, 1923-08-20
The Restiyeness Of Cuba

Charging that a bill introduced in the Cuban
congress by n member, Taraffa, is confiscatory,
and that the proposed confiscation has not even
the merit Of being for a public purpose or in the
public interest, an American law firm has filed a
brief in the state department asking that appro-
PIRATE action be taken by this government.
The attorneys claim that the bill is unnecessary,
uneconomic and destructive of essentiol rights of
American citizens; - that it would eliminate lines
ind seaports controlled by Americans; and that its
sponsor, Taraffa, is said to be a larg, stakeholder
in the Ecrrocarril del Norte (Northern railroadl
and other lines in Camaguey Province. The attor-
neys also state that a majority for the bill has
been assured-cven sufficient votes to pass it over
a presidential veto.
The bill provides for a railroad consolidation
and privately owned railroads in municipal dis.
tricts where CONSOLIDATED railroads" operate may
rot be opened to public service or extended, except
they join the consolidation. Twenty-Five Cuban
ports are classified as national and all rights
to import and export from all other ports in Cuba
are a%brogated and concessions relating thereto an
nulled. The bill contains a privision for payment to
the government of 90 per cent of net profits of the
consolidated company in excess of 6 per cent on
the stock, but no limit is put upon the amount of
stock TO be issued.
at is not the purpose of this memorandum to
argue the iniquities, moral political or economic
of this bill except insofar as they directly affect
our clients" says the attorneys brief. "The eco
nomic effort of closing many of the best natural
ports in Cuba to further growth or development;
the destruction of enormous property values in
those ports and in railroads serving them; the loss
VI Occupation " bhc popuiatiohs living III inOst
ports, large in the aggregate; the diverting of earn
ed millions from the industry to serve no economic
purpose but to go so largely to one individual and
in no part to the government or back to the pro
ducers of those millions, the cane growers and man.
ufacturers of sugar, are matters largely political
and beyond the scope of this memorandum"
Cuba has been exceedingly FESTIVE for some time
and reports of all sorts have emanated from that
territory indicating dissatisfaction with what some
are pleased to term American interference with
their sovereignty, but what has really been the
American policy ever since we gave the islands
their freedom of certainteeing sound government
Matters in Cuba have reached such a pass that the
american ambassador to that country, General
Enoch Crowder, is now in Washington comforting
with the secretary of state on the entire situation
and it is entirely probable that a showdown will
come In the very near future and Cuba will be told
where she stands.
There could be no disposition ON the part of the
United States to interfere with Cuban autonomy or
to subordinate her interests to our own, but we still
stand for the Plat amendment and the rights of
American citizens doing business in Cuba.
Recognition of Mexico has been withheld because
of the high-handed procedure of the Mexican gov.
eminent with respect TO American property in that
country. The protection of American rights abroad
is a cardinal tenet of the present administration
and it is not likely to make any exception of Cuba