THE CUBA REVIEW. 



Nevertheless General Men- 



Tired of ocal is gaining strength 



Zayas and througih'out the country 



Gomez. among citizens who are 



weary of the bickerings and 



squabblings in the Liberal party and of the 



two candidates. In a recent interview he 



expressed himself as willing in case of ne- 



cessity to accept a nomination, but this ut- 

 terance should not be construed, say his 

 admirers, that he is seeking the office. Up 

 to now he ihas steadily refused to become a 

 candidate for any office, declaring that his 

 business interests required all his attention. 

 Governor Magoon in his report urges the 

 Conservatives to get together and unite on 

 some candidate. 



A NEW CUBAN GOVERNMENT ASSURED. 



President Roosevelt's Definite Announcement. 



PRESIDENT" Roosevelt's definite an- 

 nouncement of the restoration of the 

 Cuban government not later than 

 February i, 1909, has effectually cleared 

 the air, andi events will rapidly shape 

 themselves into equally definite lines of 

 activity preparatory to facing coming 

 new conditions. President Roosevelt and 

 Secretary Taft have expressed them- 

 selves plainly and the issue is in the 

 hands of the Cubans themselves. 



The completion of the cen- 

 Secretary sus was apparent and not 

 Taft's Letter, real, for much work of tabu- 

 lation and correction re- 

 mained before the lists were available for 

 the purpose for which they were made, 

 namely, a registry of voters in Cuba. At 

 "this time, when discussion was rife over 

 the 'date when the first elections could be 

 "held, Secretary Taft, on January 13, sent 

 ;a letter to President Roosevelt which, as 

 far as he could, committed the American 

 government to withdrawal from Cuba in 

 the spring of 1909. On the following day, 

 in transmitting to the United States Senate 

 the report of Governor Magoon, President 

 Roosevelt fixed February i, 1909, as the 

 date when the island shall have been given 

 over to Cuban government. 



The text of his message 



President follows : 



Roosevelt's "1 cannot too heartily 

 Letter. commend the action of the 

 provisional governor and his 

 civil associates and of the army in all its 

 parts in connection with this Cubkn matter. 

 I am glad to be able to say that we can now 

 definitely announce that one year hence, 

 by or before February i, 1909, we shall 

 have turned over the island to the Presi- 

 dent and Congress to be elected next De- 

 cember by the people of Cuba. 



"Our word to turn over the island to 

 its own people will be scrupulously re- 

 garded, and through their own President 

 and Congress they will administer the gov- 

 ernment of the island a year hence." 



Replying to Secretary Taft's letter he 

 said: 



"If it can be turned over earlier I shall 

 be glad, but under no circumstances and 

 for no reason will the date be later than 

 February i, 1909." 



There is no disposition in Congress as 

 yet to question the judgment of the Presi- 

 dent, Secretary Taft and Governor' Ma- 

 goon, but to allow them to assume the 

 responsibility. 



The Diario de la Marina, 



Comments commenting on President 



of Havana Roosevelt's message, said : 



Papers. "Nothing more definite can 



be said, and now it is the 



duty of all Cubans to stand solidly by the 



President who shall be elected by the 



majority." 



La Lucha said : 



"Those who doubted President Roose- 

 velt's word and good faith in intervention 

 will realize now their error." 



La Discusion of Havana 

 Date says February i, 1909, is too 



Determined early. The conditions at that 

 Upon Is time of the year when the 

 Too Early, sugar mills are grinding and 

 all the labor that can be se- 

 cured is being employed, are not favorable 

 for carrying out the contemplated transfer 

 of government. It is surprised that it should 

 apparently be a matter incidental to Presi- 

 dent Roosevelt's administration only and 

 not of the whole American people. It says : 

 "President Roosevelt had in mind his 

 own interests and not Cuba's in trying to 

 establish a republic here before the date on 

 which he surrenders the Presidency of the 

 United States." 



It seems to think the restoration of the 

 republic regardless of conditions, and hold- 

 ing the Cuban people responsible is not the 

 best solution which might have been found. 

 There is much other pessimistic prediction, 

 especially among the foreign element, which 

 inclines to the belief that no Cuban admin- 

 istration can be successful. 



The New York Herald says 

 Much Work editorially January 17: 



Remains. "The substance of Gover- 



nor Magoon's report in so 

 far as it has yet reached the American 

 public contains nothing in respect to 

 conditions in the island which would im- 

 pel Mr. Roosevelt to peremptorily fix a 

 date for abandoning Cuba. 



"An enormous amount of work remains 

 to be done before Cuban affairs would 

 be in such form as to give a new republic 

 a fair start." 



