The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-03

( PUBLICATION oFFICE-Minneapolis. Ninn.s
Journal building. 47-4e Fourth street 8.
Beveridge and the Cuban Question
The Pioneer Press Washington bu-
reau represents the administration as
Embarrassed by the speech of SEN
ator Beveridge in Minneapolis last
Saturday night. There is an en-
barrassment, but it is not on the part
Y Of the administration. Senator Bev-
I eridge is embarrassed by misleading
reports OF his speech sent out and
i which doubtless have reached Wash
ington.
{ Senator Beveridge, it is true, speak
ing for himself alone, as he plainly
stated, doubted whether all our efforts
I would make a success Of republic in
Cuba. He compared our labors In that
direction to those Of the celebrated
gentleman in mythology who con.
stantly rolled stone to the top Of
hill only to see it roll back again. The
senator may have been carried away
somewhat by the beauty Of this classic
comparison. He undoubtedly believes
q that American occupation Of Cuba will
\ one day become permanent as it has
become permanent in Hawaii, but Sem
ator Beverage took very good care to
state the facts as they are-that the
American flag has not gone up in
Cuba; that it is not going up so long
as there is ghost Of chance Of pre-
serving the republic. On this point
his speech as delivered contained this
carefully stated positions:
Let, us exhaust every resource 80
that history. the world and our own
conscience will say we have not trifled
with our word on the one hand, and
having exhausted every resource and
rallied e. let us act so that history, the
r KoIld and our own conscience Will say
mat we have not tritied with liberty
and civilization on the other. Let us
keep the. Cuban flag floating while We
may so that when we raise the Ameri-
can, flag, only when we must, that flag
will be unfurled never to be furled
again. =
1 So far from being embarrassing this
is ad1rectly in line with the position
I OF the administration. The only pos
i sible shade Of difference is that SEN
ator Beveridge is not optimistic re-
garding the Cuban republic. He be-
ieves that geography, trade and other
considerations destine Cuba to be a.
l part Of the United States. At the
same time he, with all other fair-mind-
4 cd American public men, believes in
giving Cubans the ultimate chance to
CARVE out national destiny for them
selves. IF they fail in it then the
hsland must revertto the United States
rather than fal1F%into the: clutches Of
any European power. There are no
two opinions in America on this point.
The Platt amendment, Of which so
much has been said recently, contains
two main clauses. The first contem-
plated intervention to preserve the in
dependence of Cuba. This could only
mean that in case Cuba was attacked
by foreign foe, the United States
q would intervene to prevent it's con-
guest even tho its people were willing
70 submit. The second clause provided
Tor Intervention in case the Cubans
rallied to set up a government which
guaranteed the safety of life and prop.
erty. This is the kind of intervention
which we have now undertaken. It Is
nowhere lntimated in the Platt amend
ment that such an intervention involves
permanent occupation of the island
Under the old laws Of the old world
1t would do 50, but America has set ur
a new standard. We interviewed In
China. and, fought battles to restore or
D der, but we did not seize an inch OF
Chinese territory. Our flag went ur
In honor in China and it came dow1
in honor. The q tommyrot" about the
& flag being hauled down in dishonor has
4 been: pretty well disposed of by the
International policy Of the United
States We have INTERVIEWED in Cubs
IN the same spirit as we interviewed ii
China. There is no self-seeking in it
Secretary Taft 8 is not a kidnappins
expedition. The American people ar,
practically unanimous for giving Cub:
Il every chance there is, and they would
/ tolerate from no administration an at
titude which seemed to put US in tn,
position of destroying or >nlinimizin,
even one of those chances, =
Ii annexation comes it must COM
as O. natural and inevitable process o
the evolution of the island, an evolu
ton not manufactured or propagate,
q by us. It stands to reason. that if an
d nexation comes in this manner it will
u come to Sstay.5s '*~s:s '- T.
A flicker" was found objeoting to tn
climate yesterday. IT made men, h
q claimed, too contented. Lacking the spu
OF discomfort they did not progress a.