, you leave your country still free
You are then not responsible, If further
disasters should unhappily overtake Cuba.
You viii have done your part as a gen
tleman and a patriot. If you act in this
matter on the suggestion of Mr.. Taft.
and most urgently beg you TO do So"
Later. on the same day. the President
F
said that If the United States were forced
20 intervene because Of the Obstinacy of
Palma and the M0deTates il would not be
well worth considering whether the in
PREVENTION should be aimed at Palma and
his party-"that is, whether we should
not notify them that we VIII take pos
session OF tire ports, establish a tempo
rary government and notify the iBsur-
gents that if they viii at once lay down
arms We viii agree To new election and
10 the other condition on which We have
already agreed with them
Presidents Plea UnavuiIinE.
The Presidents appeal TO President
Palma % continue in office was without
avail. and on, the same day the tele-
gram was delivered 10 the Cuban exec
utive Secretary Taft was informed that
Palma, the Vice President, ali the cabinet.
and ali the Congressman in the Moderate
party would resign, leaving nothing OF
the government Secretary Taft tele-
graphed the President that there was
nothing to do but establish a provisional
government A plan for the settlement
of the difficulties by arbitration was
ruined by the information that the lead
ers Of the Moderate party had decided to
"scuttle," 20 use Secretary Tafts own
characterization Of what they were about
to do.
On September % the President sent a
long telegram to Secretary TAFT. In il
he said:
1T is undoubtedly very evil thing
that the revolutionists should be encoUr-
aged and the dreadful example afforded
the island Of success in remedying wrongs
by violence and treason 10 the govern
ment.
If the Palma government had shown
any real capacity for self-defense and
ability to sustain itself, and y sincere
purpose 20 remedy the wrongs of which
your kilograms show that they have been
guilty. / should have Seen inclined to
stand by them. no matter 20 what ex-
tent including armed Intervention. bat
as things actually are we do not have
the chance of following any sucn course.
Q They absolutely decline either to
endeavor TO remedy The wrongs they have
done, or 20 so much as lift hand in
their own defense or make an effort TO
secure the stability OF their government
or the overthrow of the insurrectionists. (
Would Give Them Another Chance.
Il do not have much hope that. with
the example before them of such success /
in an instruction. the people who grow
disconnected with the new government
viii refrain from insurrection and dis
turbance some time In the future, but
there is a slight chance. and, I'm my opin-
ion, We should give them this chance /
Then, If the new government sooner or |
later falls to pieces under the stress of {
another Instruction not only VIII our I
duty be clearer, but the conception by (
our people and by the peaole of other ma 1
tons Of our duty viii Ue clearer. and /
we will have removed all chances Of any
honest people thinking that we have failed /
to 90 our best 10 establish peace and or /
der in the island without depriving it of /
its independence"
On September y the situation became 1
still more critical Senior Zayas. of the /
attempted 10 reach an agree /
ment with the Moderates for the election !
Of "a provisional president This plan (
later fell through
Taft Gave Up All Hope.
In a letter 20 the President, dated Sep
TENDER o. Secretary Taft explains the
as hopeless. He said:
1t looks to-day as if intervention
would come tonight or tomorrow morn
ing. know how much you deplore this.
bat there is really no way out OF it, The
truth is that the two sides want it now.
the Liberals because they can earn their
victory IN the holding of new elections.
and the Moderates because of the cleo
tons have to be held. they want them
held under the auspices Of the United
States, and because the Moderates are in
favor of annexation generally. But
neither party is willing to take the re-
sponsibility of saying so out loud"
Then came the actual necessity for in
.ervention. The Liberals agreed that II a
provisional government We're established
oy the United States, the insurgents
would lay down their arms and abide by
Inc new form of government In a dis
patch TO the President. which was sent
By mail on September .. Secretary Taft
the entire situation showing the
mpOssibility of the situation. He states
without qualification that President
Palma. after agreeing to mediation for
he settlement Of the troubles, withdrew
rom his position when the cruiser Den
-er was sent TO Havana in response to
us appeal 10 the government in Wash
ngtOn.
A tentative plan for mediation was
prepared and presented 20 President
Palma and his aid asked The Cuban
executive. however. defined to adhere TO
ne plan and announced his intention TO
esign. Up to this time President Roose-
-elt ignored Palma original suggestion
or the establishment of the provisional
President Ordered Proclamation.
On the same day Secretary Taft tele-
,raphed a form of proclamation for the
establishment of the provisional govern