236 THE POLITICS OF INTERVENTION
Magoon asked Taft's permission to go ahead with the creation
of the Permanent Army; two days later Taft told him to act.^42
Although Magoon's specific reasons for proceeding with the
Cuban army are unclear it is reasonable to assume that from
the April discussions Washington had accepted the principle of
a Cuban army and was concerned thereafter only with the
timing. The other influences on the October request were
most probably the Liberal's continued insistence on a regular
army, the emergence of the Conservative party in the summer
of 1907, the prospect of national elections and American
withdrawal, and the relative peace following the Masso
Parra conspiracy.
The final formal consideration of the Permanent Army plan
took place in an hour-and-a-half session of the Advisory Law
Commission. The Army law appeared on the agenda because
Magoon wanted the Commission's opinion before his trip
to Washington in February, 1908. Secretary Taft, Magoon
told the Commission, wanted final action on the matter before
he went to the Philippines. A subcommittee had already con
sidered all the plans. Interestingly enough, it categorized as
"Cuban" the Liberal Committee proposal drafted by Monte
agudo and as "American" the Rural Guard plan, the General
Staff board recommendations, and the War Department
compromise plan.
The full Commission, considering the subcommittee's
recommendation that the War Department's plan be accepted,
realized that the central issue was the creation of a Permanent
Army separate from the Rural Guard. Still the discussions
had little originality. Alfredo Zayas presented the Liberal
arguments una vez mas, emphasizing that the suggested law
was truly eclectic and represented everyone's best interests
because it incorporated Washington's structural recommenda
tions. In the final vote the Commission approved the com
promise plan, 6-3, with one abstention. The two Americans
voting (Crowder was in Washington) voted against accep
tance. The six votes "for" came from four Liberals, a
Conservative, and an independent.^43
In decrees on April 4, 1908, Magoon published the laws
establishing the Armed Forces of Cuba, consisting of a