102 THE POLITICS OF INTERVENTION
The citizens of Havana waited expectantly for the political
drama to play itself out. As Lieutenant of Artillery Horacio
Ferrer watched the Cuban flag over Morro Castle lowered
at sunset, he sadly reflected that it would never be run up
the staff again.^63 Around midnight Estrada Palma formally
submitted his resignation to the peace commissioners.
In the early hours of September 29, William Howard Taft
worked to make the occupation as popular as possible. Upon
receiving Estrada Palma's resignation, the Secretary of War
called the Marines ashore and issued a proclamation stating
that in the absence of a Cuban government, the United
States, "to restore order," had temporarily assumed political
control of the island. He established a provisional government,
naming himself governor. The Cuban flag would continue to
fly and the laws of the Republic would remain in effect. The
Provisional Governor called upon "all citizens and residents of
Cuba to assist in the work of restoring order, tranquillity,
and public confidence/'
64
The second American occupation of
Cuba had formally begun.
Occupation and Disarmament: October, 1906With intervention and occupation a fact, Roosevelt accepted
it as an inevitable and temporary alternative to "a destructive
and wearisome civil war," occasioned by Estrada Palma's
military weakness.^65 He was satisfied that Taft had done all
he could to get a compromise, that annexation was still unwise,
and that the Republican party would not be politically penal
ized for the intervention.^66 Back in Washington, the President
talked with Sir Mortimer Durand, the British ambassador;
Roosevelt "seemed very confident about restoration of order.
He said he had no wish to annex either Cuba or San
Domingo."^67 In another conversation Elihu Root told Durand
that the intervention would be terminated as quickly as pos
sible, and, in a letter persuading Gonzalo de Quesada to
stay at his post, the Secretary of State stressed the need now
to work again for Cuba's independence: