THE VOICE OF CUBA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23075, 28 June 1938, Page 8

THE VOICE OF CUBA

Through the Prime Minister's Department of this country has been communicated to its people an intimation that Cuba is pressing upon the League of Nations a protest against the bombing of open and unprotected towns. The first reaction to this news may be mistaken. What Cuba thinks may appear to be of trifling importance. That largest of the West Indian islands is, it may seem, still too small an international unit for its voice to get much heeding. This view, however, must be qualified on second thoughts. As a republic in League membership, Cuba has an undoubted right, in accordance with the Covenant, to express an opinion ; and by the same token it counts for as much, in voting power, as does any single nation, of whatever size. Besides, Cuba is the member most intimately related to the United States. It is almost a ward of White House. Its commercial activities, as well as the needs of its public finance, have long been a care of congressional politics. These things give so grave a Cuban appeal to other members of the League through Geneva more weight than it would otherwise have. The voice is the voice of Cuba, but the inspiration of it is probably American. Never in the League, the United States cannot very well ask that this matter be discussed at the next meeting of the Assembly, and yet may realise that this is the best international form for discussion of it apart from Italy, Germany and Japan, all implicated in the barbarity. It is inconceivable that Washington knows nothing about Cuba's action; it is readily conceivable that Washington has at least favoured its taking.