Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-13
REVOLT IN CUBA
/. FEARED IF GOMEZ
|SMADEPRES|DEN7
Uneasiness in Mexico, Too,
Over Presidential Election.
United States Concerned.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Presidential politics may give the
average American passing concern, but
presidential politics in Mexico and in
Cuba is causing genuine apprehension
lest revolution follow the verdict at the
polls. The game in Mexico. where legal
ly President Carranza cannot be a can
didate to succeed himself. has resolved
itself into a struggle between Gems.
Pablo Gonzalez and Aware ObregOn,
with the latter unwilling to sign an
agreement saying he would not take up
arms after the election.
New Cuban Revolt Feared.
But in Cuba the situation has become
tense and a matter of grave concern
for foreign governments. For the can
didacy of Jose Miguel Gomez, a former
president of Cuba. has developed fears
of a new revolution which the Cuban
press is doing its utmost to prevent.
1t will be recalled that after the last
election Gomez induced a large number
of officers in the Cuban army to revolt
and join him in revolution to over
throw the constituted government of
Cuba The Gomez revolution produced
such conditions of disorder and resulted
in such destruction of property among
Cubans that Gomez had to leave Cuba
and come to the United States.
Operating under new electoral
law recently passed by the Cuban
congress, which requires recognition
of the political parties. the central
electoral board of Cuba has decided
that Jose Miguel Gomez is the head
of the, liberal party in Cuba. This en-
titles him to be a candidate on that
ticket. which. under ordinary circum-
stances, would be equivalent to an
election. But the prospect of revolu-
tlonary trouble became so great that
the decision Of the central electoral
board was taken into the courts by
members of the liberal party who
have not been in sympathy with the
Gomez methods. An appeal was car
ried to the supreme court of Cuba.
which has heard both sides, but has
not yet rendered it's decision. The
verdict is expected before the Christ
mas holidays.
Case Against Gomez.
The case against Gomez is built up
largely on his alleged attitude of
treason in the revolt against the
Menocal government. 1t is argued
that this should disqualify him from
consideration. Some Of the Cuban
newspapers have taken a strong stand
against the Gomez faction and have
painted picture of chaos that might
arise in the pre-inauguration period
in the event of the election of
".
it is feared. would begin to dominate
and take reprisals against the Cuban
army officers who supported the gov
eminent in the last revolution. La
Lucia. one of the principal Cuban
newspapers, says, for instance:
Has any thought been given to the
consequences of Jose Miguel Gomez
turning out victor at the polls? There
would be another revolution in Cuba
then. A great number of Cubans
would expatriate themselves, another
great number would Immediately take
to the field, carrying aloft the torch of
civil war. Those who have an idea
that Jose Miguel will work reprisaIs.
as is reasonable to expect, will not
wait in their homes if he is raised to
power. They will go to the revolu-
ton forthwith and the Miguelistas
will have no moral force on their side
to fight them, because they were the
men who set the example and estab-
lished by their acts the lawfulness of
such attempts against a constituted
But even though the Supreme Court
may affirm the decision of the central
electoral board, which is not likely.
we shall not give up hope or desert
our post of duty. There is left to us
the recourse of going from door to
door. as beggars do. calling to the a i'd
of Cuban honor all the men who feel
in their faces the blow of the affront
dealt us by that candidacy. There is
left the recourse of having the dig
nifty Of whole people weigh in the
other plate of the scales uniting all
| the parties of those around him who
may oppose Jose Miguel Gomea who.
ever that competitor may be. and IL
all those were not enough there IL
| still left the supreme resort of seek
ing Tor cure. namely, through the
foreigners the Americans) who would
come at once and place us in tba
straight-j Jacket that will be necessarv
TO overcome our madness before we
destroy one another and in the ord
d1shonor ourselves forever. And fnr
all this let the people of Cuba tb.nt
the decisions of the courts which were
not apIe at the right time to harmon
ize morals with law INV
Gives U. $. Much Concern.
The principle involved in the cleo.
Mons is Dig one and it is giving the
united states concern. Shall man
VINO raised a violent hand against
constituted authority be regarded as
public over which the United St.tee
maintains protectorate? viii II
make for peace or bloodshed2 There
i is no question but that after tho da
cisioh or the supreme court some
pronouncement from the American
soVernment may be found necessary
to prevent revolution. Cuban sugar
is rather valuable NOWADAYS to the
american. and disturbed conditions in
Cuba may interrupt that suppIy. Rut
in any event the Department of State
is watching Cuba closely to lend
moral or material support to the con-
tinuance of tranquility on the island
Copyright. 1872
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