The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-09-12
CUBANS FIGHT
HATED PLAT
AMENDMENTS
Crisis Faced Over Clause
in Constitution Giving
Intervention Right.
PROTESTS WERE HUSTLED
Opposition Voiced at End OF
Spanish War Was
FrOWned Down.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
scrinns- HoHard Foreign EDITOR

WASHINGTON. Sept. PA new
crisis in Cuban-American relations
is about 10 break over the Plat
amendment-the authority TO inter
vene IN the islands affairs-regard-
less Of whatever else may happen in
that sorely beset isle.
Cubans from the start bitterly
have opposed the amendment, as an
infringement upon their national
. sovereignty.
Shortly after the Spanish Amer
lean war. Gen. Leonard Wood mill
tarv governor Of the island, was
ordered by Washington to call
convention of Cubans to frame
constitution for themselves, which
was to include the relations to exist
between the two countries.
The constitution was framed, but
it omitted all mention of the rela-
tions 10 exist" Whereupon Senator
Orville Platt. of Connecticut, came
to the rescue.
Amendment Tackled on
The war department apprOpria-
tions bill was up and the senator
tackled on an amendment that was
destined to become historic. 1t did
what the Cubans had failed to do.
II defined the future relations Of
the United States and Cuba" and
stipulated that when Cuba saw fit to
make the amendment a part of its
constitution. its independence would
be recognized.
The now famous document con-
tanned eight major articles. But
Article III was the one which stuck
most in the craws of the CubanS.
The others gave the United States
a certain amount of supervision over
the islands finances and foreign
affairs, and so were not rehshed, but
Article III gave this country the
right to intervene.
The CubanS objected strenuouSly.
They sent a delegation to Washing
ton to protest. But Elihu Root,
then secretary of war. told them
thew could rest assured that the
clause was intended wholly and ex-
clusively for their benefit that 1t
merely legalized the position of the
United States before the rest of the
world if and when the United States
found 1t necessary to intervene for
Cuba's own independence or other
good.
Cuba'S Anger Stirred
Dissatisfied. the Cubans returned
home. But as acceptance was the
price of independence, the Plat
amendment finally was written into
their constitution and made part OF
a treaty defining Cuban-Amerlcan
relations.
The ousted MachadO insisted upon
repeal of the amendment. Men like
DR.. COsme de la TOrriente, respected
the world over as president OF the
League of Nations. Cuban secretary
of state and ambassador to Wash
ington. advocated it. And now all
Cuba is reported Tuning over the
presence of American warships. sent
to her waters under the amend
ment's provisions.
Reports from Havana suggest that
the Cubans may strike it out of their
constitution. But this still would
leave the treaty valid so far as the
United States is concerned.
Almost certainly the new Cuban
regime-whatever that regime may
be-will make a blazing issue of it.
The Cuban delegation hardly will
fail to take the issue to the seventh
Pan-American congress at Monte
video. where. if not actually on the
agenda. it will be aired when inter-
ventiOn comes up.