Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-02
THE FUTURE OF CUBA
What Will Be Discussed When
Congress Meets.
NO EXTRA SESSION LIKELY
All Expenses Of Intervention Can Be
Paid.
ssss-ss gsSsszs ---------
BUT THE REIMBURSEMENT
Ut THE REIMBURSEMENT
BUT
To the Appropriations for Army and
Navy Will Have to Be Made
by Congress.

Congress, whether convened previously in
extraordinary session or at the regular ses-
sion next December, will have the Cuban
question on its hands at the outset. The
first proposition Of practical character will
be the question of paying the freight"
consequent upon Intervention. The next
will be the debatable subject Of acceding
to requests for annexation
The cost in dollars and cents of the ex
petition to Cuba will have to be settled,
and the regular appropriations of the War
and Navy Departmen reimbursed for the
unusual drafts made upon them in this
crisis. No provision exists in the regular
appropriations for this unusual expenditure.
The departments are going ahead under
executive authority for the present, laying
out good money that was appropriate by
Congress and intended for the ordinary
needs Of the military branches of the gov
eminent in carrying on the campaign in
Cuba.
Warrant by Treaty.
OF course, there Is warrant by treaty
which is equivalent to law for all that Is
being done, so that there is no difficulty
with the accounting officers. But the bald
fact remains that the funds Of the army
and navy are being depleted by this UNI
lOOked-fOr Drain, ana congress Will nave
to make good.
That is a question for the appropriations
committee of the two houses to handle In
the regular course of business. and 1t is,
not expected to cause any trouble Every
expenditure made on account Of the
Cuban trouble is being kept in separate
account from the routine expenses OF the
army and navy, and the committees will
reimburse the several accounts in due
time.
1t is thought in well-informed quarters at
the Navy and War departments that 1t will
not be necessary to call Congress in ex-
traordinary session to pass upon this prob
lem but that provision can be made at
the beginning of the regular session 1t Is
true that stringent prohibition against
creating deficits was enacted by Congress
at the last session, but 1T is held in the de-
partments that the present emergency will
not come under the spirit If even the let
ter of that law.
The Future Of Cuba.
The broader question Of the future Of
Cuba will be the subject Of much conten-
ton and discussion in Congress. it is
thought The main fact in this connection,
to be borne in mind always, Is That the
United States cannot dispose of Cuba's fu-
ture without the sanction of Cuba. BY leg
islative enactment and by executive inter-
probation and proclamation that fact is fixed
beyond peradventure, save recall by Con-
gress itself.
In the great emotional and sentimental
stress attendant upon the freeing Of Cuba
two important reservations were made
Two wise old men, white-haired in the
service Of their country as statesmen. calm.
dispassionate, far-seeing. rising above the
popular clamor Of the moment, cast these
anchors to windward. They were Senator
Teller of Colorado and Senator Plat OF
Connecticut.
When the Congress passed the resolution
authorizing the use of the army and navy
to expel Spain from Cuba, April 20. 1893,
Senator Teller caused the adoption of the
following clause in the act:
That the United States hereby dlsclaims
any disposition or intention to exercise SOW
ereignty,, jurisdiction or control over said
island, except for the pacifcation thereof.
and asserts its determination, when that
is accomplished. to leave the government
and control of the island to its people"
That stipulation was scrupulously re-
garded as evidenced by the withdrawal
OF the United States from the island as
soon as the Cubans established their own
government.
The Plat Amendment.
But Senator Plat of Connecticut was