The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-24
AMERICAN INTERESTS IN CUBA.

washington dispatches state mat the
government is likely to find itself in an
embarrassing position in its efforts TO pro-
tect American property interests i'm Cuba.
When, a year or so ago. the Spanish gov
eminent suspended the right of creditors 10
collect debts in Cuba a number of American
capitalists holding mortgages on Cuban
plantations who were thus cut off from col
lecting their interest, induced the govern
ment to protest against the decree. thus
laying a basis for future claim for dam
ages. Now, the decree having expired by
limitation, the holders of the mortgages are
preparing to enforce payment, and their
American debtors in Cuba. the mortgageors.
are asking the government to protect them
against the loss of their property through
foreclosure. Thus. having protested a year
ago in favor of American creditors holding
Cuban mortgages, the government is now
asked to protest in favor of American plan
ters operating Cuban plantations. The gov
eminent should not allow itself to be over
worked in the business, lest il be said that
ii doth protest too much. 1t is not quite
clear that it should ever have taken any ac-
ton in the matter on either side. The
principal parties in the controversy are
American capitalists on one side and Amer
lean planters in Cuba on the other. There
can be no question as to the right of the
Spanish government. as a war measure. to
suspend the collection of debts i'm Cuba. The
decree was not aimed at American capital
lists more than others. and must have af-
fected European capitalists as well. 1t did
not confiscate American property nor inter-
fere with any American interests. except i'm
so far as they were affected by an order
of universal application. American capital
lists who loan money on Cuban mortgages
do SO at their own risk. They were not
dealing with the Spanish government. but
with individual borrowers In Cuba. On the
other hand, the American planters i'm Cuba,
the debtors in the case. were dealing with
American creditors. subject TO Spanish laws
and TO the risks of war. AS American cit
liens they are entitled to protection in Gu
ba, but they certainly have no right to ask
the United States government to protect
them against their American creditors. 1t
is true the decree of the Spanish govern
ment ~suspending the right of creditors to
collect debts was an arbitrary one, but
made in time of war. Blockades and en-
bargoes. and i'm fact most of the acts of
war are arbitrary. Our civil war afforded
some notable instances of such DEGREES. In
August. 1861 the Confederate Congress
passed an act which authorized the Danish
ment from the limits of the Confederate
States of every male person, over fourteen
Il wears of age who did NOT decIara alIaCianca
to the Confederacy. They were required
to leave within forty days or be treated as
"alien enemies" Another act authorized
the confiscation of every species of property
of such ALLEN enemies" Under this law
the Confederate attorney general sent out
instructions that all persons. Americans or
Europeans. having a domicile i'm the Con-
federate States and carrying on business or
traffic with the States at war with the Con-
federacy' were public enemies, and that
the property of every kind of these per-
sons should be seized and held. The mode
of procedure for the confiscation of such
property was prescribed. and under it mil
lions of dollars worth of property belonging
to and debts owing to residents of the
Northern States or to persons who had
been banished from the South were confs-
Gated. The Congress of the United States
retalated with an act confiscating the
property of all persons aiding and abetting
or giving aid and comfort to the rebellion.
and an immense amount of debts and prop
erty was confiscated. These acts were not
exactly similar to the Spanish decree sus-
pending the collection of debts, but they
were quite as arbitrary and more destruc-
tive OF personal rights. The United States
government should not allow itself to be
made an arbitrator or umpire of disputes
between American capitalists holding Gu
ban mortgages and Americans operating
Cuban plantations.