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CUBA

President M‘Kinley, on August 17, 1899, ordered the taking of a census of the people of Cuba by disinterested citizens of Cuba as enumerators and supervisors. The proclamation of the President ordering the census was declared to be a preliminary step in the establishment of an effective system of self-government. The census was limited to inquiries concerning population, agriculture, and education as the three subjects of most importance. No previous census of Cuba as one had been taken since 1878. This work was accomplished with great thoroughness under the direction of Brigadier-General Sanger. The results of this census were beneficial in removing popular prejudices against the Cubans in the United States, demonstrating that a majority of the Cubans were of the white race and were generally more literate than the people of Spain and Porto Rico. The census also showed that the mortality due to the insurrection and the reconcentration had been less than had been ascribed. (For the details of the census results, see p. 303 above.) On January 1, 1900, Brigadier-General Leonard A. Wood succeeded General Brooke as Military Governor of General t^ie islan(T General Wood had shown great Wood’s success as governor of the province of Santiago, appoint- and his appointment was considered eminently ment appropriate and satisfactory both to the Cubans and the Americans. One of the early acts of his administration was to show his trust in the Cuban people by giving them most of the executive offices. To him fell the difficult task of conducting the elections, and serving as an intermediary between the administration at Washington and the Cuban people. On July 25, 1900, the President directed that a call be issued for an election in Cuba for members of a constitutional Convention to frame a Constitution as a basis for a stable and independent Government in the island. In pursuance thereof MilitaryGovernor Wood issued a proclamation again citing the fact that the United States disclaimed any disposition or intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control over the island except for the pacification thereof, and asserting its determination, when that was accomplished, to leave the government and control of the island to its people. Therefore he ordered a general election to be held on the third Saturday of September in the year 1900, to elect delegates to a Convention to meet in the city of Havana on the 1st Monday of November of the same year to frame and adopt a Constitution for the people of Cuba, and as a part thereof to provide for and agree with the Government of the United States upon the relations to exist between that Government and the Government of Cuba, and to provide for the election by the people of officers under such Constitution, and the transfer of government to the officers so elected. The election was held on the 15th of September, and the Convention assembled on the 5th of November 1900. Military-Governor Wood in opening the Convention said : “It will be your duty, first of all, to frame and adopt a Constitution for Cuba, and when that has been done, to formulate what in your opinion ought to be the relations between Cuba and the United States. The Constitution must be adequate to secure stable, orderly, and free government. When you have formulated the relations which, in your opinion, ought to exist between Cuba and the United States, the Government of the United States will doubtless take such action on its part as shall lead to final and authoritative agreement between the people of the two countries to the promotion of their common interests.” The Convention expressed appreciation and gratitude to the United States Government and to General Wood for aid given to the Cuban people in advancing self-government.

[recent history.

By the end of January 1901 the Cuban Constitutional Convention had so far completed the instrument that its character and general features were evident. It was an able and well-written document, follow- Cuban and ing in a general way the essential features of Nations the Constitution of the United States. In one essential feature it was lacking, however—it did not mention the relations which were to exist between Cuba and the United States. In the Constitution as framed there “was no recognition of the United States, no expression of gratitude or even friendliness,” and no provision was made for the relations to exist betwen Cuba and the United States, as stipulated in the call for the Convention. On March 2, 1901, Congress, appreciating the fact that the Cuban Constitution ignored the relations to exist between the future Cuban Republic and the United States, and in order to enable the President to withdraw the military forces from Cuba, through an amendment to the Military Appropriation Bill framed the articles known as the Platt Amendment. The Platt Amendment contained eight articles, specifically defining what the relations were to be between the future Cuban Republic and the United States. These articles, in essence, were as follow:— 1. Prohibiting Cuba from entering into treaties with foreign Powers tending to impair Cuban independence, or prohibiting them to obtain lodgment or control over any portion of the island. 2. Regulating Cuba’s power to incur debts beyond the capacity of the island’s ability to pay. 3. Providing that the United States shall have the right of intervention for the preservation of Cuban independence, the maintenance of an orderly Government, and for discharging the obligations of the United States relative to Cuba stipulated in the Treaty of Paris. 4. Ratification on validation of all acts of the United States while in temporary military occupation. 5. Requiring Cuba to execute and extend the plans for the sanitation of the island. 6. Demanding that the Isle of Pines be omitted from the constitutional boundaries of Cuba, and that its future status be fixed by treaty. 7. Demanding that Cuba sell or lease to the United States suitable sites for coaling or naval stations. 8. Demanding that the foregoing stipulations be embodied in the form of a permanent treaty. The Radical element in Cuba bitterly advocated the rejection of any dictation from the United States. Finally it was determined in April 1901 that a Commission from the Cuban Constitutional Convention should visit Washington for the purpose of ascertaining the exact intent and meaning of the language of the Platt Amendment. This Commission consisted of Juan Gualberto Gomez, the Radical independent leader; Domingo Capote, the presiding officer of the Convention; Dr Berriel, a noted constitutional lawyer; Judge Florente, an associate justice of the Cuban Supreme Court; Rafael Portuondo, an extreme Radical; Diego Tamayo, and a Nationalist and member of Governor Wood’s cabinet. The Cuban Commission reached Washington April 24, 1901, and was given every attention and consideration. After many interviews with the President and Secretary of War, the members were informed that the United States would insist upon its position. President Capote, of the Commission, asked the President to do something for the Cubans upon an economic line, especially in the matter of reciprocal trade relations. He said that it was especially desirable that something of this kind be done before the next crop was harvested, in order that the Cubans might thus realize the advantages of closer political and economic relations with the United States. To this inquiry the reply was made that Congress alone had the power to regulate commerce. It was supposed after the visit of the Commission to Washington that the