Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-09-12
CLAIM AGAINST SPAIN.
Uncle Sam May Have
Been Humbugged.
A CHANGE OF CITIZENSHIP
IN Order, It Is Alleged, To Save an Es-
tate From ConHscation.

WASIVNGf >, > pt. IL. There Il another
side 10 the Nor, case against the Spanish
government, Bit in regard TO which is
now pending before congress- On.the face
OF the parrrs no claim could make q
stronger showing.
Congress his rlsssd repeat resolutions
urging IL prment. Some Of the most
eminest con I { the United States have
becu engaged 10 ask action upon 1t by the
comm ttee on foreign affairs and foreign
relations of the house and senate. The
state d. rpart ncni has more than once been
induced To Ia truct our minister in Spain
To press for settlement from the Spanish
government.
An agreement WAS once actually entered
into by Spain Tor its settlement on basis
Of 81 5OO.OOD, 20 be charged against the
Cuban budget, when Edward III. Strobel,
now third assistant secretary OF state, was
secretary OF | ,Hii0n at Madrid Yet there
are said 10 be- circumstances Of most pc
cular nature back of the claim which
justify the statement that Spain will re-
sist to the utmost any compliance with
demand for is settlement.
Concerning tho Claimant.
Maimo Mora, in whose name the claim
is filed, is venerable Cuban gentleman,
over 10 y'a n age, unable TO speak more
than a few words of English. 1t is AS
serted that he took out papers AZ an Amer
ican citizen chi, fly for the purpose of saw
ing his large p operiy Ia Cuba, valued at
several Mill ll' Of dollars, from confisca-
tion b. thc -baEish government on the
ground ~ hil alleged sympathy with the
Cuban rev a nists. la this he was un-
successful. J - property was forfeited,
and this cl ri was brought against Spain
I'm his naue m American citizen. 1t is
also a lt,d that Mora now retains
only w lihslnd dollars Of personal
interest Ia Tie claim. lie has parted with
the rest OF il 20 those who have been so en-
ergetically RISING the case on his behalf
Rightly or Urongly, the Spanish gov
ernment l. firmly imbued with the i'm
preston that the question between Senor
Mora and Itself is one between govern
ment and one Of its own subjects, In which
the United : ates has no proper interest
that Morals American citizenship.
In fact, was little more than n simulated
allegiance. Mr. Moret, the Spanish
minister, who made a provisional agree
ment for settlement Of the claim, sub
ject TO the approval of the cortes, was
compelled to retire from office on this ac-
count.
Hints OF Corruption.
In public debate In the Spanish cortes,
the harshest things were said about the
claim, and the severest possible criticism
was passed upon the United States lega-
tion for, as was implied, permitting itself
to be used claim agent to enforce an un-
just demand against friendly govern
or tod Int ha
agreement was procured by repres enta-
tions made TO the Spanish government by
persons representing the Mora claim; that
senntors Of The United States were so
much interested in this matter that they
were willing 20 approve n liberal recipro-
city treaty With Spain provided the Mora
claim was paid In other words, the i'm
preston was conveyed TO Spanish officials
that United States senators were cor
ruptly intere ted in the Mora claim.
These accusations were so openly made
that Perry Belmont, when minister to
Madrid pereu piorily refused, 1t Is said, to
follow the instructions of the state de-
partment by further pressing the claim
upon the Spa iish government, aud in this
course he was followed. so the story goes
by his sure ss0r, ex-senator Palmer of
Michigan. Mr.. Belmont forwarded
translation of the debate in the Spanish
cortes to the state department in explana-
tion Of his aci ion
Needs Probing
In the last congress, In response to a
resolution of red by Mr.. Dolph, all the
recent paper in the case were forwarded
to the senate oInmittee on foreign rela-
tions, including this debate in the Spanish
cortes. The papers were voluminous, and
the singular assertion Is made that their
arrangement Tor publication was left in
the hands of some Of the numerous at
torneys Interested in the claim, and that
the debate in the cortes was withheld
from publication. 1t certainly does not
appear in the official senate document.
Altogether the Nsra claim has appar-
emily much more In 1t than appears on the
surface, and some interesting develop
ments are expected. 1t is not questioned
that most of those who have urged its
settlement have been actuated by firm be-
lief ia the justice of the claim, but II the
statements uow made are substantiated,
they have been misled as to the facts.