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Show NOiW IT IS WAR; WHAT NEXT? Like a swaggering bully, the United States is to intermeddle in the affairs of Cuba, using as a pretext some slight friction iu the political organization of the island republic. To us, this extreme effort on the part of the United States to rap the small republics over the knuckles has all the earmarks of politics. A The old policy of kings, where they encountered internal dissensions, was to provide pro-vide a foreign war so as to divert attention. It begins to look as though Taft and his advisers, seeing dark clouds on the political horizon, are resolved on doing something to brighten their political sky and, acting on the precedent of kings, have hit upon a military demonstration as a source of relief. The1 country has not forgotten the unseemly haste in rushing troops to the Mexican border, as though to menage Mexico's liberty lib-erty and, if anything, provoke resentment and involve the United States in an embarrassing situation, perhaps war, and here we are once more placed in the same attitude of casting .about for an excuse ex-cuse to make a display of our mailed fist. A dispatch from Havana, dated yesterday, says: "The news of threatened intervention by the United States in Cuban affairs, which is published in the late editions of the Havana afternoon papers, caused intense excitement in the clubs and cafes, while in all places of public gathering it was the absorbing topic of discussion. Astonishment and resentment against American interference were mingled with general incredulity." President Gomez said : "I have only recentlj' received Secretary Knox's note through the American minister, Mr. Beaupre, and have not yet made a reply, re-ply, but probably will do so tomorrow. I am convinced that no occasion oc-casion has yet arisen for any intimation of intervention. I believe that the Washington government's attitude is based on an erroneous erron-eous view of conditions in Culm, arising from distorted and greatly exaggerated reports from Havana." ' "Peace reigns throughout 'Cuba and will continue to reign. I am fully in control of the situation, which docs not call for alarm, and 1 am abundantly able to enforce the laws, applying not only to those in military service, .but to all citizens." General Emilio, Kuncz, former governor of the province of Havana and president of the veterans' association, 'said: "I absolutely refuse to believe the report that the United Stales contemplates intervention because the veterans' arc reproted to have assumed an attitude of defiance to the Cuban government and because army officer attended our meetings, contrary to the military mil-itary regulations and presidential orders. We. have, broken no laws, nor have we placed ourselves as a body in hostility to the government. govern-ment. "If the United States intervenes under present conditions, when iiu uui;u.vtiiy t'Aihu iu iivuKi uisurcicr or restore onier, men 011011 would be stripped of every vestige of independence." The Taft administration, instead of soothing the Cuban mind, is exciting the people. There would have been ample time for a public pub-lic threat had the Cubans shown themselves hopelessly at variance and thoroughly resolved to settle their difference in an armed conflict. con-flict. . , The hurrying of troops to the front, the sounding of buglos, the clatter of cavalry appeal to young Americans and stir the patriotism patriot-ism of all of us, once the command has been given, "Forward, march!" But before we are taken off our feet with this play at war, let us inquire just how much is politics and how much is dire necessity in the line of duty |