Clearing Title

When the Maine sank and the last of Spanish dominion in the so-called Western World had foundered after it, new title deeds had to be made out for several parcels of real estate. The U. S. took title to Porto Rico and several holdings in the Pacific.

The Cuban people were given title to their pickle-shaped island. With that done, the diplomatic title and trust company thought it had cleared up the contested properties. But one parcel had been forgotten.

It was a little island, about 15 sq. mi. in area, lying about 40 mi. south of Cuba, commonly known as The Isle of Pines.

Even so small a parcel of land was rediscovered in the course of a few years. In 1903, Secretary of State Hay negotiated a treaty confirming sovereignty of the island upon Cuba, a treaty which declared "this relinquishment on the part of the United States of claim of title to the said Island of Pines is in consideration of grants of naval and coaling stations in the Island of Cuba heretofore made to the United States of America by the Republic of Cuba."

Thereupon, Cuba assumed a de facto sovereignty over the island which has continued to the present day. President Roosevelt referred the treaty to the Senate for ratification, and there the treaty has remained to the present day. Every President and nearly every Secretary of State since then has recommended its ratification. But the treaty has stagnated. Senator Lodge before his death arranged a place on the Senate calendar for its consideration. At last it is to be acted upon.

But now an interesting report comes from Washington. Senator Borah, now chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, will oppose ratification. It happens that a large part of the landowners of the island are U. S. citizens. They have complained bitterly and often of the Cuban administration. Mr. Borah expressed his objections :

"I cannot support the treaty for the reason I think it is insufficient to protect the interests of American citizens there. I think they had ample justification for going there and did go in good faith, believing that it belonged to the United States. I do not think that the treaty protects their rights." If the treaty should be rejected and the Senate should instruct the President to take steps to raise the U. S. flag over the Isle of Pines, an acute situation would result. Cuba's Latin emotions would flare up. She would cry: "Outrage!" Our relations with her would be strained. The effect of such action would spread throughout Latin America, where it would be seized upon as another example of U. S. "imperialism."