Speech of William H. Taft at the opening exercises of the National University of Havana
As Provisional Governor of Cuba, Taft says that he feels honored to take part in exercises at the University of Havana and acknowledges that the attention of the world is “directed toward the tropics, and movement toward popular government.” Although he and President Roosevelt regret that American intervention in Cuba is necessary, he assures Cubans that “the United States is not an exploiting nation”—that the United States wants to foster democracy in Cuba. In Taft’s mind, the difficulties of the Cuban people stem from being trained “to look to somebody else for the responsibility of government.” Rather, all classes of people must become involved in politics and fostering business in Cuba.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1906-10-01
