The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-09-11
THE MAXIMO mora CLAIM
A Very Dark Side of the Case
Against the Spanish
Government.
SENATORS CORRUPTLYINT
The Publication of a Serious
Debate in the Spanish
Cortes Suppressed.

w WASHINGTON. Sept. IL, 1S93-Thero 10
another side to the Maximo Mora case
against the Spanish government bill in
regard to which is now pending before
Congress. On the face of the papers no
claim could make a stronger showing.
Congress has passed repeated resolutions
urging its payment. Some of the most
eminent counsel Of the United States
have been engaged to ask action upon It
by the committees of foreign affairs, and
foreign relations of the House and
Senate. The State Department
duced to Instruct our Minister
to Spain to press for a settlement from
the Spanish government. An agreemen5
was once actually enteredtinto by Spain
for itS settlement on basis Of 81, 500. 900
to be charged against the Cuban budget,
when. Mr.. Edward H. Strobel, now Third
Assistant Secretary of State, was Secre-
tary OF Legation at Madrid. Yet there
are said to be circumstances of most
peculiar nature back of the claim whIcu
justify the statement that Spain will
resist to the utmost any compliance with
demand for Its settlement.
WANTED PROTECTION.
Maxine Mora, in whose name the
claim is fled is a venerable and honest
Cuban gentleman, over eighty years of
age. unable TO speak more than q few
words OF English. 1t is asserted that he
took out papers rs an American citizen,
chiefly for the purpose of saving his large
property In Cuba, valued at several
millions OF dollars from confisca-
tion by the Spanish Government
on the ground OF his alleged
sympathy with the Cuban revolutionlsts.
In this object he Was unsuccessful. His
property was forfeited and this claim was
brought against Spain in his name as an
American citlzen. 1t is also asserted that
Mr.. Moranow retains only q few thou
sand dollars of personal interest In the
claim. He mas parted with the rest Of it
TO those who have been SO energeticalIy
pressing the case on his behalf.
Rightly or wrongly the Spanish Gov
ernment is firmly imbued with the
impression that the question between
Senor Mora and itself Is one between q
government and one of It's own subjects
In which the United States has no prope z
interest, that MIR. Morals Amer n
citizenship in fact was little more thau a
simulated allegiance. Mr.. Moret, Il Q
Spanish Minister, who made q provisional
agreement for settlement of the claim,
subject to the approval Of tbe Cortes, wa Q
compelled to retire from office on this
account.
SENATORS ACCUSED.
In a public debate In the Spanish
Cortes. the harshest things were said
about the claim aud the severest possible
criticism was passed upon the United
States Legation, for. as was implied,
permitting itself to be used as claim
agent TO enfore an unjust dsniaud
against q friendly government. 1t was
stated that the MoreG agreement was
procured by representations made 10
the Spanish Government pv persons claim =
ing to represent the Mora claim that
nf r ho TrIf
much interested In this matter
that they were willing to approve
liberal reciprocity treaty with Spain
provided the Mora claim was paid. In
other words, the impression was convey
ed to Spanish officials tnat the United
States Senators were corruptly interested
in the Mora claim.
PERRY BELMONT AROUSED.
These accusations were so openly made
that Perry Belmont, when Minister to
MRdrid Id, peremptorily refused to follow
the instructions of the State De-
partmenI by further pressing the
| claim upon the Spanish Gov
ernment. and In this course he was
followed by his successor ex-senator
Palmer of Michigan. Mr.. Belmont for
warded translation of the debate in the
Spanish CorteS to the State Department.
III explanation of his action. In the last
Congress, in response to a resolution
offered by Mr.. Doiph, all the recent papers
In the case were forwarded to the Senate
Coumittee on Foreign Relations, iuclud-
| ing this debate in the Spauish Cortes.
The papers were voluminous and the
singular assertion is made that their
arrangement for publication was left in
the hands OF some of the numerous at
torneys interested in the claim,
aud that the debate in the Corte6
was withheld fiom qualifications.
1t certainly does nof appear ia
the official Senate document. Altogether
the Mora claim has apparently much
| more in it than appears on the surface
and some interesting developments are
expected.
It is not questioned thst most of those
who have urged Its settlement have been
| actuRted by firm belief in the Justice Of
the claim. but If the statements now
made are substantiated they have been
Eisled as to the facts.