The herald., 1897-03-23
CUBA LOST
TO SPAIN
Even Spaniards Admit the
Fact
INSURCENT OFFERS TO BUY
Find Earnest Advocates Among the Bust
ness Men
INSURGENT OFFERS TO BUY
Weyler's Policy of Devastation Drives
Even the Royalsts to Support
the Cause of Freedom
Associated Press Special wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
NEW YORK, March PA dispatch
to the World from Havana says: Only
q few of the more excitable Spanish Off
GERS refuse to admit that Cuba is lost
to the crown. Resident Spanish con-
fess they can see no other outcome. In
fact, evidences that Cuba may in the
end be freed by Spanish residents them
selves, are many and strong. The calm
est minds predict the end of Spanish
rule within two years. Some say not
so soon, others say within year.
The proposition of Cisneros and Co.
mcz, sent in writing to the New York
World, to buy the island, is growing in
popularity here. Its warmest advocates
are Spanish and residents here loyal to
the crown. They are the active finan~
cial and business men of the island, the
owners of eight-tenths of its wealth and
it's sources of wealth. The Spanish ele-
ment is condemning with more and
more emphasis the fruitless exhausting
policy of Gen. Weyler. They see his
idea of pacification is depopulation, his
plan for peace devastation. Farmers,
laborers, and all wealth-producing
classes in the county are driven to
their graves, or to the rebel ranks to
destroy what remains. Wealth al
ready produced is given to flames. They
see that Captain General Weyler Is
making no military progress. Cubans
are being left more and more in possess
sion of the country. They frequently
sack small towns close to Havana. They
are in force in cities of the fourth and
third classes once or twice a month.
Such raids grow more common.
A DELICATE QUESTION.
! WASHINGTON March ga ques-
tion has arisen as to our Cuban rela'
tions that will require delicate treat
ment in order to avoid working harm
to many Americans. About year ago
the Spanish government, by decree.
suspended the right of creditors to col.
lect debts in order to avert the threat
ened ruin of the planters. This action
was made the subject of energetic pro-
test by number of American capital
lists, mostly resident in the north, who
hold Cuban mortgages and other securi-
ties and thus saw themselves cut oN
from their rightful interest The state
department was obliged to make this de-
| cree the basis of formal dissent, thus
saving the right to prefer claims for
| damages later on. Now the decree has
expired and the laws for the collection
of debt again become operative, and
there is another protest, this time from
| the American planters in Cuba and their
financial hackers. who, having been
obliged to stop sugar growing and cane
grinding, by orders of both Spanish and
| insurgents, now see themselves threat
ened with loss of all their property
| through foreclosure. The point Is that
! if our government protests against this
last phase of the case, the first protest
will lose force, while, if it fails to do 90,
great hardship will follow.
RELEASE OF PRISONERS.
NEW YORK, March 22.-Another
American citizen who has been held un-
der arrest in Cuba has been released. He
is Francis Casseanas, arrested at Sagua
on. February 13. The arrest was de-
| nounced by Consul General Lee az =
great outrage, whereupon the state de-
partment began at once to move IN be-
half Of the man with the result that he
was set at liberty yesterday.
The number of Americans now under
arrest in Cuba is reduced to eight or
ten, and these include the Competiter
prisoners. The Spanish minister held =
conference by appointment today with
Secretary Sherman, 1t is understood.
with special reference to the American
citizens, and Secretary Sherman be-
lieves that within a few days all the
American prisoners will be released.