point appears in the treaty. The property rights of residents of Cuba, it was declared, would not be impaired and the United States, so long as its occupation lasted, undertook "to assume and discharge the obligations that may, under international law, result from the fact of its occupation for the protection of life and property."

The subsequent action of the United States showed, however, that there was no intent on its part to allow international complications to arise through a disturbance of local order in the island. While the provisional government created by the United States was still in control, a convention met on November 5, 1900, to draft a constitution for the new republic. It was adopted on February 21, 1901. It included no recognition of supervisory powers of the United States.

In this situation Congress felt called upon to act. A provision was inserted in the Army Appropriation bill of March 2, 1901, which has since become known as the Platt Amendment, the terms of which outlined the conditions under which Congress authorized the President to withdraw the American troops and "leave the government and control of the island to its people." Cuba was to adopt a constitution, one clause of which should bind the nation to conclude with the United States a treaty including the following agreements that,

1. No treaty was to be made which would impair the island's independence, nor was any portion of the island to be allowed to pass under the control of a foreign power.

2. No debt should be contracted or assumed beyond the ability of the island to pay.

3. The United States was to have the right to intervene to protect Cuban independence, to maintain a government which would protect life, liberty, and property and carry out the obligations undertaken by the United States in its treaty with Spain.

Other engagements referred to ratification of acts taken by the United States during temporary occupation, the sanitation of the island, the status of the Isle of Pines and the cession of land for coaling or naval stations.1 On June 12, 1901, Cuba accepted this modification of her international position by embodying the resolution of Congress in Article 3 of the constitution and the agreement was further solemnized by being incorporated in a convention between the United States and Cuba proclaimed July 2, 1904.

The right to intervene to preserve order has not proven to be unnecessary. The first President, Thomas Estrada Palma, was chosen at an election held December 31, 1901, and inaugurated May 20, 1902. For the first three years of his term he favored no one of the three parties struggling for control. Patronage was distributed ratably among them and though there was constant complaint of executive interference, public order was kept. At the elections of 1905, however, widespread corruption occurred and a revolution was soon under way. Palma was unable to cope with the uprising and appealed to the United States to intervene under the addendum to the constitution above mentioned. 1U. S. Statutes at Large, XXXI, 897-8.

President Roosevelt sent William H. Taft, then Secretary of War, and Robert Bacon, the Assistant Secretary of State, to Cuba to restore order. On their arrival, Palma resigned. The Congress dissolved without filling the office and President Roosevelt thereupon appointed Mr. Taft provisional governor.

The American control, thus reëstablished, lasted until 1908, when a new election having been held, resulting in the choice of José Miguel Gomez as President, the United States again withdrew. There followed a period of comparative quiet, the first serious interruption of which came in a revolution in 1912, headed by General Evaristo Estenoz, the leader of the negro party. For a time a third occupation by the United States appeared imminent, and a fleet of eight cruisers was sent to Key West to be ready for emergencies. The local government finally succeeded, however, in overcoming the insurrectos and in the election of November first of that year, Mario Menocal, the candidate of the conservatives, was chosen President. For the first time Cuba had succeeded in peacefully transferring control of the presidency from one party to the other.

Whether the Cuban people possess or can develop the degree of self-control necessary for self-government is still, in view of recent history, an open question. Extravagance in expenditure and willingness to consider the holding of public office as an opportunity for taking selfish advantages, rather than as a call to service, have been far too prominent characteristics of Cuban politics. Disputes over the patronage have been incessant; the public debt has risen constantly. Starting prac

tically debt free, the public obligations reached $62,083,100, in 1911, before the end of a decade of local control. In 1914, the total was $67,620,000. This does not represent a burdensome debt. With the rapidly increasing economic strength of the island it can be easily borne. But the purposes for which the debt was created are significant. Judged by the actual return to the people, which was made possible by the loans, there appears to be still considerable doubt whether Cuba will be able to prove herself beyond the need of guidance by stronger powers in financial affairs.

Even considered apart from the general Caribbean situation, Cuba is important to the United States, not only because of this responsibility assumed to assure public order in the island. There are with the "Pearl of the Antilles," in addition, important military and commercial connections.

The operations of the Spanish-American War had again demonstrated what long had been evident to those at all familiar with our naval affairs-the desirability of acquiring for the United States at least one naval base in the West Indies. Former negotiations, especially with Denmark and the Dominican Republic, had for various reasons been fruitless. One of the clauses of the Platt Amendment had provided,

"That to enable the United States to maintain the independence of Cuba and to protect the people thereof as well as for its own defense, the government 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." An agreement to carry out this engagement was signed by the President of Cuba February 16, 1903, and by the President of the United States on February 23 of the same year. By its terms harbors and lands adjacent were given over to the United States for a coaling and naval station, in Guantanamo in eastern Cuba and at Bahia Honda in northwestern Cuba.1 The ultimate sovereignty of Cuba continues. By a later agreement, the United States undertakes to pay an annual rental of $2,000 so long as the areas are occupied by its forces.2 The rights of the United States in Bahia Honda were surrendered in 1912 and the area under its control in Guantanamo was increased. These settlements are of great importance in that, now in possession of Porto Rico and with a strong naval base in Cuba, the United States is in an exceptionally advantageous position to carry out the obligations it has assumed for the preservation of order in the Caribbean, and occupies a commanding position on the trade routes which pass to the Panama Canal.

II. COMMERCIAL

Both in the United States and Cuba there has developed a desire to bind the two countries closely together in their trade relations. Commercially, the island is naturally dependent upon its northern neighbor. That its products did not seek our ports in much

1 Malloy, W. M. Treaties, Conventions, International Acts, Protocols and Agreements between the United States and Other Powers, Vol. I, p. 358.

2 Ibid., p. 360.