837.00/3650: Telegram
The Ambassador in Cuba (Welles) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:40 p.m.]
152. After the promise of certain of the Army leaders at 4 o’clock this morning that they would agree to the ad interim Presidency of any Cuban provided President Machado would retire from the office I was advised at 7 that they had again changed their minds and would accept anyone other than General Herrera to whom they were personally devoted but whom they feared the great mass of the opposition would not accept on account of his past intimate connection with President Machado. As a consequence of this in a very high spirit of patriotism General Herrera assured me at 8 o’clock this morning that since it is necessary to follow constitutional procedure he would accept the ad interim Presidency as soon as the Congress had agreed to the legal absence requested early this morning in the special message sent by President Machado since under the existing constitution the Presidency ad interim can only be entrusted to one of the members of the Cabinet; that immediately after taking over the Presidency ad interim here he would appoint Dr. Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, former Secretary of State and former Minister at Washington, Secretary of State of the Republic and would immediately thereafter entrust the Presidency [Page 359] of the Republic to Dr. Céspedes. Dr. Céspedes has accepted the offer and will retain General Herrera in his Cabinet as Secretary of War with which step all of the ranking officers of the Army are in entire accord. Dr. Céspedes has the great advantage of being regarded as thoroughly impartial by everybody in Cuba. He is likewise popular with the Liberal Party which at present controls the majority of the House and of the Senate and he is furthermore a most sincere friend of the United States. Dr. Céspedes will try to form his Cabinet during the remainder of the morning and early this afternoon and will inform me late this afternoon what appointments he has determined to make.
The procedure which is being followed consequently is strictly constitutional and in accordance with my telephone conversation with Assistant Secretary Caffery this morning. I understand that no official act of recognition by the United States is required. In accordance with our understanding I will first advise the Department of the constitution of the Cabinet and I beg to request immediate authorization to enter into official relations with the new government immediately afterwards.
President Machado after sending his messages requesting leave of absence and entrusting the Government of the Republic to General Herrera left the city for his country place where he is amply protected by two companies of troops in whom he has confidence. Most of the members of the former Government, all of whom have handed in their resignations which have been accepted, are in concealment fearing reprisals by the populace. Up to the present, however, while the city is filled with cheering crowds I have had no report of serious disorder except around the capitol where troops have now been sent to maintain order in order that the deliberations of Congress may not be interfered with.
The determination of President Machado to act with this patriotism is due to the fact that he was finally and definitely informed last night that all of the ranking officers of the Army were unanimous in demanding that he leave the Presidency during the course of today. His action cannot therefore in any sense of the word be described either as to the result of pressure by the United States nor as the result of a patriotic gesture on his part.
Fortunately the solution which has now been elaborated and which I have every confidence will be acceptable to the enormous majority of the Cuban people has been worked out solely by the Cubans themselves and represents in my judgment the expression of the volition of very nearly the totality of the Cuban people.
The next few days will probably be difficult but I now have confidence that the situation has been saved and that no further action on the part of the United States Government will be necessary.