The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-06-23
Misinterpretation OF U ucle Sans
Demand on Spain
THE MORA CLAIM BU.i.ABOO
; luflammatory Articles Printed in lYsdrid
Papers
The Matter Was Arranged by an Information %
Commission During the Lifetime OF
Secretary Gresham


I Associated Press Special Wire
I MADRID, June 22.-The Madrid press
|. Is publishing inhammatory statements as
4, to the reported demand OF the united
Estates for the settlement OF the Mora
! claim. The impression apparently IS
i that Havana is to be seized and held I'M
!, less the Mora claim is paid. The Madrid
, new spapers say editorially that President
s-Cleveland s recent proclamation against
? Cuban filibusters in the United states
was to be followed by the payment by
the Spanish government OF the Mora
claim. The papers take the position that
/. under this understanding the United
: States authorities will not exert them
! selves to carrying out the presidents
= proclamation by a suppression OF the
!, ilibusterers until Spain has actually
. maid the claim. There is entire silence
I on the subject in government circles ana
the excited statements OF the Maurlu
press are not credited among ofhclais.
WASHINGTON, June 22.-The under
= standing that Spain would regard WIN
= favor an international commission TO al.
! lust pending claims brings out the fact
that on February IA. 1894, Secretary
Gresham submitted to SPAN the draft OF
the treaty providing for such ccmmis-
Withdrawn and it is now before the
Spanish authorities, so that II they re-
J, gard such plan with favor, there ap-
pears to be nothing in tie way OF an
Article of the draft submitted by Mr..
Gresham was as follows:
'HThere shall be appointed commits
sion consisting OF three members one Of
whom shall be named by the president Of
the United States one by her majesty the
queen regent of Spain and the third by
the president OF the United States and
ner majesty the queen regent conformity.
and in case the third commissioner shall
not have been so named within period
of three months from the date of the
ratification OF this treaty, the third shall
be named.
ssTo said commissioners shall be referred
all claims yet remaining unsettled,
which prior to the date OF exchange OF
ratifications of this convention, shall
have been automatically presented by
: their government ON both of its corpora
tions. companies or individual citizens or
subjects OF the old government, arising
out of lights denied or wrongs commit
ted since the 18th day of February, 1884,
to the person or property OF cltiZens or
subjects of the government presented the
> claims not in the service OF the enemies OF
other government or voluntarily giving
them aid and comfort.
"Proyided thai no claims shall be
within the competence CT the COMMISSION
which is based upon the refusal OF the
United States to pay interest (either by
way of damages or for loss of use OF prop
erty or delay i'll payment) on claims
known as East Florida claims belonging
to or derived from persons who were new
er Spanish subjects or who, subsequent
to the occurrences out OF which the sEast
Florida claims arose, ceased TO be Span
ish subjects.
'And provided, further that no claim
against the United States based upon the
emancipation or loss of slaves since the
18th day of April, 1861, shall be with the
competence of the commission.
''The claim OF Antonio Maxine Mora
against Spain having been already settled,
shall not be within the competency OF
the commission"
The subsequent articles provide that the
commission shall meet in Washington,
? complete its work within six months, etc.
} A.clause is added that Spain shall pay
in Madrid in 1887. This sum represents
allowances made by Spain in 1887 to six
United States citizens.
In offering this treaty Secretary Gres-
ham wrote. II herewith enclose draft
of a convention which the president is
willing to have executed on his behalf foI
submission to the senate, whose consent,
as the Spanish government of course I'M
derstands. is necessary. 1t contemplates
a commission to which shall be referred
all unsettled claims on the part Of citi-
zens OF elther country against the govern
ment of the other which arise and have
been automatically presented since the
= date of the Iast.elaims convention beween
p the TWO countries, to wit: February II.
1884. This covers the case of claims based
: upon the failure or refusal of this govern
!. ment to pay interest to Spain and her
subjects on account of the East Florida
awards. Spain of course is not concerned
II the failure or refusal of this govern
ment to pay interest to its own citizens
on such awards. 1t also covers the claims
OF Spanish subjects against this govern
4 ment growing .out OF our civil war. II
likewise includes all claims except that
OF Mora, growing out of the EN- barge Of the
estates of American citizens in Cuba
which were not disposed of by the arbi-
TRAITORS and umpire appointed under the
agreement concluded at Madrid, February
1l-12, 1871, between the Spanish minister
of state, Senior Cristino Martos, and the
minister plenipotentiary OF the United
States. Gen. Uaneil f. Sickes.
As to the excepted Mora claim Mr.
Gresham said: "WhIle it must be dis
tinctly understood as so oftem heretofore
declared, that payment of Mora's claim
can in no way be made dependent on The
conclusion of the proposed convention,
yeb IL ID sincereiy nopeu tnaI AL EN- par
BASEMENT with the cortes in regard TO thS
said payment may now be removed"
Senior Moret, the Spanish minister o.
foreign affairs, in acknowledge the
draft of the treaty, said it would receive
due consideration. He also pointed out
that Mr.. Gresham provided in his treaty
that it should be ratified by the Unitec
States senate, although he denied to thu
Spanish cortes the right OF passing or
the Mora claim as agreed to by the Span
ish executive authorities. The negotia
tons on the treaty never proceeded fur
ther and are now pending.