August 13, 2025 • 24 mins
Did the US try to buy Cuba? Why isn't Cuba a US Territory or a state? Franklin Pierce offered Spain the equivalent of $5 billion - Spain said, "No thanks." OVV's favorite US history "professor" spins the yarn of political investment in Cuba.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
And welcome back to our veteran Swiss radio show and
Ralph nathan Oko and.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
To get the answers. So, why is Cuba not one
of the states within the United States? Why is Cuba
not a territory? Why didn't we take Cuba in eighteen
ninety eight when we won the alleged war that who
knows really who started it? But we have Professor Patrick
(00:37):
McAllister Patty, my dear friend to give you the answers.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
And you know, the more you know about the history,
the more surprising it is. Yes, that Cuba never landed
in the American lap. So we had our War of independence,
we won. Heay, we have material for schoolhouse rock yep.
And Europe entered a messy period after the American Revolution.
(01:06):
The American Revolution destabilized Europe tremendously. Of course, everybody remembers
the Fringe Revolution and all the cake eating in seventeen
eighty nine. That was followed by the War of the
First Coalition, then the Napoleonic Wars. Anyhow, the European instability
stilled back over to the states or of Americas, I
(01:29):
should say, specifically the Spanish Empire from eighteen o eight
to the eighteen thirties, Spain lost land to proto Ja Gavaris,
who were partially supported in their revolutions by the British
and the Americans. Around eighteen o eight, Tommy Jefferson the
(01:51):
third invited Spain.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
To do everybody know what he's referring to about Tommy Jefferson,
everybody he.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Got dressed up and if I'd had stayed to dinner
and started floating pile balloons about maybe instead of losing
Florida and Cuba to the revolutionaries, preemptively selling both to
the United States. After all, that's what France did in
eighteen oh three, right well after jeff and Jefferson actually
(02:27):
sent spies basically to Cuba to figure out how to
take over the island. After Jefferson lost left the presidency.
That lose left the presidency, the US government kept its
eager to acquire both Florida and Cuba. Jimmy Madison the
fourth made another play at it with the really hard
(02:52):
to describe Patriot War of eighteen twelve.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
We'll have to talk about that sometimes, yes, yeah, And.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
The Patriot War that was interrupted by really bad timing
with getting into a second war with Britain in eighteen twelve.
Historian Aleena Schneider claims that during the War of eighteen twelve,
General Andrew Jackson considered the option of in eighteen Cuba.
(03:23):
I'm a bit skeptical about that claim, but Jackson did
have plenty of tensions with the Spanish during the war,
and it was because of the War of eighteen twelve
that the US gained West Florida. If you don't know
the geography of West Florida, just look it up on
Wikipedia does a great job of explaining it in eighteen seventeen,
(03:48):
because remember, Florida and Cuba were kind of a package
deal at the time. Starting in eighteen seventeen, General Andy
Jackson he acted real lucy goosey with some vague orders
from the War Department, so he crossed into what remained
of Spanish Florida in a series of military raids we
(04:10):
now fall the First Seminole War, and that forced the
Spanish to the negotiation table, and it seeded the rest
of Florida to the United States starting in eighteen twenty one.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Florida.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
And Okay put this in context after the Spanish American
Wars of Independence and the Adam Adams Honust treaty which
got us Florida. Spain was left with only Cuba and
Puerto Rico and the Americas all of its cleimed New
(04:47):
World territory used to reach from part of Alaska down
to the end of South America and a lot of
the Caribbean, the whole, the whole smash. They were left
with Puerto Rico and Cuba.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
So anyhow, Tommy Jefferson and others never gave up on
the idea of getting Cuba from Spain and renaming it
so off the Florida Keys, there'd be a place called
Cocomo where people would want to go, preferably by buying it.
But war was never a deal breaker. Jefferson in a
(05:24):
letter to James Monroe in eighteen twenty three, Remember we
got flirt in eighteen twenty one. In a letter to
James Monroe in eighteen twenty three, Thomas wrote, I candidly
confess that I have ever looked on Cuba as the
most interesting addition which could ever be made to our
system of states. In other words, yeah, we really need
(05:47):
to get that Cuba things right. Yeah, yeah, So the
United States made purchase offers to Spain for Cuba at
least four times, at least twice of them formally no job.
In eighteen forty eight, President James Pope offered Spain one
hundred million dollars or about four billion in today's currency
(06:09):
for Cuba. Spain said, yeah, try a little bit more
than that. So in eighteen fifty four President Franklin Pierce
offered one hundred and twenty million or about five billion today.
Spain said, now we're going to pass on that offer
for free. So part of Pierce's offer stemmed from something
(06:30):
called the Austin Manifesto, which was the most flagrant example
of US intent to acquire Cuba by Booker by Crook.
Secretary of State William Marcy had American ambassadors in Europe
get together, by the way, including future President James Buchan,
(06:51):
and according to some sources, he had them get together
to work out window dressing for acquiring Cuba and to
sell the idea around Europe. What war died all of
these efforts was the fact that Spain Spain still allowed
(07:15):
slavery in Cuba, so there were slaves in Cuba and
the plantations at the time. This is the Antebellum period
when there are tensions between the Slave States and the Free.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
States Civil War.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Exactly the US ceomore. Yes, as a matter of fact,
in eighteen fifty eight, remember the Civil War starts in
eighteen sixty one. In eighteen fifty eight, when Buchanan was president,
Congress narrowly voted down a proposal to buy.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Cuba because of slavery.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Late mostly and by the way, an influential pro slavery
pro succession agitation organization called the Knights of the Golden Circle.
They grew in part out of the Ostend Manifesto. The
group proposed succession of the Slave States for creation of
(08:23):
a new Southern America that would expand southward into the
Caribbean along with Central and part of South America. The
idea was for this proposed new nation to form a
circle around the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, hence
Golden Circle, and it would base its entire economy on
(08:44):
slave labor. Acquisition of Cuba was the lynchpin of the plan. Now,
I'm not sure if they ever followed up on any
of that plan, but yeah, maybe maybe. Yes. That's a
reference to the Civil War books, and we need to
talk about the Knights of the Golden Circle sometime as well.
So after the Civil War and emancipation and the end
(09:12):
of slavery in the United States, still have slaves in Cuba,
but in the United States now does not have the
issue of slavery as being the stumbling book preventing it
from getting Cuba. And very helpfully, a situation came along
that would give the United States the excuse to acquire
(09:36):
Cuba once again. Once again, we have the opportunity. An American,
acting as an agent for Cuban independence fighters, bought a
former Confederate steamer, the Virginias, and use it to shuttle
supplies and fighters between the US and Cuba. The American
Navy was well aware of and totally unmotivated to stop
(09:59):
the ships sorties, and that enraged the Spanish, and so
the Spanish captured the ship, started handing out some death penalties,
and Americans were outraged. So here it is eighteen seventy three.
The issue of slavery is not there anymore to prevent
(10:20):
an American acquisition of Cuba, and the Spanish came to
their senses and realized, you know, the only thing we
would have to gain in a war with America, get
some bragging rights at best. America, on the other hand,
they stand to gain Cuba. And so the Spanish made
nice as fast as they possibly could, and they prevented
(10:41):
a war with America. In the eighteen seventy the US
would get another big chance to get its hands on Cuba,
and that was the Spanish American War in eighteen ninety eight.
And if I'm not mistaken, we're coming up to break.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
You're amazing you are, Patty.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Wow, hey, you ought to be a host.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Yeah something. Now he's the history major.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Yeah, yes you are. And by the way, I got
to tell you everybody out there, this is not part
of the schedule here, but Patty, you know you're terrific
storyteller because you're not just telling the story. You're putting
hard into it. You're fervor into it, and you're making exciting.
It's really it's what a way to learn a lesson
(11:31):
on history. And remember we have not yet answered the question.
And then we're going to break. Why is Cuba not
perhaps the fifty first state? Why is Cuba not a territory?
Like like what Puerto Rico right now? What about the Philippines?
Are they a territory?
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Or what are they and Guam as another one, yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
And the Virgin Islands. So these are questions we are
going to come up and what does the lead up
to politics? Greed, power, money, money, lobbying. And this is
our Veterans Voice Radio. We'll be right back and now
we're gonna give you the rest of the story after
(12:14):
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There's a new High Woman art gallery in Vero Beach.
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When's it open?
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Wow, that's good news. A member of the Itex trading community,
your text dollars are welcome. We're back on Arvid and
Zoys Radio showing Ralph Nathan Oko in Cuba.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
I don't hit as a caveat. I do have to
explain to everybody out to all of my friends out there,
our Veterans' Voice Radio, our podcast does not make political endorsements.
So whenever we discuss any of this history with Patty
or Cindy and I, it's never pro republican pro Democrat.
(14:19):
We're always pro American And as Cindy just said to
me over the break, the truth always comes out. Almost
The point is, everything goes around, comes around, and usually
the right stuff comes out. But there's so many innuendos,
so many Propaganda's bottom line is it's a political disclaimer
(14:39):
that our Veterans' Voice radio tries to give you our perception.
And Patty's phenomenal added is what history's about. But remember
what is history's yesterday. Well it's easy for us to
tell you about yesterday because we can't explain today. So Patty, Cuba,
why is it not a state or territory of Americas.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
So the US got its big chance to get Cuba.
It's eighteen ninety eight, remember the main the hell with
Spain boom, And it was at best an open secret
that a lot of Americans were getting sunscreen and packing
their backs getting ready to move to Cuba after the war.
After the sabers are rattling, the war drums are reverberating
(15:27):
in the Sella by the name of Senator Henry Teller,
and a Colorado Republican got an amendment into a binding
Congressional joint resolution authorizing the ward.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Patty, we had to say the Republicans at that time
and not the Republicans of today, the party, the political parties.
Am I correct that?
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Yes, that is correct.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Just want to make sure as our disclaimer. Okay, so
now you got us rouled up this guy, Jemmy Teller.
What the hell does he do? So?
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Teller, who was a very influential senator, got an amendment
written into a major bill that said, the United States
hereby disclaims any disposition of intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction,
or control over said island, except for pacification thereof, and
(16:25):
asserts its determination, when that is accomplished, to leave the
government and control of the island to its people.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
What does that mean?
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Yeah, and that one paragraph said we're going to leave
Cuba pretty much alone. Why?
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Why, why we're doing that?
Speaker 3 (16:47):
But now now, the Teller Amendment has guided US actions
towards Cuba since it was introduced in eighteen eighteen ninety eight. Right,
But it was modified by something called THEE for that amendment,
which basically said, if you guys are being too much
of a problem down there in Cuba, we reserve the
right to go down and pacify you until you're ready
(17:10):
to govern yourselves. Again, that was the justification for the
blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile crisis in nineteen
sixty two, So an amendment from nineteen oh one would
be firmly felt in nineteen sixty two.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
And it's all all referenced by Senator Teller in the eighteen.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Nineties in eighteen ninety eight. Now, those who opposed annexation
of Cuba by the United States were driven by a
few factors. Some were genuinely led by altruistic impulses to
support the Cuban's quest or independence. Others were probably driven
more by anti Catholic opinion and frankly flagrant racism. But
(17:57):
the sticky issue of slavery had been resolve. So now, now,
why aren't we getting Cuba. Two words beat sugar sugar.
At the time, the United States, because it couldn't, you know,
grow all the cane sugar that it wanted, It had
(18:18):
discovered something called beet sugar, and so they were developing
the beat sugar industry, and the people in the beat
sugar industry realized that if we brought Cuba on board
as a territory or state, then it's now unfettered supply
of cane sugar to the United States could be stabilized,
(18:41):
beat sugar and make it go extinct before it had
a full chance to breathe.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
And that's why I was sticky subject.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Yeah, yeah, and you know some people, you know, you
can it's really impossible to step back in history and
see what happens. You know, if if we made a
left turn rather than a right turn or vice versa,
who knows what would have happened in Cuba. If we
(19:09):
had pressed with an annexation of the island. It went
through very horrific times. The fellow I talked about earlier
best piece that he was not the nicest.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Fellow the beach.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
You know, it's hard to know, but we can't say this.
You know, if another set of decisions had been made
in eighteen ninety eight, there's a lot of twentieth century
history that would have played out much much differently. And
the odds are Florida and Cuba would still be, you know,
twins joined at the hip.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Okay, Patty, let me ask you a question. Now, not everybody,
you know, there's usually a Patty works with the script
and then we digress longer shorter, depending on time. Element.
Let me ask you a question, pointed blank out Senator
Henry Tayler, Colorado Republican. Now, we had the lobby effect
(20:12):
throughout the history of the world. Lobbying is part of
the world. Do you think that there's a direct correlation
of the sugar or King Sugar or Beach sugar industry
and the lobbying of Senator Henry Tayler? Yes, Okay, Deve Bottom, Yes.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
I absolutely do not doubt doubt it one bet and
let me remind uh listeners Batista's. Part of Batista's art
collection is available to see at the Daytona Beach Museum
of Arts and Sciences. So if you're making your way
to Daytona Beach, sometimes I think it's worthwhile to swing
(20:51):
by and go admire some of the Cuban art. It
is really remarkable.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Well, you also have the Beetune College, you have a
wonderful beach a lot of his, and you also have
the racetrack. But now I'm going to put you on
the spot. I'm not usually a conspiratorial, but sometimes I
have to be. Remember the main who decided, who's who
researched as to what really caused this domain to blow up?
Speaker 3 (21:19):
The Navy has looked into that three times, and you
and I actually did a.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Show about Yes, we did.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
I am of the opinion it was a quirk accident
because I don't the the coal. At the time, coal
was still an innovator technology. And you know the old saying,
(21:47):
never never attribute to malice what can be attributed to incompetence.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
That's like the Titanic two kind of idea.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Well, I believe that personally that the United States government,
to military or however had something to do. I can't
tell you what for the responsibility the main blowing up
as an excuse. Unfortunately, we had the opportunity and we
blew it. Cuba would not be what it is today.
Had it become a territory or a state, it would
(22:19):
be a free country and the Cubans would enjoy what
we call a democratic way of life.
Speaker 4 (22:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
On that note, Well, we do have one example though,
and that's Puerto Rico. I mean, that was part of
the whole package in eighteen ninety eight. Would things have
fared differently with Cuba than Puerto Rico? Hard to know.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
But I'll say with Panama again, I can bring Panama
into the with the canal in nineteen fourteen. Everybody out there,
I hope you all of you appreciate the Patty On
behalf of our a veteran's voice, vergo and everybody out there.
You're terrific. You're a god s. Thank you so much
for being with us. Sincerely, and everybody out there, Remember
(23:04):
there is no country, none bar none better than the
United States. We may not be perfect, but we are
the best. So thank you for for the sponsorship by
the High Woman Art Gallery in eighteen seventy two, Commerce
Avenue in Vivera Beach opened Saturdays from tent to three
(23:24):
by appointment, seven days a week. Thank you the High Woman,
and thank you High Woman Art Gallery.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Robert Lewis Thompson, Army, Korea.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
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Wood Air Force, James Asie Hill Army.
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other fallen heroes. Thank you, Thank you for your service,
thank you for your life. We proudly salute you rest
in peace with our love, respect, and blessings, Rest in
(24:27):
peace forever,
And welcome back to our veteran Swiss radio show and
Ralph nathan Oko and.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
To get the answers. So, why is Cuba not one
of the states within the United States? Why is Cuba
not a territory? Why didn't we take Cuba in eighteen
ninety eight when we won the alleged war that who
knows really who started it? But we have Professor Patrick
(00:37):
McAllister Patty, my dear friend to give you the answers.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
And you know, the more you know about the history,
the more surprising it is. Yes, that Cuba never landed
in the American lap. So we had our War of independence,
we won. Heay, we have material for schoolhouse rock yep.
And Europe entered a messy period after the American Revolution.
(01:06):
The American Revolution destabilized Europe tremendously. Of course, everybody remembers
the Fringe Revolution and all the cake eating in seventeen
eighty nine. That was followed by the War of the
First Coalition, then the Napoleonic Wars. Anyhow, the European instability
stilled back over to the states or of Americas, I
(01:29):
should say, specifically the Spanish Empire from eighteen o eight
to the eighteen thirties, Spain lost land to proto Ja Gavaris,
who were partially supported in their revolutions by the British
and the Americans. Around eighteen o eight, Tommy Jefferson the
(01:51):
third invited Spain.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
To do everybody know what he's referring to about Tommy Jefferson,
everybody he.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Got dressed up and if I'd had stayed to dinner
and started floating pile balloons about maybe instead of losing
Florida and Cuba to the revolutionaries, preemptively selling both to
the United States. After all, that's what France did in
eighteen oh three, right well after jeff and Jefferson actually
(02:27):
sent spies basically to Cuba to figure out how to
take over the island. After Jefferson lost left the presidency.
That lose left the presidency, the US government kept its
eager to acquire both Florida and Cuba. Jimmy Madison the
fourth made another play at it with the really hard
(02:52):
to describe Patriot War of eighteen twelve.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
We'll have to talk about that sometimes, yes, yeah, And.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
The Patriot War that was interrupted by really bad timing
with getting into a second war with Britain in eighteen twelve.
Historian Aleena Schneider claims that during the War of eighteen twelve,
General Andrew Jackson considered the option of in eighteen Cuba.
(03:23):
I'm a bit skeptical about that claim, but Jackson did
have plenty of tensions with the Spanish during the war,
and it was because of the War of eighteen twelve
that the US gained West Florida. If you don't know
the geography of West Florida, just look it up on
Wikipedia does a great job of explaining it in eighteen seventeen,
(03:48):
because remember, Florida and Cuba were kind of a package
deal at the time. Starting in eighteen seventeen, General Andy
Jackson he acted real lucy goosey with some vague orders
from the War Department, so he crossed into what remained
of Spanish Florida in a series of military raids we
(04:10):
now fall the First Seminole War, and that forced the
Spanish to the negotiation table, and it seeded the rest
of Florida to the United States starting in eighteen twenty one.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Florida.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
And Okay put this in context after the Spanish American
Wars of Independence and the Adam Adams Honust treaty which
got us Florida. Spain was left with only Cuba and
Puerto Rico and the Americas all of its cleimed New
(04:47):
World territory used to reach from part of Alaska down
to the end of South America and a lot of
the Caribbean, the whole, the whole smash. They were left
with Puerto Rico and Cuba.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
So anyhow, Tommy Jefferson and others never gave up on
the idea of getting Cuba from Spain and renaming it
so off the Florida Keys, there'd be a place called
Cocomo where people would want to go, preferably by buying it.
But war was never a deal breaker. Jefferson in a
(05:24):
letter to James Monroe in eighteen twenty three, Remember we
got flirt in eighteen twenty one. In a letter to
James Monroe in eighteen twenty three, Thomas wrote, I candidly
confess that I have ever looked on Cuba as the
most interesting addition which could ever be made to our
system of states. In other words, yeah, we really need
(05:47):
to get that Cuba things right. Yeah, yeah, So the
United States made purchase offers to Spain for Cuba at
least four times, at least twice of them formally no job.
In eighteen forty eight, President James Pope offered Spain one
hundred million dollars or about four billion in today's currency
(06:09):
for Cuba. Spain said, yeah, try a little bit more
than that. So in eighteen fifty four President Franklin Pierce
offered one hundred and twenty million or about five billion today.
Spain said, now we're going to pass on that offer
for free. So part of Pierce's offer stemmed from something
(06:30):
called the Austin Manifesto, which was the most flagrant example
of US intent to acquire Cuba by Booker by Crook.
Secretary of State William Marcy had American ambassadors in Europe
get together, by the way, including future President James Buchan,
(06:51):
and according to some sources, he had them get together
to work out window dressing for acquiring Cuba and to
sell the idea around Europe. What war died all of
these efforts was the fact that Spain Spain still allowed
(07:15):
slavery in Cuba, so there were slaves in Cuba and
the plantations at the time. This is the Antebellum period
when there are tensions between the Slave States and the Free.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
States Civil War.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Exactly the US ceomore. Yes, as a matter of fact,
in eighteen fifty eight, remember the Civil War starts in
eighteen sixty one. In eighteen fifty eight, when Buchanan was president,
Congress narrowly voted down a proposal to buy.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Cuba because of slavery.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Late mostly and by the way, an influential pro slavery
pro succession agitation organization called the Knights of the Golden Circle.
They grew in part out of the Ostend Manifesto. The
group proposed succession of the Slave States for creation of
(08:23):
a new Southern America that would expand southward into the
Caribbean along with Central and part of South America. The
idea was for this proposed new nation to form a
circle around the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, hence
Golden Circle, and it would base its entire economy on
(08:44):
slave labor. Acquisition of Cuba was the lynchpin of the plan. Now,
I'm not sure if they ever followed up on any
of that plan, but yeah, maybe maybe. Yes. That's a
reference to the Civil War books, and we need to
talk about the Knights of the Golden Circle sometime as well.
So after the Civil War and emancipation and the end
(09:12):
of slavery in the United States, still have slaves in Cuba,
but in the United States now does not have the
issue of slavery as being the stumbling book preventing it
from getting Cuba. And very helpfully, a situation came along
that would give the United States the excuse to acquire
(09:36):
Cuba once again. Once again, we have the opportunity. An American,
acting as an agent for Cuban independence fighters, bought a
former Confederate steamer, the Virginias, and use it to shuttle
supplies and fighters between the US and Cuba. The American
Navy was well aware of and totally unmotivated to stop
(09:59):
the ships sorties, and that enraged the Spanish, and so
the Spanish captured the ship, started handing out some death penalties,
and Americans were outraged. So here it is eighteen seventy three.
The issue of slavery is not there anymore to prevent
(10:20):
an American acquisition of Cuba, and the Spanish came to
their senses and realized, you know, the only thing we
would have to gain in a war with America, get
some bragging rights at best. America, on the other hand,
they stand to gain Cuba. And so the Spanish made
nice as fast as they possibly could, and they prevented
(10:41):
a war with America. In the eighteen seventy the US
would get another big chance to get its hands on Cuba,
and that was the Spanish American War in eighteen ninety eight.
And if I'm not mistaken, we're coming up to break.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
You're amazing you are, Patty.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Wow, hey, you ought to be a host.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Yeah something. Now he's the history major.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Yeah, yes you are. And by the way, I got
to tell you everybody out there, this is not part
of the schedule here, but Patty, you know you're terrific
storyteller because you're not just telling the story. You're putting
hard into it. You're fervor into it, and you're making exciting.
It's really it's what a way to learn a lesson
(11:31):
on history. And remember we have not yet answered the question.
And then we're going to break. Why is Cuba not
perhaps the fifty first state? Why is Cuba not a territory?
Like like what Puerto Rico right now? What about the Philippines?
Are they a territory?
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Or what are they and Guam as another one, yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
And the Virgin Islands. So these are questions we are
going to come up and what does the lead up
to politics? Greed, power, money, money, lobbying. And this is
our Veterans Voice Radio. We'll be right back and now
we're gonna give you the rest of the story after
(12:14):
the commercial.
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There's a new High Woman art gallery in Vero Beach.
Really where eighteen seventy two Commerce Avenue?
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When's it open?
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Seven days a week called ninety five four five five
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Speaker 1 (13:46):
Wow, that's good news. A member of the Itex trading community,
your text dollars are welcome. We're back on Arvid and
Zoys Radio showing Ralph Nathan Oko in Cuba.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
I don't hit as a caveat. I do have to
explain to everybody out to all of my friends out there,
our Veterans' Voice Radio, our podcast does not make political endorsements.
So whenever we discuss any of this history with Patty
or Cindy and I, it's never pro republican pro Democrat.
(14:19):
We're always pro American And as Cindy just said to
me over the break, the truth always comes out. Almost
The point is, everything goes around, comes around, and usually
the right stuff comes out. But there's so many innuendos,
so many Propaganda's bottom line is it's a political disclaimer
(14:39):
that our Veterans' Voice radio tries to give you our perception.
And Patty's phenomenal added is what history's about. But remember
what is history's yesterday. Well it's easy for us to
tell you about yesterday because we can't explain today. So Patty, Cuba,
why is it not a state or territory of Americas.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
So the US got its big chance to get Cuba.
It's eighteen ninety eight, remember the main the hell with
Spain boom, And it was at best an open secret
that a lot of Americans were getting sunscreen and packing
their backs getting ready to move to Cuba after the war.
After the sabers are rattling, the war drums are reverberating
(15:27):
in the Sella by the name of Senator Henry Teller,
and a Colorado Republican got an amendment into a binding
Congressional joint resolution authorizing the ward.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Patty, we had to say the Republicans at that time
and not the Republicans of today, the party, the political parties.
Am I correct that?
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Yes, that is correct.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Just want to make sure as our disclaimer. Okay, so
now you got us rouled up this guy, Jemmy Teller.
What the hell does he do? So?
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Teller, who was a very influential senator, got an amendment
written into a major bill that said, the United States
hereby disclaims any disposition of intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction,
or control over said island, except for pacification thereof, and
(16:25):
asserts its determination, when that is accomplished, to leave the
government and control of the island to its people.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
What does that mean?
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Yeah, and that one paragraph said we're going to leave
Cuba pretty much alone. Why?
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Why, why we're doing that?
Speaker 3 (16:47):
But now now, the Teller Amendment has guided US actions
towards Cuba since it was introduced in eighteen eighteen ninety eight. Right,
But it was modified by something called THEE for that amendment,
which basically said, if you guys are being too much
of a problem down there in Cuba, we reserve the
right to go down and pacify you until you're ready
(17:10):
to govern yourselves. Again, that was the justification for the
blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile crisis in nineteen
sixty two, So an amendment from nineteen oh one would
be firmly felt in nineteen sixty two.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
And it's all all referenced by Senator Teller in the eighteen.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Nineties in eighteen ninety eight. Now, those who opposed annexation
of Cuba by the United States were driven by a
few factors. Some were genuinely led by altruistic impulses to
support the Cuban's quest or independence. Others were probably driven
more by anti Catholic opinion and frankly flagrant racism. But
(17:57):
the sticky issue of slavery had been resolve. So now, now,
why aren't we getting Cuba. Two words beat sugar sugar.
At the time, the United States, because it couldn't, you know,
grow all the cane sugar that it wanted, It had
(18:18):
discovered something called beet sugar, and so they were developing
the beat sugar industry, and the people in the beat
sugar industry realized that if we brought Cuba on board
as a territory or state, then it's now unfettered supply
of cane sugar to the United States could be stabilized,
(18:41):
beat sugar and make it go extinct before it had
a full chance to breathe.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
And that's why I was sticky subject.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Yeah, yeah, and you know some people, you know, you
can it's really impossible to step back in history and
see what happens. You know, if if we made a
left turn rather than a right turn or vice versa,
who knows what would have happened in Cuba. If we
(19:09):
had pressed with an annexation of the island. It went
through very horrific times. The fellow I talked about earlier
best piece that he was not the nicest.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Fellow the beach.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
You know, it's hard to know, but we can't say this.
You know, if another set of decisions had been made
in eighteen ninety eight, there's a lot of twentieth century
history that would have played out much much differently. And
the odds are Florida and Cuba would still be, you know,
twins joined at the hip.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Okay, Patty, let me ask you a question. Now, not everybody,
you know, there's usually a Patty works with the script
and then we digress longer shorter, depending on time. Element.
Let me ask you a question, pointed blank out Senator
Henry Tayler, Colorado Republican. Now, we had the lobby effect
(20:12):
throughout the history of the world. Lobbying is part of
the world. Do you think that there's a direct correlation
of the sugar or King Sugar or Beach sugar industry
and the lobbying of Senator Henry Tayler? Yes, Okay, Deve Bottom, Yes.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
I absolutely do not doubt doubt it one bet and
let me remind uh listeners Batista's. Part of Batista's art
collection is available to see at the Daytona Beach Museum
of Arts and Sciences. So if you're making your way
to Daytona Beach, sometimes I think it's worthwhile to swing
(20:51):
by and go admire some of the Cuban art. It
is really remarkable.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Well, you also have the Beetune College, you have a
wonderful beach a lot of his, and you also have
the racetrack. But now I'm going to put you on
the spot. I'm not usually a conspiratorial, but sometimes I
have to be. Remember the main who decided, who's who
researched as to what really caused this domain to blow up?
Speaker 3 (21:19):
The Navy has looked into that three times, and you
and I actually did a.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Show about Yes, we did.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
I am of the opinion it was a quirk accident
because I don't the the coal. At the time, coal
was still an innovator technology. And you know the old saying,
(21:47):
never never attribute to malice what can be attributed to incompetence.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
That's like the Titanic two kind of idea.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Well, I believe that personally that the United States government,
to military or however had something to do. I can't
tell you what for the responsibility the main blowing up
as an excuse. Unfortunately, we had the opportunity and we
blew it. Cuba would not be what it is today.
Had it become a territory or a state, it would
(22:19):
be a free country and the Cubans would enjoy what
we call a democratic way of life.
Speaker 4 (22:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
On that note, Well, we do have one example though,
and that's Puerto Rico. I mean, that was part of
the whole package in eighteen ninety eight. Would things have
fared differently with Cuba than Puerto Rico? Hard to know.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
But I'll say with Panama again, I can bring Panama
into the with the canal in nineteen fourteen. Everybody out there,
I hope you all of you appreciate the Patty On
behalf of our a veteran's voice, vergo and everybody out there.
You're terrific. You're a god s. Thank you so much
for being with us. Sincerely, and everybody out there, Remember
(23:04):
there is no country, none bar none better than the
United States. We may not be perfect, but we are
the best. So thank you for for the sponsorship by
the High Woman Art Gallery in eighteen seventy two, Commerce
Avenue in Vivera Beach opened Saturdays from tent to three
(23:24):
by appointment, seven days a week. Thank you the High Woman,
and thank you High Woman Art Gallery.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Robert Lewis Thompson, Army, Korea.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Dennis Richard Lepowski, First Responder.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
James Anthony Mullins.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Navy, Donald M.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Green Army, Jeen C. Snowberger Army, Bryce and Robert bob
Wood Air Force, James Asie Hill Army.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Doctor Lewis Conte Aguero first Responder, and all of our
other fallen heroes. Thank you, Thank you for your service,
thank you for your life. We proudly salute you rest
in peace with our love, respect, and blessings, Rest in
(24:27):
peace forever,
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