Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-26

goes to make up the real liberty, happiness
and well-being of the Cuban people was
not better supplied under that American
administration than it has been since or
ever will be again except under another
American administration? Who will say
that law and order, that honest courts and
equal justice, that education and religion,
that peaceful industry and human rights
did not make greater progress in the three
years of American occupation of Cuba than
they had made in her entire history before,
or than they would make in a century to
come, under any other administration than
our own?
But keeping our word as to the indie
pendence of Cuban territory, we establish
a Cuban government and came home. And
now in three short years what we accom-
plished has been undone. Yellow fever has
reappeared in Havana, and had not Ameri-
can soldiers and sailors again secured that
in less than year, have crossed the ninety
miles of water that separate us from Ha-
vana and visited once more, with its
hideous DEATH our southern cities.
The courts which we had purified again
had become corrupted the cities which
we had cleansed had again become dis
eased. The order that We had established
had been replaced by semi-anarchy. Bust
ness and industry which flourish only under
steady and orderly government again
were paralyZed. All society again was in
confusion. The government itself was over
thrown. All of this was inevitable.
Now we will again try to help the Cuban
people to govern themselves; we will once
more try to give liberty to the Cuban peo-
pie along with independence of Cuban terri
tory But we do not do this because of the
unfortunate pledge made in the Teller
amendment That pledge was fully re-
deemed when we left Cuba the first time.
American Honor
We are setting up another Cuban govern
ment today merely to show the world that
when American honor is given we will re-
deem 1t not only to the letter, but in a full,
heaped-up and overlooking measure.
But If again the government which we
are re-establishinP Is overthrown; if again
the work of our hands in behalf of Cuban
liberty is undone; if even now conditions
should 50 develop as to prolong American
occupation If again it becomes necessary
to once more raise the American flag in
Cuba, the time will never come when we
will haul 1t down again.
We dare not triie with the cause of hu-
man liberty. We dare not trif1e with the
ongoing of civilization whose guardian, so
far as Cuba is concerned, nature has made
u.s.
Those who speak of the independence
Of the Cuban territory should remember
that the liberty of the Cuban people is the
first consideration. And what man Will
say that the Cuban people will not enjoy
greater liberty under the stars and stripes
than under some other flag, which, at best,
will represent but a faction of the Cuban
people trying to perpetuate themselves in
Officer
Some say that we ought not to establish
American authority in Cuba because it will
interfere with our growing friendly rela-
lions with South America. The exact re-
verse is true. If we set up another Cuban
government and it is again overthrown
by another Cuban revolution, and we are
again compelled to spend millions of Amer
lean money sending American soldiers and
sailors there to again set up another Gu
ban government which will again be knock
IL will ha
renee of suspicion and distrust throughout
all Latin America.
And this will be fostered by our European
rivals who are doing all they can to pre-
vent the success OF the policy of American
solidarity which Theodore Roosevelt has
begun. But if the Cuban question is set
tied permanently land it can only be set
teled permanently when Cuba is American),
not only Latin America but the whole
world will adjust itself to this fixed fact and
we can go forward building up our friendly
relations with all the western hemisphere
unvexed by recurring Cuban imbroglios.
For the sake of our relations with all Latin
America the sooner the Cuban question is
permanently settled the better