The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-09-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.

"While the cnt's away the mice will
play" The Cuban imbroglio could not
have happened at a more inopportune
time in view of the responsibility of the
United States under the Plat amendment
for the good behavior in that big eruptive
island. Secretary of State Root, the man
of all others for cool headed decision, is
down among the Latin.American Repub-
lies of South America where they have
revolutions for break fast, dinner and sup
per, aud the State Department is in the
hands of Assistant Secretary Bacon. And
who is Bacon? Well, he belongs to Pres
ident Roosevelt's class at Harvard and
tennis .clab at Washington. He is an
! athlete, big and handsome, and rides the
best horse in the park. He and Bonaparte
and Taft have gone to Oyster Bay and the
dispatches from the Naval Officers at
Havana are rushed from Washington as
fast as they are received and are consid-
cred by the scrub Cabinet, including Sen.
ator Beveridge, at Sycamore Hill. The
President has been called impulsive and
has not forgotten the impeachment and
will doubtless not be as precipitate as he
was in recognition of the Panama revo-
luton. Why should he be? There is
nothing to be gained by it. Let Palma,
Havana and the revolutionists stew in
their own juice. 1t will do them good.
Palma is reported as very anxious to
resign and is shedding tears of joy when
hundred aud fifty blue jackets camp in
the front yard. Palma it will be remem-
bered taught school for twenty years on
the Hudson before he assumed the Pres
idential role of a Latin-American Repub-
lie. No pedagogic business that. 1t is
said he wishes to resign but has agreed to
hold on for awhile until he can send
another message to his quaking Congress
advising it to call upon the United States
for protection. This is probably the best
thing to do and the cue for which the
scrub Cabinet and the impulsive President
at Oyster Bay are waiting. Any one even
slightly acquainted with Cuba and
Cubans on the ground must know that
they are not fit for selfgovernment. The
most remarkable thing is that a SEM
blance of government has so long been
maintained there. The time has come
for the United States to assume actual
control. 1t looks as if the Isle of Pines
question and many other questions in
which Americans are interested will be
settled in a very satisfactory way to
Americans and to American property
interests in Cuba. 1t will be morally and
politically impossible to turn the Amer
lean interests over to the revolutionists.
The timely landing of the troops from
cruiser Denver, which had been des-
patched to Havana for protection of
American citizens there, doubtless saved
that city from an insurgent attack. AL
though Commander Colwell of the Den
yer, acting with the Charge d'Affaires
from the United States, Mr.. Sleeper,
ordered the troops to land and surround
the palace of the Cuban President they
were later withdrawn by order of the
Navy Department here. To have allowed
the troops to remain would have been to
indicate that our Government was favor
ing the Palma Government, while it is
the policy of the United Statss to preserve
strict neutrality until it may be necessary
to intervene and take possession. The
United States Consulate in Havana is
under military protection and the Denver
is being held as a retreat for Americans
whose lives may be in danger. On the
other hand the Navy acting under advices
from the President is making all necessary
preparations for sending powerful force
into Cuban waters. If the ships already
selected are not sufficient others will be
despatched, and those ships being fitted
out for leisurely cruise in Santo Domin-
gan waters have been placed under rush
orders and will soon sail for Cuba. 1t is
ton by the United States until the Cuban
Congress convenes or until the impos-
sibility of getting quorum in that body
shall have been proved. 1t is suspected
that there have been numerous defections
to the side of the revolutionists. The
opinion oftCubans is said to be generally
in favor of Intervention by the United
Estates but the responsibility of killing the
Republic is one that no man in official or
private life there would want to assume.
~
Mrs. Elizabeth Blair Lee, distinguish
ed Washingtoniau and a woman whose
name is linked with three of the most
important periods in our history died at
her home near the Capital Thusday last.
Mrs. Lee was the daughter of Francis P.
Blair, editor of the Administration organ.
the Globe, during Jackson's presidency,