The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1912-05-31
.NTERVE NTION IS
NOT THE IDEA
Taft Gives This Assurance to
President of Cuba.
MOVE ONLY PRECAUTIONARY
Gomez Communicates Taft's Mes.
sage TO Cabinet and Replies, Ex-
pressing His Appreciation OF
Taft's Attitude.


Washington. President Taft Mon.
day replied to President Gomez's
telegram regarding the attitude Of the
United States toward Cuba. He de-
clared the American governments
activities in mobilizing war vessels at
Key West and dispatching the Prairie
with marines to Guantanamo was not
in any sense an intervention move
ment. The following is the text of
the message:
Il am sincerely gratified to learn Of
your governments energetic measures
to put down the disturbance and to-
know that you are confident of being
successful. AS was fully explained to
he Cuban charge d'affairs here, this
governments motive in sending ships
to Key West, just as sending the
Prairie to the Guantanamo naval sta
ton, was merely to be able to act
promptly in case it should unfor-
tunately become necessary to protect
American life and property by render
ing moral support or assistance to the
Cuban government. AS was made
quite clear at the time, these ordinary
measures of precaution were entirely
disassociated from any question Of
intervention.
tSigned) WILLIAM Fl. TAFT" s
Feeling assured that President
Gomez has misunderstood the purpose
of the American government in dis.
patching the large naval force now CD
its way to Key West, the State De
pertinent, after having instructed
American Minister Beaupre at Havana,
to make plain to the Cuban govern
ment the purpose of the movement
has now left to the discretion of Col
onel Karmany, commanding tho
marine force enroute on the cruiser
Prairie and due at Guantanamo Tues
day, the extent to which the marines
shall be Employed
Admiral Osterhaus' expeditionary
feet will not move at once into Cuban
waters unless something should hap
pen in the meantime to demand its
presence there. 1t is said by the au
thorities here that the various Cuban
ports will await the decision of Ameri
can Minister Beaupre at Havana, un
less he should be so hampered by de
stroyed Geographic communication
from obtaining information as to what
is going on in the distant eastern end
of the island, where the disturbances
at present are focused, as to make it,
necessary for the State Department
to act independently of his suggestion
The State Department emphatically
declared that the present Cuban situa,
ton in no sense made Intervention
necessary. No American troops other
than the marines already on their way
to- the island were expected to be or
dered out. it was stated. 1t was shown
that the fund available for the trans
portation of troops has run low with
the APPROACH of the end of the fiscal
year, and any attempt to move troopa
from posts in this country to Cuba
would be costly.
In addition to this the department.
and the administration are anxious to
adhere closely to the terms of the
Plat amendment under which the
United States interviewed in Cuba after
the collapse of the Palma administra.
ton in 1906. The law as interpreted
by the Judge Advocate General of the
Army provides that the United States
may intervene only "for the preserva
ton Of Cuban independence, the main,
tenance of government adequate tc
the protection Of life, property. and in.
dividual liberty and for dischargine
the obligations with respect to Cuba
imposed by the treaty of Paris upon
the United States, now to be under.
taken by the government of Cuba