Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-20
BARON ANSWERS
. ATTACK" ON CUBA
Charge d'Affares Calls Bar.
low Case Complaints
Vulgar, Calumnious.


the brand of justice administered by
the Cuban courts as vulgar and
caluminous." Jose r. Baron. charge
d'affaires of the Cuban embassy, today
answered the recent charges of q reign
of terror" and other implications of mis-
government in the island republic.
Z Baron explains that his government
cannot consistently. turn over TO dip
lomatic arbitration matters which are
pending in the country's courts and
have not yet come to adjudication.
The statement particularly strives to
lay bare the case of Joseph E. Barlow,
an American citizen. who claims the
Cuban government owes him $4,000, 900
and Is seeking to interest the Ameri-
| can Government In the collection Of
the money.
The representative of the Repuolic
OF Cuba in Washington. cannot partici.
pate in polemics with the persons, whose
! attacks and representations, published
in these days against the government of
Cuba. are so banal, vulgar and calumni-
Gus, that the casual reader himself will
discount the necessity of explanation on
in part.
Friendship to Remain.
THE Cuban republic is a most sin
| cere and constant friend of the ,Repub-
| lie of the United States of America and
will continue so to be, despite the vo-
| alterations of those animadVerting indi-
vidualS who would govern from afar a
! country in which they have never lived,
UThnQA O tn nIA carl
book and whose people they do not
! know.
The government of President Ma
chado, on coming into power In May,
| 1925, found that number of claims were
being prosecuted through diplomatic
channels by citizens of the United
States Of America. Careful considera-
ton was given to these claims. 1t was
found that they lacked merit, and they
were decided upon adversely. However.
| in view of the intimate cordial relations
existing between the two countries. the
Cuban government consented to the
petition of the Government of the
| United States that two of the claims,
which had already passed through the
Cuban courts and for which no further
judicial consideration was possible, be
| submitted to arbitration. These were
the Smith and Harrah claims. AS re-
spects to others of the claims. the gov
eminent of Cuba could not consent to
yield Jurisdiction over them to diplo-
matte settlements without violating the
constitution Of the republic and without
establishing dangerous precedent
which might on occasions be taken ad-
vantage of by whoever should devise
plan of extortion against the Cuban
government and should conjure to his
support the moral force of a great ma
ton. One of the latter was the Barlow
case.
This individual acquired certain liti-
gious credits in some land in the pos
session Of other foreigners, who. appar-
emily are its owners. and brought suit
against them before Cuban courts. AS
yet a final decision has not been handed
down. 1t is not the province of the
government of Cuba to intervene in q
matter which Is exclusively within the
jurisdiction OF the court Of justice.
Barlow's manifest intention Is
to withdraw the case from the judicial
arena, where 1t is following ats normal
course. in order to carry 1t to the field
of diplomatic pressure, In the hope OF
obtaining indemnification not counte-
nanced morally or legally by Cuba nor
in harmony with Cuban public inter-
ests.
Complaint Dy CUBAN.
1.-THE detention imposed on Barlow
recently has no connection with the
disputed land, but was the consequence
OF a complaint lodged against him by
Mrs Vicenta Garcia. a Cuban citizen.
This woman, who is in straitened cir
cumstances, has purchased from Bar
low with her savings a lot In the sub
division Colombia, and, according to
the records, when she demanded deliv-
cry of said lot found that Barlow had
sold 1t to another person. Naturally,
following this charge OF larceny. and
In view of the proofs presented in
support of it. the court ordered the
prosecution of Barlow and issued the
warrant for his arrest. When Barlow
arrived in Cuba the police. by order
of the proper court, arrested him. His
incarceration lasted but q few hours,
as he was out on bail shortly after his
arrest. During the time he was in
jail Barlow was given every considera-
ton. He, however. continuing his
policy of msrepresents ton and calumny
against the Cuban government, and pre-
sumably with the object of melting
public opinion in the United States in
his behalf and thereby securing the
Intervention of the public authorities
of his country in his claim, declared
that he had been locked up in an I'M
hygienic fortress together with lepers
and maniacs. which statement is abb
solutely untrue. The American
colony of Cuba is against these three
or four individuals of dubious morality
and could add to this statement"