Marines May Guard Elections In Cuba.

New York Times 100 years ago today, September 16, 1912:
Plan Reported Under Way to Send Troops There to Insure Fair Voting.
FEAR TROUBLE IS BREWING
While the Situation on the Island Is Becoming More and More Unsatisfactory to Us.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, Sept. 15.— Talk of intervention in Cuba, which was general when the negro uprising there was in progress early this year, and has not entirely simmered down, acquired a new aspect today. Rumors at the time of the uprising were that the United States would send an army of occupation to Cuba to take over the Government. To-day's report was that a plan was under consideration by this Government for taking charge of the polls at the general elections in November. A comparatively small detachment of marines would be sufficient, it was said, to insure a fair election. For the older plan of occupation an army of several thousand would be needed.
    The situation in Cuba, according to what was said in some quarters here to-day, has been becoming more and more unsatisfactory to the United States. Not long ago, in the course of the negro uprising, President Taft sent a plain warning to President Gomez to enforce order. But although order has been restored and the negro uprising suppressed, this Government, it was reported, viewed with little satisfaction the possibility of President Gomez keeping his party in power by the use of his authority at the polls.
    It is reported now that representations from this Government that his agreements must be observed caused President Gomez to retire from the race to succeed himself. His place at the head of the ticket will be taken by Alfredo Zayas, and his opponent will be Gen. Mario Menocal. This Government will not declare its preference between the candidates. While the military faction, with which Gen. Menocal has been associated, has sometimes been criticised from Washington, there has been nothing to show that there was any objection to Gen, Menocal himself. But the United States does want a real election, and if the prospects for trouble at the polls become too threatening, it is regarded here as within the bounds of likelihood that the marines will be ordered to take charge, as they have done before in Panama.