The Politics of Intervention

170 THE POLITICS OF INTERVENTION

minority among the agitators, Magoon wrote Taft. Their
alarms to the contrary, peace prevailed in Cuba, Magoon
insisted. As for the annexationists, the Governor believed
that their efforts would be futile; they were, nonetheless, a
dangerous nuisance:

Eventually no good will result from such misrepresentation and they
are playing with fire in their endeavor to keep up public excitement and
magnify unimportant incidents into important and alarming events.^3

Magoon's lack of sympathy with the annexationists, who
plagued him daily with plans to establish a permanent pro­
tectorate, soon turned them against the Provisional Govern­
ment. They remained militantly opposed to the restoration
of a Cuban government. Focusing their ire on the Gover­
nor, they wanted to secure his removal, Magoon thought.^4
Although the Governor was sensitive to criticism, he was no
paranoid. One Cuban annexationist, Jose de Armas, was
already in touch with Taft. Believing him sympathetic with
the Cuban conservatives, Armas implored the Secretary to
keep Roosevelt from returning the island to the "Cuba Libre
politicians." The annexationists could not organize a political
party, Armas said, because such open opposition to Cuban
independence would only stimulate the nationalists. Only
Washington could help the annexationist cause.^5
Sugar planter Edward F. Atkins wrote Taft that "a general
feeling of unrest" prevailed in Cuba because of the high cost
of living and low sugar prices. He knew Taft was aware that
the businessmen, storekeepers, merchants, and planters wanted
the United States to stay on, but Atkins wondered if the Sec­
retary realized that such desires were common among the
Cubans themselves:

I find that an almost universal sentiment exists on the part of the

Cuban country people who have any interest at stake however small,

that some form of control by the United States is desirable and neces­

sary, and this feeling, I understand, extends to the more industrious of

the black population, the class opposed to such a course being those

who seek minor offices and those who seek benefit through any dis­