The record-union., 1896-12-08

LlStlcS or the amount OF Sucn Invest
ments are not obtainable. A gross es-
innate of $50,00O000 would be more
likely to fall under than over the mark
A large proportion of these investments
is now exposed to the exceptional vicis-
Situdes of the war. Estates have been
desOlated and crops destroyed by the
insurgents and Spanish alike. Upon
those not actually ravaged operations
have been compulsorily suspended by
order Of the Spanish authorities, thus
entailing enforced loss. The loss does
not fall upon the capital alone, but
large numbers Of the agricultural Ia
boring classes are driven from fields to
the nearest towns, partly by the per-
emptory orders of the local military
commanders and partly by the cessa-
ton of destruction of their only means
of livelihood. Among them are many
sons of the United States. 1t is Off
cially reported that there are in one
provincial city alone some 5000 neces-
sitous refugees to whom municipal
authorities can afford little or no relief
Over 800 of these are American citi-
zens engaged in prosperous farming
and stock raising at the beginning Of
resources have been swept away by
eighteen months of civil strife, reduc-
ing them from affluence to penury and
throwing them upon the charity of an
unhospitable community in a devasta-
ted land.
"All these disastrous conditions, with
the evils and disorders necessarily fol-
lowing in their train, are interfering
with the insular avenues of trade, and
very gravely impairing the business
operations of Cuba. From whatever
point of view we regard the matter, 1T
is impossible not to discern that state
Of things exists at our door alike dan
gerous to good relations, destructive of
legitimate commerce, fatal to the in
lternal resources of Cuba and most veX-
atiOus and trying by entailing upon
this Government excessive burdens IN
it's domestic administration and it's out
ward relations. This situation cannot
indefinitely continue without growing
still worse, and the time may not be
far distant when the United States
must seriously consider whether it's
rights and interests, as well as it's in
ternationa duties, do not call for some
pursued"
Mr.. Olney, mentioning that ''the right
of every citizen arrested in Cuba to
have the benefit of ordinary criminal
proceedings guaranteed by existing
treaties has been energetically insisted
upon" refers to the ship Competitor af-
fair as follows:
I'm April last the Competitor, small
schooner Of American registry, eluded
the vigilance of the Federal authori-
ties took on board men and supplies
presumably intended to aid the Cuban
insurrection, and reached the coast of
that island near San Cayetano. Being
discovered by the Spanish coast guard,
conflict ensued, resulting in the cap
ture of number of those on board,
as we'll as the seizure of the vessel.
The captives were subjected to a sum-
mary military trial. which, although
conducted by an admiralty court, ad-
judged to be competent, appeared to
have lacked the essential safeguards of
procedure called for in the existing con-
ventions between the United States and
Spain. The Government insisted on it's
citizens securing all the rights to which
they were entitled. The case was sub
sequently carried to the higher tribunal
at Madrid, which has set the convic-
ton aside and remanded the case for
retrial."
He further says: This Government
has been constrained to enter earnest
protest against a, recent decree of the
GOvernor-General Of Cuba ordering the
registration of all aliens in the island,
and pronouncing all those not regis
tered within a certain time as de-
barred from appealing to the provis-
ions of existing law. The treaty rights
of American citizens obviously depend
on their actual allegiance to their own
Government, not upon any arbitrary
inscriptions as aliens by the State
wherein they may be sojourning: and
while this Government is we'll disposed
to admit the convenience of the pro-
posed registry as an additional evidence
of the right of such citizens in Cuba
to the protection of the authorities, and
has signified it's willingness to facilitate
their registration, it can never consent
that the omission of a merely local
formality can operate to outlaw any
persons entitled to it's protection as citi-
Zens, or to abrogate the right to the
orderly resources of Spanish law SOL
| emnly guaranteed to them by treaty.