New-York tribune., 1920-12-28
Cuba Asks i. S.
Aid to Ensure
Fair Election
Representatives of Liberal
Party Present Appeal to
State Department; Memo
cal Accused of Coercion
Death Threats at Polls
Report of American Adviser
on Financial Situation Is
Now Eagerly Awaited

A formal request has been made to
the State Department in Washington
by the Liberal party Of Cuba through
Julio de la Tore and DR.. Fernando
Ortiz for American supervision at the
forthcoming bye-elections that will de-
eide the Presidency of Cuba. The re-
quest is made to insure a fair election
without intimidation on the part of the
present Cuban government. The two
appellants were specially appointed for
this purpose by the party.
Mr.. de la Tore, who returned from
Washington yesterday, said that the re-
quest had been made in connection
with the proclamation issued to the
Cuban people on August 80 last by
Francis White, American Charge DAT
faires in Havana, acting under instruc-
tions from the State Department. In
this proclamation it was declared the
fact that "the United States may again
be called upon by the Cuban people
for decision regarding the fairness
of the election makes 1t incumbent upon
the government Of the United States to
use all available means to observe the
conduct of the electoral procedure
in Cuba, as we'll as the spirit in which
the electoral law Is being enforced. The
government Of the United States does
not purpose actually to supervise the
elections"
Wholesale Fraud Charged
"The system Of observation has not
prevented the wholesale intimidation
and fraud that were perpetrated in five
Of the siX provinces by the Cuban gov
ernment," said Mr.. De La Tore |. It
night, therefore we are asking for
supervision"
although the election was held No
vember l, only in the Province of Ha-
vana has any result been an
nounced. In that province, owing
to the proximity of the Ayneri-
cal Legation, it was not possible for
President Menocal to exert ntimida-
ton, and the re ,ult is that the Liberal
party has obtained all of the thirty-tw 10
electoral votes.
"In the other five provinces we are
protesting the election on the ground
Of intimidation and fraud, and the
courts will undoubtedly order new
elections in certain districts. In those
five provinces on Election Day the
rural guards were sent to the election
precincts by the government ostensibly
to preserve order. The Conservative
voters were lined up in one body and
the known Liberals in another The
Conservatives were permitted to vote
first and then the Liberals. AS soon
as two or three Liberals had voted q
shot would be fired in the polling
booth, and the rural guards would
intervene. That would end the cleo
tion in that district"
Mr.. de la Tore said there was nc
possibility Of revolution in Cuba
He declared the Liberal party was
fully aware of the feeling Of Amercs
against revolution, and preferred tC
make its appeal upon the facts OBJ
tained by the American observers, who
have forwarded their information te
the State Department. He said he
was much pleased with the reception
given his appeal by officials of the
department, and also by the sympa
thies of the American people
Rathbone Report Awaited
In Cuban circles in this city IL ere is
great deal of speculate n as to the
nature of the report and recommends
tions that are about to be made by
Robert Rathbone, the Assistant Secre-