CUBA: No Intermeddling

Genial about his resemblance to “Andy Gump” is famed Governor Eugene Robert Black of Atlanta’s Federal Reserve Bank (TIME, Dec. 9). Last week he suddenly began to act like comic strip Andy’s fabulously rich “Uncle Bim” who airily bandies millions of dollars in “real money.” Governor Black had been called on to stop runs against two prominent Havana banks. Gumpfully he ordered $25,000,000 in cash loaded into several airplanes, flew in one of them to Havana where bank running stopped abruptly.

Fear of revolution was at least one reason why Cubans wanted to be sure about their money. Three days after the runs were stopped 600 university students demonstrated fiercely in Havana—as they often have—against President Gerardo Machado whom they call “Grafter!” They were dispersed by 150 police who seriously wounded six students. With Cuban congressional elections due next month President Machado thought this little riot sufficient excuse to do something big and drastic.

House and Senate were hastily convened. The President asked them to grant him power to suspend Constitutional guarantees of freedom & liberty in any part of Cuba, should he see fit. Began a furious congressional debate lasting all afternoon and evening while the Official Gazette (which must print all congressional acts before they can become effective) was held open. Foes of Gen. Machado shouted that such authority as he asked can only be granted under the Constitution “in the case of invasion of Na tional territory or grave disturbance of order.”

All such arguments were vain. Soldiers with fixed bayonets stood grimly around the House and Senate, which presently gave President Machado what he asked, made him in fact Dictator. By way of passing his coup off suavely Dictator Machado left Havana on a brief fishing trip, tried to appear in U. S. eyes as much as possible like President Hoover, returned to his Palace, waited. At the State Department “grave concern” about the Cuban situation was admitted for the first time by Statesman Henry Lewis Stimson. But, quoting his patron and one of his predecessors as Secretary of State, Elder Statesman Elihu Root (in whose law office he was apprenticed), Mr. Stimson intimated that there will be no “intermeddling or interference” in Cuba by U. S. Marines. If it becomes necessary to send them this will be “the formal action of the Government of the United States, based upon just and substantial grounds, for thepreservation of Cuban independence, and the maintenance of a government adequate for the pro tection of life, property and individual liberty.”