At the national level, American leaders had been satisfied to have the island remain in weak Spanish hands so long as it did not pass to a stronger power such as Britain or France.
Di tingkat nasional, pemimpin Amerika sebenarnya merasa puas bahwa pulau Kuba tetap berada di tangan Spanyol yang lemah dan bukan di tangan kekuatan besar seperti Britania atau Prancis.