Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-25
THE CUBAN MISSION
Hard Work to Get at the Actual
SIX Facts. iAas
LAST ELECTION ILLEGAL
Andrade Worked Matters to Suit
Himself.
DEMANDS OF THE REBELS
An Effort Being Made to Reach an
Agreement Which Will En-
sure a Peace.
pecial Correspondence of The Star.

Deep down in the mud of Havana har-
| Dor lies the wreck of the battleship Maine,
its mast and fighting top entangled in a
| mass of twisted iron rising above the water
| line, a grim reminder of that dreadful
night in 1885, when more than 200 of its
| crew were hurled into eternity and two
nations plunged into war. Between this
mass of wreckage and the proud man-of-
war of which it Is the remnant there is as
| little similarity as between the free and
| independent government of Cuba of
which we are wont to boast to the world
| as its creator, and the pitiful skeleton of
a republic which exists here today. Five
| days of long and tedious hearings have
been sufficient to reveal to the Taft mission
condition of affairs so nauseating that
had Secretary Root possessed an inklng
of. their character he would have refrained
from mentioning the name of Cuba at the
Rio conference, and the critics of our pol
icy in the Philippines would find in Cuba
the answer rather than the basis of their
complaints.
Official calls maze up the first day of
the visit of Secretary Taft Secretary Ba-
con and their aids. The following morn
ing they got down to business. From
early morning until Cnner on each sue
ceeding day they have sat patiently in
the cool library of the home of the Ameri
can minister, which overlooks the sea at
Maranao, and listened to the representa-
tiveS of all factions. t'or the government
Vice President Capote has been the spokes-
| man, and Senior Zayas, leader of the lib
era1 party, has presented the case of the
revolutionists. from whom he claims to
have plenary powers. Business men of
Havana, Americans from all parts of the
island, Cubans of all factions, Spaniards
and any others who wished to be heard
have been allowed to present their charges
in detail. What is the result?
Elections Illegal.
cba IF ba alo
lions held on the first day of last December
were illegal. President Palma and his
party were in continuous power for another
| term by methods which reminds one of the
stories of Castro's rule in Venezuela The
liberals have given to Secretary Taft alb
solute proof of the truth of their charges
on this score. The man directly responsible
for this rascality is Senior Andrade, who
at the time was secretary of government
and who appears to have been possessed of
full powers to conduct the elections as he
wished. President Palma probably did not
know the details of the methods that were
used. Since the elections Andrade has be-
come member of the congress- but he is
| today the most hated man in Cuba. He is
as clever and able as he is determined. The
constitution furnished no obstacle when 1t
became necessary to re-elect the Palma gov
eminent and to place himself in the con-
gress. The story of how he did it is an
in another letter. Because of these things
Senior Layas, representing the rebels, de-
mands new elections and the reinstatement
of the half dozen mayors whom Senior
Andrade removed for the purpose of clear
ing the way to clean sweep Of the cleo
tions. Accompanying this main charge is a
long statement of minor grievances which
| the Taft mission has not yet had the time
to investigate thoroughly. Many of them
are undoubtedly true because the proof is
here.
On behalf of the government Vice Pres
ident Capote has entered an emphatic de-
| nal of each and all of these charges and a
refusal of the revoutionists demands for
new elections or for the reinstatement of
the mayors. Thus both sides have revealed
to Mr.. Taft the full extent of their differ
enceS and of their respective demands
Whether the negotiations can proceed with
out armed Intervention by the United
States is being settled at Mariana today,
whittier Secretary Taft has summoned the
rebel chiefs that he may find out absolutely
how far Senior Zayas. represents them
Probably never in their lives have they
heard the plain talk which Secretary Taft
will give them today. If they agree to the
proposition made yesterday by the govern
ment leaders to submit the whole question
to Secretaries Taft and Bacon for arbitra-
ton, and in the meantime lay down their
arms and maintain the truce that has been
declared, the arbitrator will then set about
to pluck from this promiscuous mass of
| rascals rabble and respectable citizens a
handful of honest men who shall form the
nucleus OF decent and stable government
which, with the assistance of Americans
who shall remain on the island for time
either as commission or in some other Of
fetal capacity, may be able to give to the
, island an honest and stable administration.
If the rebels refuse to accept arbitration or
If they break their truce the immediate oc-
cupatton of Cuba is as inevitable as it is
necessary. OF these facts the President has
been advised in detail. and before this let
ter can reach its destination the attitude of
the rebel leaders will have become known
and the first crisis in the negotiations have
been passed.
The Art of Self-Government
Thus far the mission has given little
thought to the way in which the United
States shall set about to teach the Cubans
the art of self-government. Each days ses-
sion has been a sorrowful vindioation of
Secretary Taft's policy in the Philippines
and doubtless one result of the mistake of
Cuba of eaving the people to govern them
selves before they had learned the true les
son is the repetition of such a crime will be
avoided in the Philippines. This much is
evident the strong right arm of the United
States can not be withdrawn until the Gu
ban people and the foreigners In Cuba learn
many a hard lesson. Whether this assist
ance shall be extended through a commits
sion or in some other way will not be de-
cided until today's crisis has been passed
and it is possible to determine whether the
attitude of the rebels will force upon the
Washington government the immediate &C.
cupation of the island.
Quick and determined action on the part
Of Secretary Taft is the only thing that has
saved Havana In deliberate violation of
the truce voluntarily entered into when it
was announced that an American commits
sion coming to Havana, Gen. Castillo
one Of the rebel leaders, continued to ad-
vance upon Havana, and had yesterday
reached point only a short distance from
the residence of Minister Morgan, the head
quarters of the Taft mission. When the
matter was called to Secretary Tafts at
tention he Immediately dispatched mes
sage to Gen. Castillo declaring that his ad-
vance was not in keeping with the spirit Of
the truce. To all of the rebel leaders Sec
rotary Taft through their supposed repre-
sentative, communicated in no uncertain
tone his intention to occupy Havana I'M
mediately with the blue jackets and ma
rines on board the American men-of-war in
the harbor If the rebel forces came a step
nearer the capital. He has further let Zayas
know that the occupation of Havana means
the occupation of Cuba and may threaten
for all time the independence of the island.
The personality of Mr.. Taft Is a marvel
to the Cubans. With Secretary Bacon on
- w. ztk-