Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1895-09-17
SETTLED AT LAST.
Spanish Government Pays the Mora
Claim in Gold.
Draft on London Given at Washing
ton and Receipt Signed = End
a. Of a Long Controversy.

WASHINGTON, Sept. l4.-Aftcr more
than twenty years of controversy,
which several times threatened to
bring about strained relations be.
tween Spnin and the United States,
o draft for the amount Of the in
demnity demanded by this govern
ment for the confiscation of the
Cuban estates of Antonio Making
Mora, a naturalized American citizen
was delivered Saturday by Senior Dep
ny de LONE, the Spanish minister,
to Mr.. Adee, the acting secretary Of
state. All that remains for the final
settlement Of the claim will be the
arrangement Of the assignments made
by Mr.. Mora to creditors and the
delivery to him of the residue.
There was no ceremony about the
eliminating act on the part of Spain.
Senior de LONE appeared at the state
department few minutes after
noon and was Immediately shown into
the Office Of Mr.. Adee. He handed to the
Inter o draft, signed by himself,
on the London financial agent of the
Spanish government for s295, 412, 18s,
lid, the equivalent Of sl.449,0 or
100000 Spanish pesos, and Mr.. Adee
delivered In return a formal receipt
for the amount signed by himself
as acting secretary Of state. This
constituted the whole transaction, and
Senior de Lone and Mr.. Adee uttered
some polite commonplaces, shook
hands and parted Us though they had
been attending minor matter of bust
ness instead Of making history. The
sum rendered will have to be sent to
England for collection, and it will
probably be ten days or more before
the actual money is in the hands Of the
state department. The Spanish min
lister was not empowered to make the
tender either in coin or draft on New
York, but in q draft payable in London
In British gold. The receipt of Mr..
Adee, acting secretary of state, for the
draft will be forwarded to London,
where the draft will be cashed. AS
soon us the department is advised
by cable that the draft has been
paid the state departments bank in this
city, Riggs & Co., will honor
the department checks issued to those
to whom the distribution Of the fund
Is due. The bank declined to honor
such checks prior to the cashing of the
draft Tor the reason, 1t Is supposed,
that Spanish obligations have been too
easily overthrown in the past, and the
state department declined to assume
the responsibility for the final pay
ment OF the money by indorsing che
draft.
Complications Likely to BE Met.
Having settled the international
feature of the case, the state depart.
ment is now likely to encounter
some difficulty at home in dis
bursting the money. Much litiga-
ton is threatened, us was evi.
denced by the taking out of an injunc-
ton by one Of the assignees Fri.
day to restrain the state de-
partment from paying over all
OF the money to the claimant,
Mora. During the years of the pen.
densy 81 s asesse co. claim Mr.. Mora lsaas
been obliged to make Assignments OF
part of it, the larger items lbsillG on
account of legal expenses
Some OF these assignments have been
recorded In the state department. but
their number and the aggregate
amount cannot be learned at
present. OF these the department
must take notice in settling the
claim and it is probable others
nre outstanding of which the de.
partment has not yet been informed.
To insure proper distribution the dc.
partment will give official notice by
the usual channels SO that prope,
claims may be presented,