Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 April 1902 — PALMA IS PLEASED [ARTICLE]

PALMA IS PLEASED

Cuba’s President-Elect Grateful for What The United States Has done for the Island. CUBANS ARE NOW PEACEABLE Since the Spanish Left the Gem of the Antilles Conditions Have Greatly Changed—Palma Is Confident of the Future of the Island. A Washington dispatch to the Indianapolis Journal says: President-elect Tomas Estrada Palma of Cuba, having finished his conferences with President Roosevelt, Secretary Root and other officials on matters connected with the transfer of the islands from American to Cuban control, has left for his New York home, where he will remain until the last of April, when he will leave for Santiago province, in which he will spend a few days, going thence to Havana to be inaugurated May 20. There was an air of contentment about General Palma as he discussed the disposition *of the various questions which brought him here. He said he realized the magnitude of the work on which he was about to enter and its attendant responsibilities, but was confident the future of Cuba was assured and that the Island would have a successful career. Confident of the Future. "I will enter upon my duties as president of Cuba,” said Gen. Palma, “confident in the belief that there is a splendid future in store for the island. The people are naturally of an orderly, peaceable disposition, mildmannered and suemissive to law and order. What they need is the opportunity to work, and with this assured prosperity will come to the people. Secretary Root said to me today that he is satisfied with the conduct of the Cuban people since the American occupation, and that he had no complaint to make in that regard. The condition of affairs is very different now from what it was under Spanish regime, when the people were under the rule and subject to the will of a captain general and the military authorities. “The ceremonies incident to my in- 1 auguration will be in keeping with the | requirements of the occasion. One of these will be the lowering of the | American colors in Havana and the ' raising of the Cuban flag—an act ' which will mark the termination of American occupation and the formal assumption of the government by the ! Cubans. The ceremonies will take ' place in the palace. Closely following I the Induction of the new government | will be the appointment of a minister ‘ to represent it at Washington. As soon as this has been done and a rep- I resentative appointed from the United ! States to Cuba, steps will be taken for the drafting of' a treaty 'between the two governments embodying the features outlined in the Platt amendment, which has been made an anpendlx to our constitution. This will include provision for a naval station, probably at Guantanamo, althou , 'h this is not settled, and the establishment of coaling stations at points to be mutually agreed upon.”

Native Artillerymen. j "The orders given to General Wood contemplate the retention of about 800 artillerymen at various coast points ’ for a time,” was suggested to General Palma. “Those artillerymen are to be kept i at the batteries with the consent of the Cuban people,” responded General Palma. “They are not to Interfere in ' any way with Cuban affairs. They , will be retained until the Cuban government is ready to replace them with a force of Its own men. The latter now has about 300 men who have been drilled in artillery practice, and to these it is contemplated adding about 100 more. As soon as they are sufficiently familiar with the duties that will devolve on them they will take the places of the Americans. The Americans then presumably will be sent to the naval and the coaling stations provided for in the treaty to be ratified between the two governments. The United States government will thus avoid the necessity of shipping the troops to the United States and back again to Cuba. Of course, should the remote possibility occur of an attack upon Cuba by a foreign foe demonstrate the necessity of the assistance of artillerymen in the coast batteries, they no doubt will be available for that purpose, but such a contingency is not likely to occur, as Cuba has no foes Which desire to menace her.” General Palma, in closing, paid this tribute to the United States government: “The government of the United States has shown a most beautiful example of good faith In dealing with a weak government which it undertook to rescue from its oppressors. It has demonstrated Its generosity and patriotism, and by the shedding of its own blood has helped Cuba to break the chain which united It with Spain. Some countries would have sought some pretext for selfish gain in undertaking a work of this character, and taken advantage of some technicality for their own aggrandizement, but the contrary spirit has been manifested by the United States, and it hMto the world an evidence of •obd wifi seldom found. The people

of the United States hare Eimißfcllßl their own Declaration of Independence and hare fulfilled a duty to menktad.” President Palma has a wife and a family of six children. Two of the oldest boys will remain In the United States school which they are now attending. Mrs. Palma and the other children will join the president in Cuba at the inauguration in Havana.