Evening star., 1933-08-20
BY ERNEST GRUENING.

YUST another incident in the
tragic history of Cuba libre'
was recorded on August 7, with
~ the massacre in Havana of
some 81 persons cheering the re-
port that President Machado was about
to leave. But more significant is
that this bloody and needless episode
may write the beginning of a new
chapter in the complex relations OF
the United States and Cuba.
For unlike the long series Of assas-
sinations which have increasingly
marked the dictator's rule In Cuba.
this latest slaughter skaters the effort
at peaceable mediation which Ambas-
sador Welles had been painStakingly
seeking to bring about since he arrived
on the scene. Unlike Machados pre-
vious killings, which the most conser-
vative estimates place at more than
| 900 and other estimates at more than
twice that number, this carnage con-
stituted challenge to American re-
sponsibility without recent precedent.
1t was, in effect, violation Of an
implicit armistice arranged by the
| representative of the United States
| between Machado and the opposition
"a flgurative firing upon flag Of
truce, under which all groups in Cuba
had assembled in good faith to dis
| cuss and prepare solution OF their
| problem To paraphrase our expe-
rience in the World War, it was a
case of shouting "Kamarad" and then
J firing on the unSuspecting Cubans who
, were prepared to accept Machado's
surrender.
More Than Tale Of Trouble.
The whole affair has its roots in
the last 35 years of history, more par
ticularly in the events of the last
eight. and especially the diplomatic
| transaction of the last three months.
( Of turbulence in a Latin American re-
public. 1t concerns the United States
as the events in no other country
could. For we are obligated and re-
sponsible in Cuba by treaty ties of
our own initiation and insistence. The
| essential factor, indeed the key to the
whole Cuban disaster, is found in the
Platt amendment 1t is impossible to
/ understand recent events in the Pearl
of the Antilles unless We comprehend
/ the nature of our ENHANCEMENT there
The United States made war on
| Spain in 1898 almost wholly on account
of Cuba. To set Cuba free from "Old
World tyranny" that was almost uni
|
the objective Of the crusade under
taken toward the close of the roman
tic nineties. And the unselfshness
| OF our aims was proclaimed in the
joint resolution of Congress of April
18. 1898, which disclaimed "any dis
i position or intention to exercise SOW
ereignty, jurisdiction or control" over
Cuba, and asserted our determination
once pactfication had been accom-
plished Ito leave the government and
control OF the island to its people"
SeIf-Government Created.
Spain. defeated, relinquished all
claim to the sovereignty of Cuba, by
the treaty Of Paris signed December
10, 1898. Under Gen. Leonard Wood
an interim American military admins
tration eliminated yellow fever ano
prepared the way for government Of
for and by the Cubans. A constitu-
tional convention met in the Fall OF
1900 to draw up a constitution, pat
termed on that of the United States
1t was silent on any especial relation
ship with the United States. How
ever. in its closing days the Fifty
seventh Congress, on March 2, 1901
enacted an amendment to the Army
appropriation bill, known thenceforth
|
of Connecticut, which compensated fol
the Cubans' omission.
| BY it the Cubans were obligated, as
| a prerequisite to our withdrawal, to
embody in their constitution perma-
nent treaty consisting Of seven articles
OF these only two, Articles II and III
are significant today, and it Is these
that Cubans have in mind when they
refer with complete lack of enthusiasm
Ito put 1t midly-to La Enmienda
Plat.
Article II forbids the Cuban govern
ment from contracting any public debt
to pay the interest and sinking fund
charges on which the ordinary revenues
of the island did not suffice Articl.
III gives Cuba's consent that tht
United States may exercise the righ1
to intervene for the preservation Of
Cuban independence, the maintenance
of q government adequate for the pro.
lection Of life. property and individual
liberty :"
| Provisions Opposed.
The Cuban constitutional convention
objected vigorously to these provision
ON the ground that they impaired tn,
sovereignty and independence Of Cuba
The United States refused to bulge
We did, however, seek to reassure tn,
Cubans by official declarations by botl
President Mckinley and Secretary Roo
that our Interpretation would not sig
nifty "intermeddling or interference
with the Cuban government, but tina
any action on our part would be "baset
upon Just and substantial grounds.
The Cubans continued to protest. bu
in vain. The United States is toda!
again faced, as it has been before, bu
under conditions of unprecedentes
poignancy. with the challenge Of val
idating its pledges and responsibilities