THE CUBA REVIEW 



CAUSES WHICH LED CUBA TO ENTER THE WAR 



Habana, Septeiuiicr 1"). 

 General Mario G. Mcuocal, President of Cuba, authorizes the folio wing statement: 

 The same day President Wilson sent to the (Congress of the United States liLs famous mes- 

 sag3 relative to the declaration of war against Germany, that is to say, on the 6th of April, 

 1917, and almost at the same time that the Congress passed, with exceptional solemnity, that 

 memorable declaration, Cuba spontaneously and resolutely took the same attitude. Inspired 

 by the unanimous sentiment of the people of Cuba, as revealed by unmistakable signs, I had 

 the honor to send to the Cuban Congress my message of April 7, in which I surveyed the un- 

 heeded j)rotests against repeated violations of international law by the German Umpire, an<l 

 especially against the submarine campaign made by the Ignited States, and addcMl: 



Cuba's Postion Defined. 



"Such acts of war without quarter against all nations whose shijis or subjects sail or may 

 sail the seas, which the Imperial German Government seeks, without any vestige of right, to 

 close to the commerce of the world under terrible penalties, cannot be tolerated or consented 

 to without accepting them, ipso facto, as lawful for the present and for all time. 



"The Republic of Cuba ought not to remain indifferent in the face of such stupendous vio- 

 lations of international law, which at any moment might be committed, as indeed has already 

 happened, at the cost of life and property of her own nationals. Nor can she by any means 

 decorously remain aloof from the stand nobly and courageously taken by the United States, 

 to whom we are bound by sacred ties of gratitude and fraternity. 



"Cuba cannot remain neutral in this supreme conflict, for a declaration of neutrality 

 would compel her to treat both belligerents alike, denying them with equal rigor access to her 

 ports, and imposing upon them like restrictions and prohibitions, which would in the present 

 instance, be contrary to public sentiment, to the spirit of pacts and obligations, rather more 

 moral than legal, which bind us to the United States, and would eventually, because of her 

 geographical situation, be a source of inevitable conflict, the consequence of which can be 

 readily foreseen, with her friend and ally, and a proof of inexcusable weakness and condes- 

 cendence toward the attitude of implacable and unconditional aggression proclaimed by the 

 Imperial German Government against the rights of all neutrals and against the principles of 

 humanity and justice, which are the greatest glory of modern civilization. 



State of War Existent. 



"For these reasons, and in the clear and firm conviction that I am performing one of my 

 most sacred duties, I appeal to Congress, in whom the power is exclusively vested by article 

 59, paragraph 12, of the Constitution, to determine, with a full knowledge of the facts and 

 with that mature deliberation which such an action demands, that the acts of unjustifiable 

 aggression repeatedly committed by the naval submarines of the Imperial German Govern- 

 ment on the high seas against neutral shipping notwithstanding the protests of all neutral 

 nations, including Cuba, have brought about, and there exists, a state of war between the 

 Republic of Cuba and the Imperial German Government, formally declaring this, and to adopt 

 all measures which may be necessary, and which I shall in due course propose and recommend 

 to you, for the maintenance of our rights, for the defense of our territory, for insuring our 

 safety, for preventing any acts which may be committed or attempted to our detriment, and 

 for earnestly cooperating to these ends with the Government of the United States, lending 

 it all the assistance in our power for defending the freedom of the seas, the rights of neutrals, 

 and international justice." 



The Cuban House of Representatives and Senate, unanimously and in the midst of 

 utmost enthusiasm, adopted, in conformity with the recommendations of the Presidential 

 message, the following 



Joint Resolution. 



"Article 1. A state of war is hereby formally declared as from this date between the 

 Republic of Cuba, and the Imperial German Government, and the President of the Republic 



