Evening star., 1933-07-29
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MARYLAND and Virginia.
An Other States and Canada,
Member NJ the Associated Press.
Peace.Making in Cuba.

III America has intervened In CUBA again
NOT with armed force this time, but
with diplomatic power, it is to be hoped,
no less effective. Intervention is taking
the form of mediation by the United
States Ambassador, Sumner Welles who
Is now immersed in intimate negotia-
tions with representatives of both Presi-
dent Machados government and the
opposition factions, with view to end
ing the quasi-revolutionary conditions
that have kept the island republic in
bitter political turmoil for the better
part Of three years.
On Thursday night Mr.. Welles startled
the members Of the HavanaPeace Con-
ference by declaring categorically that
he is acting, not alone for 4imself, but
for President Roosevelt aed the United
States in attempting to neaiate between
Senor Machado and tl= latter's foes.
The statement seems to have taken the
Cuban President completely by surprise.
Earlier in the week the Cuban Congress
was informed by the island chief execu-
tive that Ambassador Welles was func-
tioning only as friendly individual"
and did not represent any foreign gov
eminent" To fortify his assertion that,
on the contrary, he was acting for Mr..
Roosevelt, Mr.. Welles repeated part of
the latter's recent message to the Cuban
people, In which it was declared that
'the restoration of political peace is a
necessary and essential preliminary step
on the way to Cuba's economic recovery"
Now that the United States Govern
ment's high interest in the pacification
OF Cuba is officially attested, perhaps the
warning groups will be more inclined
to bury the hatchet than they have
hitherto shown themselves to be. Am
bassador Welles followed up the intro
duction of President Roosevelt's name
Into the proceedings with an eloquent
plea to both sides to reach the basis Of
agreement. At President Machado's
tstigation there has just been issued q
decree restoring constitutional guaran-
tees and declaring an amnesty for all
political prisoners convicted of revolu-
tionary or nti-administration activities
since January l, 1927. 1t would have
been supposed that this action would
automatically clear the political at
mosphere and lead to early success for
the American Ambassadors mediation
efforts.
But the revolutionary organizations,
including the powerful student A. B. c.,
continue to be suspicious of the good
faith Of the Nachado administration
The extremists among them will appar-
emily be satisfied with nothing but the
complete and immediate obliteration of
Nachado and all his works. In par
ticular, they do not trust the Presidents
promise of constitutional reforms look
ing to untrammeled popular elections.
They do not think there could be an
honest election as long as Machado re-
mains in Office and in control Of the
Cuban Army. His apparent intention
Is to serve until the end of his term,
which has been extended to six years.
II Machado and the opposition mutual
ly refuse to give way on this score,
serious obstruction to compromise will
be raised But the fact that the hostile
elements continue to sit around the
conference table, with the Ambassador
OF the United States at its head, proves
that the situation is not yet deadlocked
;;cr hopeless. It may well be that Mr..
Nelles decided to play trumps by dis
CLOSING that he is intruding himself
into the acrimonious situation as the
;3ull- -hedged spokesman of the American
president and people, with all that i'm
plies, Machado's statement that our
envoy is merely a friendly individual'
10 the contrary notwithstanding.