The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-04
WEYLER'S OLIVE BRANCH.
yULI TEXT OF THE TERMS or PEACE
HE OFFERED G0MEG

HE OFFERED GoWEG
ri. wonder the cubaa w.r Captain Treated
Them with scoru-an Eyes in Spain ard
Cuba Are Now Turned Upon Minister
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF HIS Proposals..
HAVANA. July 31.-The proposals for peace
made BY Gen. weyler to Gen. Gomez, to discuss
which the Ca~ptain-General asked the privilege
Of an interview, which Gen. Gomez refused to
sront. yere embodied in the following four ar
ticlos:
81, Tho insurgents to lay down their arms
in the six provinces Of the island.
"2. All insurgents now in arms to be par
doned by Spain, and facilities afforded them to
leave tho island or to fix their residence in any
part Of Cuba where they may wish to live.
50. Cubans abroad in sympathy with the revo-
lution. or engaged in foreign countries in help
ing the insurgent army. to be pardoned by Spain,
and means given to the poor among them to re-
turn TO their native land.
-. Home rule to be- granted by Spain to
Cuba. Under this new system the Cuban mu-
inequalities will be authorized to control their
finances. A general Assembly. in which the six
provinces shall be represented according to their
population, will have the control OF all munich
nal and provincial affairs. The Captain-General
will preside over this body, and have q right to
veto its decisions, but all decisions shall be
finally submitted to the Ministry of the Colo
mics at Madrid The Captain-General will
select all civil employees except heads Of
departments. but he will. In all cases.
submit to the Ministry of the Colonies three
names OF candidates for each important position.
The Minister at Madrid will appoint one among
the three proposed. Cubs will pay the expenses
OF the Spanish army and navy detailed for SCR
vice in Cuba. the extent of the service to be
decided by the Ministry Of the Colonies. All
possible efforts will DO made to satisfy the claims
ofCuban commerce and industry with regard to
the tariff
This plan is said to be Q step In advance of the
earlier scheme of reforms proposed By the
Government.
Not q word 10 said in this scheme about the
debt of nearly $500. ooO, 1000, but Cuba L. made
responsible for this debt. after the conclusion Of
peace. In all the contracts signed by the Spanish
Government with money lenders.
Furthermore. the whole plan leaves the fate Of
the Cubans absolutely in tho hands Of the Cap
tain.General and the Madrid Government. as It
has always been. Tho powers given to the
municipalities and local Assembly arc hardly
nominal. 1t can be truthfully said that the con-
dition of the Cubans under the so-ca1led homo
rule would be worse, II possible. than before.
The Spanish Captain-General will always. nat
urally, favor the Spanish residents against the
interests OF the natives.
As THE Sun has already announced Gen.
Gomez rejected the proposals with scorn. and
there is not a Cuban in the field who would &C
cept them. In Havana the uncompromisins
spaniards and the Marquis of Montoro. q Cuban
by birth, but reared in Madrid and full of Span
fish sympathies, are the only persons to welcome
the so-called Home Rule" promised by Ca
novas and Weyler.
Weyler's attempt to secure o meeting with
Gomez for the purpose OF urging him to sign q
treaty Of peace was prompted by tho genera
apprehension which prevails In Government
circles in Madrid, as we'll as here, with regard Il
the instructions given by President Mckinley tt
Gen. Woodford. Even the war. whose present
phase threatens Havana itself, does not claim sc
much attention from the Spaniards here as Gen
Woodford's mission.
Senior Canovas cabled 20 Gen. weyler. order
ing him to try to arrive at an understanding
with the insurgents before the American Minis
ter could make any proposals to Spsin. Au
thentic information from Madrid says tina
Canovas and Sagasta have agreed to stop thei
political discussions with regard to Cuba unit
IL Ii seen what the American Minister is goinl
to do. According to q despatch from Madric
received by La LuchG and an editorial printed
in the same newspaper, Se6or Sagasta has tele
graphed to all the members of his party who ART
engaged In INC pOlLlcal campaign In Inc prov
inces to cease all attacks upon the Government
and the United States in regard to the CubaI
situation.
The Spanish authorities here and the NOR
prominent Spaniards in close connection will
Gen Weyler believe that Gen. Woodford i
going to propose to the Spanish Government
settlement of the war on the basis of an in
demnity to be paid by Cuba to Spain, on condi
ton Of the complete Independence Of the island
From q well-informed person I learn that thi
Information has been received at the Captain
Generals palace from the Spanish Legation a
Washington.
The general opinion is that II any such propo
sal is made Spain will reject it at once. No in
demnity that Cuba can reasonably pay will be
gin TO cover the extraordinary debt Spain ha
incurred in Cuba. II Spain accepted only q par
Of the money as an indemnity she would be re
sponsible to her foreign creditors for the re
mainder of the debt.
At the same time it is certain that the Cuban
will not stop fighting on any terms short OF
declaration Of the independence Of Cuba. How
will the complicated question DO solvedi Thi
10 the question that dxes all eyes upon Gen
Woodford and his first movements in Spain.