Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-01-14
President Wilson Sends General
Crowder to Cuba to Help
1t Out of Trouble.
INTERVENTION NOT UNLIKELY
Congress REEVES Wa Finance Cor.
poration, Despite Veto-senate
Committee Debating Disarma-
ment Plans-Gompers As
sails Supreme Court
for Labor De-
cision.
ev EDWARD w. PIcKARo.

Cuba must clean house. If she is
unwilling or unable to stabilize her
financial and political conditions,
Uncle Sam may find it necessary TO
do it for her. That is the warning
the island republic received last week
from the administration in Washing
ton.
The serious condition Of affairs in
Cuba has been a matter of common
knowledge for some time, but our gov
ernment's intention vas made known
only when 1t was announced that
President Wilson had sent Judge Adj
vocate General Enoch H. Crowder to
Havana to confer with President
Menocal. General Crowder went on
the battleship Minnesota and with
him was a staff of army officers. In
announcing his mission, President
Wilson said:
1.-THE moratorium and financial
crisis in Cuba continues, the solution
of which appears more difficult On ac-
count of the unsettled presidential
election. A continuation of the pres
ent situation would prove most detri-
mental to the prosperity Of Cuba and
harmful to the relations between the
United States and Cuba.
"As this cannot be but a matter of
the closest concern to this govern
ment, because of the special relations
existing between the two countries,
the President has instructed General
Crowder to confer with President
Menocal as to the best means of rem
edying the situation"
Actual Intervention, which would be
under the Platt amendment, will be
avoided by the administration if pos
slble. If 1t IS necessary, 1t is not GER
tain that military forces would be
required.
Cuba's troubles are both financial
and political. Last summer, when
sugar brought such high prices in the
United States, the island went sugar
mad and enormous fortunes were
made. Then came the sudden col
lapse Of prices, and the cane mills
closed and Cuba, generally speaking,
vent broke. The Industrial situation
grew worse daily. and financial con-
Germs were in great distress. Many
banks went into insolvency and a
moratorium was established, which has
recently been extended another month.
All this Is complicated by the polit-
zeal lnixup In the island. President
Menocal's term expires Oh May 20, but
no one knows who is to succeed him.
charges of fraud were made and the
winner has not yet been determined.
American bankers, who are vitality
Interested in Cuba, disapprove of the
moratorium. Some time ago Albert
Ratlibone was sent to the island as
financial adviser and he submitted to
the Cuban government a number Of
recommendations which were APP
proved by our State department but
apparently Menocal and his cabinet
have taken no accion toward adopting
them. The Cuban minister in Wash
ington was surprised by the sending
Of General Crowder and Immediately
asked an explanation, but he did not
receive much satisfaction.
Congress Is determined to relieve
American business and agriculture in
its own ~ay, despite the opposition
of President Wilson. AS had been ex-
perte6, the President vetoed the bill
to revive the War Finance corpora
tiop, and frst the senate and then
the house re-passed the measure over
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