The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1897-08-13
A BREEZY INTERVIEW
JOHN SHERMAN TALKS ON
FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
He Predicts that Spain Will Ultimately
Lose Cuba-No Protectorate Proposed
The Mikado Not Feared-The
Alaska Boundary-Our Quar-
rel With Great Britain.
sherman on state Issues.


publishes an interview said to have
been obtained with John Sherman.
secretary of state, just previous to his
return to Washington from Amagan-
sett, L. /. In this he is represented
as saying: Spain will lose Cuba.
That seems to me to be certain. She
cannot continue the struggle. AL
than $500, 100000. Her money is gone
and she can get no more. She has
reached the limit of her borrowing
capacity. She cannot pay back what
she has already borrowed. The only
thing left for her to do is to repudiate
her debts. We had to do that after
the revolution. Having repudiated
them she can begin anew, but she
will have to begin without Cuba.
That country has been devastated.
The insurgents have been fighting
with only the hope of ultimate success
as their reward. The Spanish soldiers
have been battling for pay. The pay
will stop and then the conflict will
stop Spain is in no condition to wage
war anywhere. The burdens placed
upon her people to sustain the strug-
gle for retaining Cuba have been very
heavy. Widespread discomfort will
come sooner or later within the Span
ish kingdom. By stopping the strug-
gle, by withdrawing her troops from
Cuba and by repudiating her debts is
her only way to recover. Sooner Or
later she must do this. So far we
have done nothing to arouse the anger
of the Spanish people. We have gone
on minding our own business. blind to
the distress of Cuba and deaf to the
pieadings of our own people who
wanted the government to interfere"
HAWAII AND JAPAN.
The secretary was asked as to
whether there was any truth in the
report that the American flag was to
be raised in Hawaii and protectorate
proclaimed. He replied: II cannot
divulge the instructions given to Min
lister Sewall. What they are will de-
velop as time passes. But can say
that there will be no change in the
situation in Hawaii until Congress re-
convenes. There can be no change
because the terms of the pending
treaty, which have been approved by
President Mckinley, must be observed.
There is nothing in this talk that
serious disagreement between this
country and Japan will follow any in
terference on our part with the exist
ing systems of government in Hawaii.
Japan must certainly understand that
this nation has never objected to
the japanese, and that whatever
trouble it has had on this score was
due to officials for whom we are not
responsible and over whom VIC have
no control. If we had Hawaii. Japan
would have no reason to fear that her
subjects would suffer from unfair
treatment. While believe that Japan
is entirely innocent of any intention
of assuming toward us belligcrent or
threatening attitude, it may be we'll
to remark that her attitude, no mat
ter what it might be, would not affect
our position in the least. We have al
ways believed that we have more right
to take stand in the management of
the Hawaiian government and in the
government of other lands similarly
situated than any other country. We
will insist upon maintaining our rights
at any cost
ALASKA BOUNDARY MATTER.
"Have you taken any interest in
the discovery of the new gold fields?"
Mr.. Sherman looked up in surprise:
'You mean the Klondike region? Of
course l have. That is matter that
would naturally attract the attention
of any man in my position. The fact
that international complications may
ensue has. of course, sharpened my in
terest in the subject. There may be
questions as to boundaries. It has al
ways been customary to consider the
lines as running along the mainland.
But occasionally it has been con-
tended that in laying the lines to
determine the 30-mile line, meas
urements should be made from the
points of land extending farther into
the water, or even from the islands
Whenever these claims were made the
purposes of them have been apparent
They were made to advance the inter-
ests of the country making them. If
disagreement arises over such ques-
tion it will probably be because some
of the islands prove to be of unusual
value. This government is ready to
maintain the rights of its citizens and
to protect its own interests to the last
degree. However, it is too early to
speculate as to what may happen in
Alaska If difficulties arise we will be
ready to face them, but expect no
trouble. Many of the stories that
come from there are undoubtedly ex-
aggerated. l guess some of them are
grossly exaggerated. 1t is also SO
whenever gold is found. The tales
are built on hopes and dimaginations as
much as on the facts The statement
is printed this morning that the max
ing of Dyea port of entry is likely to
injure us financially. Whether or not
it is port of entry is of no special
oonconrorpo Tho fc ep,olI