The Path of Empire: A Chronicle of the United States as a World PowerFish, Carl Russell
History
The Path of Empire: A Chronicle of the United States as a World Power
Fish, Carl Russell
United States -- Foreign relations; United States -- Territorial expansion
necessary for coaling or naval stations"; that it would provide for the
sanitation of its cities; and that the United States should have the
right to intervene, "for the preservation of Cuban independence,
the maintenance of a government adequate for the protection of
life, property, and individual liberty, and for discharging" certain
obligations with respect to Spanish subjects which the United States
had assumed in the treaty signed at Paris. After some hesitation the
convention added these provisions to the new constitution of Cuba.
On May 20, 1902, the American troops withdrew, leaving Cuba in better
condition than she had ever been before. Subsequently the United States
was forced to intervene to preserve order, but, though the temptation
was strong to remain, the American troops again withdrew after they had
done their constructive work. The voluntary entrance of Cuba into the
Great War in cooperation with the United States was a tribute to the
generosity and honesty of the American people.
* An amendment to the Army Appropriation Bill of March 2, 1901.
Porto Rico presented a problem different from that which the United
States had to solve in Cuba. There existed no native organization which
could supply even the basis for the formation of a government. The
people seemed, indeed, to have no desire for independence, and
public sentiment in the United States generally favored the permanent
possession of the island. After a period of rule entirely at the
discretion of the President, Congress established in 1900 a form
of government based on that of the American territories. Porto Rico
remained, however, unincorporated into the Union, and it was long
doubtful whether it would remain a dependency or would ultimately
attain statehood. In 1917, however, the degree of self-government was
increased, and the inhabitants were made American citizens. It now seems
probable that the island will ultimately become a State of the Union.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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