The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-08-19

- "a 3 1 ~ 3 % ~
war were the pride of all Spain,
but Sampson and Schley promptly
shelled them to the bottom of the
beach.
This took place in the first week
of July, 1898 We had declared
war for Cubas liberation in April.
On May /. Dewey. in far Manila,
had riddled SPANS Asiatic fleet.
Nothing but victories. BY mid
August. Spain. weary. half-starved
and impoverished, had been har-
ried out of the last of the colon
ial possessions that went TO make
up the sixteenth century's most
splendid empire.
Cuba. Puerto Rico. the Philip
pines had fallen 10 the casually
trained, scandalously fed, but
notwithstanding Americans.
In the jungles surrounding San
tiago-an ancient city incaSed by
mountains toward the easterly end
of Cubas southern coast-tlle
boys in blue" Economically sang
the national anthem as the Stars
and Stripes appeared over enemy
positions.
When the invaded expedition
airy forces reached Montauk Point.
l.. l., later in the summer. such
as had survived shrapnel. the
Mausers. yellow fever. "Alger" beef
and incredibly bad sanitary provi-
sions. roared "There1l Be a Hot
Time in the Old Town Tonight"
In retrospect. as the Rough
Rider Teddy" dickered with Boss
Platt for the Republican nomina-
ton for Governor, the Cuban ad-
venture appeared lively sum-
mer's outing.
On Broadway, Dewey. Schley,
Hobson and divers boys in blue"
editors piously thanked providence
that we expeditiously had so rout-
ed the Spanish tyrant.
HNLY Colonel Bryan, the COM
~ moner, bereft of the silver
issue by the cyanide of potassium
treatment of gold ore and the
Klondike discoveries. sulked in his
tent. In 1900 he would be urging
self-denial on an America sud-
denly turned expansionist
Thus lightly did the country
enter its second. and overseas.
phase of imperialism.
Cuba. constructively. was free.
although General Shafter. equity.
inept and burden TO any horse
with his 300 pounds, blatherskited
insurgent generals. worn by three
years of honorable warfare. when
they attempted TO enter Santiago
with the Americans.
The lone star flag of Cuba flew
over fortified cities for the first
time since 1912. but Cuban patri-
OTIS were diSarmed by contemp-
tuous Americans.
Cuba was free Of Madrid. the
hated Captains-General. Butch
er Weyler; the ''reconcentrado"
camps were disbanded and the
pitiful. brutalized remnants of the
imprisoned peasantry returned to
their ruined valleys.
Cuba Libre had exchanged the
iron rule of the grandees for
lighter. but no less tangible. rein.
The centuries of stark despotism
had come to an end: the era of
tutelage from abroad had begun.
From being possession. Cuba
had become a dependency.
nor the United States the
Il southwark march of empire
which had embraced the Flori6as.
Texas and the southwest again
had been resumed.
Cuba. the Gibraltar plugging the
Gulf of Mexico. the strategic is
land standing athwart America
access TO any isthmian canal to
the Pacific. had been coveted for
nearly three-quarters of CEN
fury by Americans.
First. jefferson. in 1907. hoping
that in the event of war with
Spain, Cuba might join and pledg-
ing his influence 10 mark me plus
ultra" on the islands southern
shores as the Southerly limits of
our expansion.
Then John c. Calhoun, urging
on John Quincy Adams cabinet
when Cuban agents sought an
nexation that We take the goods
the gods provide us"
Slave state senators honed for
Cuba's partition from Spain ant
admission TO statehood as an off,
set to the entrance Of free states
in the Missouri valley.
In all times, as Elihu Root
pointed out in recommending the
Platt amendment to the reluctant
Cuban constitutional convention.
the American government had
held steadfast TO the principle
that no strong European power
could establish itself in Cuba
without conflict with us.
JEFFERSON and Monroe and
~ John Quincy Adams and
Jackson" wrote Boot. secretary
of war, land Van Buren, and
Grant and Clay and Webster and
Buchanan and Everett all have