The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-10-16
ROOT PUZZLES DIPLOMATIsTS
UItimatum to the Cubans Proves
a Tremendous Puzzle
Turbulent Patriots Working Trying to
Solve the Riddle-Return of Roose-
welt Starts a Season of Sfrenuo~ity.
Tawney Making Some Election Pre-
dictions.
(By Sheldon S. Cline.)

by Sheldon S. Cline.)
Washington, October 13.-It was to
be expected that when President
Roosevelt returned to the White house
there would lie things doing, but the
most optimistic had not looked for
such a whirlwind CT strenuousity. II
must be true that Mr.. Roosevelt has
taken some time TO eat. and the
chances are that he has slept now and
then, but there has been no outward
evidence that the fires under the boil
ers have beer banked.
Nhen Washington awoke from lis
summer siesta it was not with a yagr
and luxurious stretching of the arms.
The awakening was as if someone had
shouted Fire" And The fire brigade
has been busy every minute since.
Cuba, Panama, politics, and wha. not
have been touched by the magic wand
of Roosevelt, and have gotten a hustle
on them. There may be, in some dark
corner, something yet alternating. but
the president will son find and root
it out He is the Mr.. Steplively'' OF
the government and carries fer the
laggard a stick Of exceeding sharpness.
Diplomats, statesmen, and plain
politicians are still discussing Mr.,
Roots "ultimatum' to the Cuban
people, handed in the form of a care
fully prepared statement t o Mr. Nicol-
rs RiverO, Of Havana, editor OF the
D1arlO de la Marina, who came 10
Washington for the avowed purpose
OF earning the attitude Of this gov
eminent toward the future of the
Cuban republic. This is what the sec
rotary of state said to Editor Rivero:
You can be certain that the Unitrd
States will not permit chaos and dis
order to rule in Cuba. The means to
prevent it in the future must always
be determined by then existing con-
ditiOns and with reference to our SOL
mi obligations to the people Of
Cuba"
The diplomats, the statesmen. the
plain politicians, and the Cuban REQ
pie, no doubt, were glad to hear from
Mr.. Root. If they but had the slight
est idea what Mr.. Root intended III Y
should understand he meant. the only
fly in their ointment would be remov-
ed. But Mr. Root won't tell. Having
spoken, the oracle relapses into sill
ence; and not only in Washington.
but in the chancellOries of Europe and
Latin America the cryptic experts are
at work trying to solve the riddle.
It will observed that nowhere in
Mr.. Roots statement is there a denlar-
alton that annexation is impossible
Reading between the lines. one may
read almost anything hat suits his
fancy. Cubans may take it as a threat
or a promise Of brighter things. If
T~alleyrand was right in his theory
that the art of diplomacy consis-es
IN yelling the meaning of ones words,
then MI. Root is a past master of
diplomacy. 1t is true hat we have
been Dragging a good deal Of late
about the american school of di-
plOmacy', which went straight to the
heart Of things and not ~equivOcate,
but if Mr.. Root has a liking for the
methods of a Talleyrand or a Meter
mich there is no law obliging him 10
observe American traditions.
And there is eve present, of course,
the possibility that we may be doing
Mr.. Root great injustice. If his state
ment was intended TO quiet the tur-
bulent patriots to the south of us. ii
probably will serve the purpose. They
Will be kept SO busy trying to figure
out what Mr.. Root intended they
should think he meant that they will
forget their personal differences. We
all have heard Of adventures who es-
capped filling canibalistic stomachs be-
cause Of the mystery their matches or
bottles Of smelling salts presented to
the heather mind. May it not be that
Mr.. Root in his wisdom devised this
puzzle to amuse the ~misbehaving child
rather than apply the Christening rod?
US accept the advice which Capt.
Sigsbee gave when the Marie blew up
in Havana harbor and suspend Judg-
ment, at least until the language vivi-
sectionists have done with the Root
prOnuncementO.
Two years ago the Hon. Jim" Taw-
ney, of Minnesota. nov chairman %
the house committee on appropriations
and Speaker Cannon's legislative right
hand, predicted that Missouri would
90 republican. They laughed at Tav-
ney, and poked all sorts Of fun at his
demonstrating optimism But Mis-
sonri went republican
Well, Tawney is here again, md
has brought his optimism with him
Il believe we will hold every seat we
have in the house now from Missouri"
said Mr.. Tawney, and we may gain
one. 1t is practically certain that we
will not lose more than n seat any
how, and the chances are mighty good
that we viii make a gain of one from
that state. Representative De Almond
n of the principal democrats III the
house, may not be a member OF the
next house"
Mr.. De Almond had q hard fight
for his seat two years ago. and was
reelected by less than LOO votes.
The republicans for some time have
quietly expressed the belief that 1t
would be possible this ear to r. tire
this veteran, Who has cen continuous