Historians differ over the meaning of the Platt amendment for Cuban independence. Their views upon this subject have relevance not only for other historians but for those who may be interested in the use of power by the United States in world affairs. The historical literature of the Platt amendment depicts the clash between the security and self-determination interests of the United States and Cuba, and provides an instructive phase of the continuing Cuban question that has intermittently agitated public opinion from the days of Thomas Jefferson to those of Fidel Castro.

Some years ago during one of the periodic crises which characterize Inter-American relations, a New York Times analyst concluded that it was almost impossible to obtain unanimity in this country on Latin American policy. With some reluctance the writer added that it was also impossible to make any policy of the United States liked “ down there.” Certainly the “ Platt ” Amendment of 1901 was one of the most controversial hemispheric policies ever formulated by the United States. Later embodied in the so-called Permanent Treaty with Cuba (1903–1934), it has evoked a wide range of praise and vilification. Yet even a cursory analysis of the extensive literature relating to this significant measure reveals serious misunderstanding concerning it.

Several of the key problems of the Third Mexican Council are better understood and partially solved by a study of the Vatican documents. This important ecclesiastical gathering was the first in Mexico to take into serious consideration the decrees of the Council of Trent. It had held its first sessions in Mexico City from January 20 to October 20, 1585. Its acts and statutes were written in Spanish; in order to secure papal approbation a Latin translation was made of both by Father Pedro Ortigosa, S. J., the Mexican Archbishop’s personal theologian and prominent participant at the Council.

Whatever history may record about his personal life, there is no denying that Pope Alexander VI was among the most efficient and far-sighted of the Church’s long list of vicars. Perhaps nowhere is this fact more obvious than in the pontiff’s concern and zeal for the missions. In a decree addressed to Ferdinand and Isabella, issued at Rome on May 4, 1493, the pope stated, in part:

With this and subsequent papal mandates, the Spanish monarchs inaugurated the Christianization and colonization of the New World.

Shortly after 1546 someone in Mexico was reading a book recently published at the instance of Bishop Juan de Zumárraga. The book was one of the first dozen published in the New World. As he read he occasionally made annotations in the margin. At one place he wrote: “Constantino.” Further on he put: “Constantino es este y no Zumárraga.” At the end of the book he summed up his observations by writing: “Hasta aquí tomó Su Señoría de Constantino doctor.”

In the days Portugal held sway over vast territories in Africa and in both the East and the West Indies, she made valuable contributions towards the development of these lands, not the least being the introduction of certain domestic animals, plants, both nutritional, and medicinal, and trees. Any number of plants or special strains were transported from East to West and vice-versa. Some of them have thrived so well in alien soil that today they are considered indigenous.