Torriente Accepts the Senate's Isle of Pines Conditions

Cuba's emergence from American occupation had left the status of the Isle of Pines explicitly unsettled. Article VI of the Platt provisions omitted it from Cuba's proposed constitutional boundaries and reserved title for later adjustment by treaty. The 1904 agreement sought to close that question, but American ratification remained necessary before its terms could take effect. [2] [1]

Cuban ambassador Cosme de la Torriente accepted the United States Senate's conditions for ratifying the Isle of Pines treaty on 18 March 1925. The treaty, signed by Gonzalo de Quesada and John Hay in 1904, relinquished American claims to the island in Cuba's favor. The Senate's approval on 13 March required a further exchange of notes before the governments could complete ratification. [1]

Secretary of State Frank Kellogg sent the conditions to Torriente on 17 March. Existing and future treaties between the two countries would apply to the island and its inhabitants. American residents and property holders would receive the most favorable treatment accorded to other foreigners, clarifying the protection already promised in article III. Kellogg requested Cuba's formal acceptance on its government's authority. [1]

Torriente replied in Spanish that Cuba's Senate had authorized the president to empower him to accept the conditions. His note completed the required exchange. Ratifications were exchanged in Washington on 23 March, followed by proclamation the next day. [1]

Related Diplomats

1. Cosme de la Torriente [1]

Related Reading

• Cuba and the United States
• Republic of Cuba