The Politics of Intervention

234 THE POLITICS OF INTERVENTION

In any case the placing of any more guns in the hands of these people

is a dangerous experiment. It would be far better if every gun and

machete now in the Island were thrown into the sea.^37

The Liberal Committee, however, did not surrender the

initiative and promptly came up with a specific reorganization

plan of their own. They proposed to separate the Rural

Guard and the new army, the latter to be a mixed brigade

(infantry, cavalry, and artillery) of four thousand men. Again

they emphasized the importance of segregating the national

constabulary from the army and the army from the people.

They stressed that Cuba need not fear military oppression.

The August Revolution succeeded not, they argued, because

the government had been weak but because it was un­

popular: "When the government has the country against it,

the number of bayonets of which it may dispose matters

little; the result is always the same, since no people

worthy of unity fails to throw off the yoke that it deems

insupportable."^38

During Secretary Taft's April, 1907, visit to Cuba, the

Permanent Army issue was discussed and the Liberal Com­

mittee restated its regular army plan. While its arguments

of February and March were repeated, it further elaborated

on the economic and political benefits (in terms of American

policy) of its proposal. The Liberal Committee's soldiers

would cost only $500,000 annually, much less than a like

number of Rural Guards, for the soldiers would not need

mounts or expensive police training. The Committee also made

it clear to Taft that the Provisional Government could not

expect its full co-operation if Magoon favored the Rural

Guard, for the Rural Guard menaced the Liberal party.

Juan Gualberto Gomez, the Negro orator and editor, stated

that an army was needed to protect the next Cuban govern­

ment from the Rural Guard:

... In my memorandum I mentioned a gentleman, who was well

known in France, M. Prud'homme, who had a sword and who said that

sword would serve as well to destroy the Government as to defend it,

and the present Rural Guard reminds me very much of the sword of

M. Prud'homme.^39