The herald., 1898-10-20

commissioners at Paris are still desperately
striving to secure consideration by the joint
commission of questions affecting the Gu
ban debt. Now that the Spanish peace com
missioners have been repulsed in their ef
forts to have the United States assume SOW
ereignty over Cuba as the means of thus
transferring to our shoulders the Cuban
debt, the next movement looked for on their
part is one in the direction of imposing this
Indebtedness upon the Cubans themselves
when they shall have erected some form of
government on the ruins Of Spanish sover-
eighty.
a last resort on the part of bondholders. But
It is scarcely probable that any such PROPOSE
tiOn will be favorably received by the Peace
Commissioners acting jointly, for aside from
the question as to the justice Of imposing
upon O. new and struggling government q
mass of debt quite sufficient to paralyze i
in favor Of the entire reputation of this
debt by the Cubans on the score that it
was not really incurred on account of the
island, but actually to benefit Spain. It
may be said that even should the commits
sioners consent to consider such PROPOSE
tion they would do 80 only on the distinct
understanding that the various so.called
only part of them regarded as proper liens
against the Cuban people.
Touching the municipal debts, as already
stated. our commissioners have never con-
tended that they should be eutlawed, but
they will remain as just charge against
the respective communities which fioated
them and for whose benefit their proceeds
were applied.
Touching the bitter complaints that are
made in the French papers against what they
denominate the uncompromising and un-
yielding attitude of the American Commits
sioners and their refusal to consider propo-
sitions to arbitrate radical differences be-
presumably the Spanish Commissioners
went to Paris under instructions quite as
comprehensive as those supplied to the
American Commissioners. Any suggestion
of arbitration would be out of place in con-
nection with the Peace Commission and
should it come to an irreconcilable differ
ence between the two commissions, there
sword-for which our government is fully
prepared, but which it does not expect to
be obliged to enter upon.
Business Stegnation
NEW YORK, Oct. l0.-A dispatch to the
Tribune from Havana says:
Havana has known dull times in the
past. According to the merchants, how
ever, there never has been period Of stag
nation quite equal to the present The con-
dition is natural and inevitable one, but
this knowledge does not lessen their i'm
patience. It is literal truth that, barring
the Spanish officials who will be deprived
of their offices and few-a very few-radi-
cal Cuban patriots who hoped that their own
flag would be run up as soon as the Span
ish enigma was solved, everybody is pray
ing for the Americal military occupation
Until the custom house is in the control
of the Americans business will continue
stagnant On the heels of this control, will
follow period of activity greater, perhaps,
than the, situation warrants, but the nor
NAL basis will ultimately be reached. It Is
a curious illustration of the Spanish char
acterY that the coming of a second military
commission, charged with the minor duty
of selecting camp sites has had more effect
in convincing all classes that thd United
States will assume authority than does the
presence of the commission charged with
arranging for the evacuation of the island
by the Spanish troops They can see the
engineer officers and the sanitary experts
who arrived this week going about and tax
ing observations. It should be said, also,
that this work is being done in thoroughly
methodical and practical way. The results
will justify the care that has been taken.
The labors of the evacuation commission
have not been carried on in public. General