Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-14
POLITICAL UNREST
GROWING IN CUBA
America Obligated to Inter
vene if Revolution Occurs
as in Past.

Political unrest in Cuba. which has
been growing daily, yesterday began TO
| cause genuine concern In adm1niStra-
ton circles, despite an outward ap-
| pearance of calm.
American intervention in the affairs
of the Cuban government has been
| forced several times before in situations
which are almost identical to the pres
emit one. Both President Roosevelt and
| President Taft were obliged to land
| troops under the Platt amendment
when public disapproval OF existing re-
gimes became widespread.
United States Obligated.
Joseph p. Cotton, Undersecretary of
State, addressing newspaper CORE.
spondents yesterday in the absence of
| Henry l.. Stimson, Secretary OF State,
pointed out that the relations between
| the United States and Cuba are vastly
| different from the relations between
the United States and Argentina or
Peru. This country, he said, Is bound
to 70 to the assistance OF Cuba II its
established government Is overthrown.
Asked pointedly whether the United
States would intervene in revolution
| in Cuba under existing conditions, Mr..
Cotton replied that a prophecy as to
what action would be taken would not
be wise at this time. He added, how
| ever that thsre is a treaty which I'M
poses specific duties and invited the
! correspondents to read 1t for themselves.
The treaty in question. popularity re-
| ferred to as the Plat Amendment
| authorizes the United States to inter
| Vene in any case where the indepen-
| dence Of Cuba Is threatened or where
q proper and legally established form
| Of government is attacked. Interven-
| ton also is authorized II an attempt Is
| made to introduce an improper form of
| government.
President Is Disturbed.
The present Cuban situation" is due
| to popular dislike for President Ger
ardo Machada and the manner in
which he caused himself to be elected
! to ONCE q second time To bring about
| his election he had the Cuban constitu-
ton revised AS o result the island is
| torn not only by civil distrust for the
present administration, but rumblings
have come from the army as well.
A similar situation was presented fol-
lowing the election of the first presi-
dent, Estrada Palma, in 1902. During
| his first administration he was nom
partisan and there was no trouble. As
! his administration drew to q close,
however, he headed the Moderate party
and had the laws changed so that 1t
would dominate the forthcoming cleo
ton. The Liberals charged that
Moderate guards prevented them from
voting. Palma was reelected.
A revolution resulted and President
Roosevelt. at the request of Palma. sent
| two warShips to Havana. He announced,
| however, that 1t was q very serious
| thing to undertake Intervention and
! issued orders that troops were not to
be landed except under orders from the
! State Department in Washington.
| Palma and his cabinet resigned and
| the United States established q pro-
viSional government, presided over by
American off1cials. American forces
were not withdrawn until 1908, when
President Gomez was elected.
Marines QueIIed Revolt.
Three years later Marines were sent
1 back. The Veteranist organization de-
/ manded the dismissal from ONCE of
| Cubans who had fought on the side of
| Spain in the war Of 1898. President
Taft dispatched q note, saying the
| United States viewed the situation with
deep concern. No sooner had this been
1 settled than q Negro party revolted.
President Taft sent 500 Marines and
warships to Guatanamo, warning the
Cuban government at the same time
that he expected it to put down the
instruction. The revolt ended within
| two months.
Again in 1915, when President Memo
cal arranged to have himself elected
| twice, the United States rushed war
ships to Cuba. This time the American
| forces were not withdrawn until 1922,
the revolt having ended, however,
some years before when the State De-
| partment warned the rebels IL would
regard them as enemies of this country
II they persisted. The last attempt at
revolution was in 1924. This time
the United States placed an embargo
against the sale of arms TO the rebels
and the revolt collapsed.
Embassy Denies Unrest.
Each time Cuba has been threatened
| by revolution the United States has In
tervened IN some form every time go
ing further than merely attempting to
protect foreign interests. There Is no
| doubt here that a new rebellion would
| be met in the same way. The United
| States has taken the position repeatedly
that 1t will not tolerate the overthrow
OF Cuban governments by force OF arms
The Cuban embassy issued the follow
ing statement yesterday:
THE Cuban embassy, in view OF news
and rumors spread within the past few
days about unrest in Cuba, wishes TO
make known that they never had any
| foundation, and the embassy announces
| that cables have been received from
its government up to today to the effect
that complete peace reigns in the coun-
! try and that all national activities con-
! tinue to function normally. Therefore,
| the public in this country is warned
against such news and rumors which
undoubtedly are spread maliciously"
Harry r. Guggenheim, American Am
bassador to Cuba, who has been visiting
In the United States, Is to return to
his post at Havana shortly, the State
Department announced Friday.