Evening star., 1933-09-03

well as for its own defense, the gov
eminent Of Cuba will sell or lease to
the United States lands necessary for
coaling or naval stations, at certain
specified points, to be agreed upon with
the President Of the United States.
Those provisions appeared originally
in the Platt amendment to the Army
appropriation act approved March 2,
1901, by the United States Congress.
After bitter debate. they were incor-
porated in the constitution Of Cuba
while the island was still under the
military occupation Of the United
States. The provisions as to naval sta
tions and sanitation have been carried
out and the status of the Isle Of Pines
was settled after a long diplomatic
struggle in 1925, when the United
States relinquished all title and claim
to it by ratifying a treaty negotiated
in 1904.
Intervention Clause Fought.
The third clause of the treaty Of
1903 is the provision which has been
advanced vigorously in recent months
as obligating the United States to in
tervene in the Cuban situation. It is
the heart of the relationship which
led Theodore Roosevelt to describe
Cuba as a part Of the international
system" of the United States. 1t is also
the chief point which Cuban obiectors
have sought to eliminate from both
treaty and constitution. Among the
best informed American authorities on
Cuba relations however, the opinion
prevails that the United States can
not permit its elimination from the pro-
posed new constitution which is being
advocated as part of the program for
political reform in the island republic.
Under this clause the United States
has virtually no alternative except in
tervention whenever state Of serious
unrest arises in Cuba. AS the current
situation was approaching, however,
the United States has taken the posi-
ton that President Machado was main
tanning law and order. The fact that
he was calling out his American trained
army whenever activities Of the politi-
cal opposition created disturbances was
viewed as adequate for the mainte-
nance Of the terms Of the Platt amend
rent treaty. despite the fact that his
policies and attitude were not always
what the United States might have
desired.
Neither President Roosevelt nor those
directly in charge Of the conduct of
Latin American affairs in the State
Department desired to land American
Marines and bluejackets IN Cuba The
1eaSon for that attitude was the Presi-
dents determination to keep American
forces as much as possible out of politi-
cal and military activities in Latin
America. That has been part of his
policy to establish the relations of good
neighbor with all the Latin Ameri-
can nations. His hope has been that
the Montevideo conference in Decem-
Der will bring important economic
benefits to all, and he did not want
that prospect marred by armed inter-
vention IN Cuba If it could be avoided
Speed Anti-U. s. Propaganda.
Europeans recently have been yer
active in spreading anti-America,
! propaganda In Latin America. The,
have been telling the Latin American
to beware Of the greed of the United
States, and that once American capital
become intrenched in their countries
the Marines and men of war will fol-
low and there will be little likelihood
OF maintaining their independence.
The evacuation Of Nicaragua ana
/ agreement for the withdrawal of Ma
rines from Haiti have greatly weak
ened that propaganda. 1t is recognized,
however, that 1t would be greatly stim-
ulated by American intervention IL
Cuba. regardless of the peculiarly in
innate relations between that republic
and the United States.
! The only time the United States has
exercised its right to intervene in the
past was in 1906, when the powers of
government on the island were taken
over at the request of the President
of Cuba and retained for three years
until order was firmly re-established.
The nearest approach to a repetition
came in 1912, when disturbances about
the sugar mills at Santiago again
caused the Cuban government to ask
for aid. On that occasion the Ameri-
can forces merely undertook to police
the disturbed. area and did not taxi
over the functions Of government.
The principal provisions Of the Com
mercial Convention of 1902 were that
Cuban products should be admitted to
the United States at rate 20 per cent
lower than the regular tariffs, and that
American goods-except tobacco, Cuba's
second major source of export revenue
should be admitted to Cuba at re-
ductions Of 20 to 40 per cent Of Cuban
tariff rates.
Industries Strengthened.
Since the initiation Of the present
! protective tariff policy of the Cuban
| government in 1927, increased rates
have strengthened number Of do
mestic industries and fostered estab-
lishment of others. Chief among these
have been the manufacture of rum,
molasses. alcohol. boots and shoes, ce-
ment, soap. paints and varnishes, fur
niture. sunf1ower seed oil and others.
The differentials in favor of the United
| States, however remain in force,
| SUMMING I'M the sjtJIa tioY in re-
cent study, made in June, prior to the
acute revolutionary developments of
the past few weeks, with the aid of
the research staff of the Foreign Pol
icy Association, Raymond Leslie Buell.
wrote:
"A solution Of the Cuban problem
may depend on three main develop
ments: ID The political reorganiza
tion of the country, which now seems
to be taking place. (2) A revision of
the reciprocity treaty and other meas
ures insuring secure access Of Cuban
sugar to the American market. Any
economic plan may also include q pro-
gram Of agrarian reform and possibly
the revision of Cuba's foreign debt.
90 A reconsideration Of the Platt
amendment
"A number of Cubans and Americans
favor the abrogation of the Platt
amendment, in order to remove any
basis for the belief that this amend
ment has indirectly fostered dictator
ship or the absorption Of Cubas re-
sources by foreign capital. Others be-
lieve, however. that because Of the
proximity Of Cuba to the United States
and the special conditions under which
the Cuban Republic came into exist
ence, the Platt amendment should re-
main in force"