THE 

 CUBA RLVILW 



"ALL ABOUT CUBA" 



Copyright, 1913, bv the Munson Steamship Line 



Volume XI 



MARCH, 1913 



Number 4 



GOVERNMENT MATTERS 



THE AMNESTY BILL FINALLY VETOED DIPLOMATS TO BE PROTECTED 



ISLE OF PINES ANNEXATION PLANS 



A general amnesty law re- 

 Amnesty Law centlj- passed the Cuban 

 Obnoxious Senate and Secretary Knox 

 at once asked Mr. Beau- 

 pre for an explanation of what was in- 

 tended by it. The answer came that it 

 was only a plan to set free the negroes 

 who started a revolution in the eastern 

 end of the island last summer, and a few 

 offenders of similar character. This 

 seemed satisfactory, but the Cuban Con- 

 gress went on and amended the bill before 

 its final passage so as to include about 

 3,000 criminals and to grant pardons in the 

 future and gave a clean bill of health to 

 everyone now connected with the Gomez 

 administration. 



Secretary Bryan also sent a protest 

 against the bill by telegraph on March 5th, 

 the day he took the oath of office as 

 Secretary of State. The protest was in 

 vigorous language, and showed that this 

 government would not tolerate the pro- 

 posed liberation of hundreds of criminals 

 without other reason than the desire of 

 President Gomez and his supporters. 



What this government objected to par- 

 ticularly was the provision of the bill that 

 wofuld have permitted Gomez to grant 

 pardons before trial to persons in the 

 government service, and others whom the 

 incoming President, General Mario Meno- 

 cal is credited with an intention of prose- 

 cuting for wholesale grafting and cor- 

 ruption. 



The American legation sent another note 

 to President Gomez from Secretary of 

 State Bryan on March 8th, warning him 

 against signing the amnesty bill. 



Despite these protests it was given out 

 that President Gomez had signed the bill 

 on March 7th. Its application, however, 

 was immediately suspended and after a 



long conference on March 8th with mem- 

 bers of his Cabinet, Congressmen and law- 

 yers. President Gomez decided to veto the 

 measure. 



Many radical Congressmen on March 

 10th called on President Gomez and pro- 

 tested against his vetoing the bill. 



On March 11th it was stated that Presi- 

 dent Gomez had not vetoed the amnesty 

 bill, but had returned it to Congress with- 

 out his signature, accompanying it with a 

 message recommending several changes. 

 Among other things the President suggest- 

 ed that the measure make clearer the pro- 

 visions extending amnesty to prisoners who 

 have injured American interests. 



On March 13th, however, it was defi- 

 nitely announced that the bill had been 

 vetoed. 



The President recommends the framing 

 of a new bill which extends amnesty only 

 to prisoners taken at the recent rising in 

 Oriente and to other purely political of- 

 fenders. 



The Cuban newspapers were divided in 

 their opinion on tlie subject. Cuba, which 

 has been slandering the members of the 

 American Legation, praises Gomez for 

 maintaining Cuban national dignity and 

 sovereignty. La Lucha approves the Presi- 

 dent's action and commented as follows : 



"Had President Gomez signed the bill 

 the instant he received it from Congress 

 and had not fooled about the question of 

 delicacy the Bryan note would have ar- 

 rived 'too late.' " 



I. a Prcsna, which says: "The amnesty 

 bill is a travesty on justice. It will free 

 vulgar and incorrigible criminals, as Presi- 

 dent Gomez has been doing periodically. 

 F.very one knows the selfish motives of 

 President Gomez in piling up trouble for 

 liis successor. General MenocrJ, who, when 



