THE CUBA REVIEW. 



25 



THE ISLE OF PINES. 



The Ownership of the Island. 



The question of the ownership of the 

 island Avill not down and is being very 

 generally discussed in the leading news- 

 papers. 



The latest phase of the controversy is 

 an article in the November North Amer- 

 ican Review, by Gonzalo De Quesada, 

 former minister of Cuba to the United 

 States, who combats the arguments of 

 Senator Clapp of Minnesota. The latter 

 seemed to have made out a somewhat 

 strong case of possession of the disputed 

 territory for the United States but Sefior 

 Quesada is just as sure that the isle be- 

 longs to Cuba, and adduces equally 

 strong arguments. In the course of hrs 

 article he quotes Elihu Root, then Sec- 

 retary of State, as writing to some Amer- 

 icans resident there on this subject; 



"The island is lawfully subject to the 

 control and government of the Republic 

 of Cuba, and you and your associates are 

 bound to render obedience to te laws of 

 that country so long as you remain in 

 the island. , If you fail in that obedience 

 you will be justly liable to prosecution 

 in the Cuban courts and to such punish- 

 ment as may be provided by the laws of 



Cuba for such offences as you commit. 

 You are not likely to have any greater 

 power in the future. The treaty now 

 pending before the Senate, if approved 

 by that bod}^ will relinquish all claim of 

 the United States to the Isle of Pines. 

 In my judgment the United States has 

 no substantial claim to the Isle of Pines. 

 The treaty merely accords to Cuba what 

 is hers in accordance with international 

 law and justice. At the time of the 

 treaty of peace, which ended the war 

 between the United States and Spain, 

 the Isle of Pines was, and had been for 

 several centuries, a part of Cuba. I have 

 no doubt whatever that it continues to 

 be a part of Cuba, and that it is not and 

 never has been territory of the United 

 States. This is the view with which 

 President Roosevelt authorized the pend- 

 ing treaty, and INIr. Hay signed it, and I 

 expect to urge its confirmation. Nor 

 would the rejection of the pending treaty 

 put an end to the control of Cuba over 

 the island. A treaty directly contrary to 

 the one now pending would be necessary 

 to do that, and there is not the slightest 

 prospect of such a treaty being made. 

 You may be quite sure that Cuba will 

 never consent to give up the Isle of 

 Pines, and that the United States will 

 never try to compel her to give it up 

 against her will." 



Colonists' Homes. — Entrance to Residence of Forrest Xelson, Santa Fe, Isle of Pines. 



