Smyrna times., 1906-09-19

I never have done and never shall do any
thiax in ref<reuce to Cubs save with se~h
sincere regard for her welfare. You xiss
knew the pride / felt because ii came to
me as president to withdraw the Ameri-
can troops from the island Of Cuba and
oHcislly to proclaim her independence
and to wish her God speed in her - ca
reer as a free republic. I desire now
through ysu to say a word of solemn
warning to your people, whose earnest
we'll wis4ler 1 am. For seven years Cuba
has been in a condition of profound peace
md of steadily growing prosperity. Fer
four years this peace and prosperity have
Obt tanned under her own Independent gov
ernment. Her peace, prosperity and in
dependence are now menaccd, for of all
possible evils that can .befall Cuba the
worst is the evil of an;N Nhy into which
civil war and revolutionary disturbances
will assuredly throw her. WhOeves- is re-
sponsible for armed revolution and out
rage, whoever is reSponible in any way
for the condition of affairs that now OBJ
tains, is an enemy of Cuba, and doubly
heavy is the responsibility of the men
who, affecting to be the especial cham
pion of Cuban independence, takes any
step which will jeopardiZe that indepen-
dence For there is just one way IN
which Cuban independence can be secur-
ed and that is for the Cuban people to
show their ability to continue in their
path of peaceful and orderly progress.
This nation asks nothing of Cuba save
that 1t shall continue to develop as it has
developed during the past seven years,
that it shall know and practice the order
ly liberty which will assuredly bring an
ever-increasing measure of peace and
prosperity to the beautiful Queen of the
Antilles. Our Intervention in Cuban af-
fairs will only come if Cuba herself shows
that she has fallen into the insurrection-
ary habit that she lacks the self-re-
straint necessary to peaceful seif-govern-
ment and that her contending factions
have plunged the country into anarchy
l solemnly adjure all Cuban patriots to
band together to sink all differences and
personal ambitions and to remember that
the only way that they can preserve the
independence of the republic is to pre-
vent the necessity of outside interference
by rescuing it frsm the anarchy of civil
war. 1 earnestly hope that this wsrd of
aSjuration of mine. given in the name Of
the American people, the staunchest
friends and well-wishers of Cuba that
that there are in all the world, will be
taken as it is meant, will be seriously
considered and will be acted upon and If
Sc acted upon Cuba's permanent indepen-
dence, her permanent success as a re-
public, are assured.
OhOer the treaty Win Ine u. .. govern
ment I as president of the United States
have duty in this matter which I cannot
shirk. The third article of that treaty
explicitly confers upon the United States
the right to intervene for the maintenance
in Cuba of a government adequate for
the protection of life, property ana indi-
vidual liberty. The treaty comforting this
: right is the supreme law of the land and
furnishes me with the right ana the
means of fulfilling the obligation that ]
am under to protect American interests
The information at hand shows that the
social bonds throughout the island have
been so relaxed that life, property and
| individual liberty are no longer safe.
have received authentic Information OF
| injury to and destruction of American
| property. 1t is in my judgment impera-
tive for the sake of Cuba that there shall
| be an immediate cessation of hsstilties
and some arrangement which will secure
| the permanent pacification of the island.
1 am sending to Havana the secretary
of war Mr.. Taft and the assistant Sec
retary of state. Mr.. Bacon, as the spe
| cial representatives of this government
| who will render such aid as Is psssisl,
| toward these ends. 1 had hoped that Mr.
| Root, the secretary of state, could hav,
stopped in Havana on his return fren
| South America, but the seeming immi
nence of the crisis forbids further delay.
| Through you l desire in this way t,
communicate with the Cuban gsvernmen
and with the Cuban people, and accord
| ingly 1 am sending you a copy Of thi
| letter to be presented to President Palm
and have also directed it's immediate pub
lication. Sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Senior Don Gonzale de Quesada,
The Cuban Minister.