The herald., 1898-02-04
Are Willing to Pay Well
For Freedom
NEGOTIATIONS NOW PENDING
UNLESS A SPECIAL" WRITER
HAS LIED
Autonomy Languishing and Most of
the Fighting Is Among the
Spanish Factions
Associated Press Special Wire

/ <tSSOSiatSea 1888 oPSSiei ''HO
| CHICAGO, Feb. "a special to the
Tribune from Washington says: Secret
negotiations are now actually in pro-
gress between the State Department
and the insurgents in Cuba looking to
a stoppage of the war on some finan-
| cial basis to be agreed upon hereafter.
President Mckinley has not recognized
the insurgents as belligerents and he
cannot therefore treat with them openly
as he would do with diplomatic rep
resentative of an independent nation.
Direct communication has been had
within the last few weeks between the
insurgents government and the admin
istration here. The insurgents have ex-
pressed perfect willingness to assume
a reasonable share of the Spanish bonds
issued against the Cuban revenues. The
proposition has been considered with
some favor and the President and his
Cabinet have discussed several plans
for guaranteeing the Cuban debt on the
sole basis of independence.
These negotiations have gone side by
side with the gradual massing of the
| SHIPS OIL Tie 4>OIlu <AtidhliC oQuaQl Oll
within striking distance of Cuba. Or
ders to the cruiser Montgomery to sail
at once for the harbor of Matanzas have
been issued and the ship is likely to be
there quite as Unexpectedly as the Maine
arrived in Havana. The orders issued
to its commander contemplate report
direct to Consul Brice at Matanzas
where there has been some indication of
rioting Should everything be found
peaceable the ship will proceed to San
tiago de Cuba, but should affairs look
threatening at Matanzas, another ship
will quietly be slipped to the latter port,
and before Captain General Blanco
knows what is happening to him Amer
lean ships will be in the harbor of every
important port in Cuba.
The gradual occupation of the island
by a naval force is understood to be
part and parcel of the negotiations with
the insurgents. When they are con-
cluded. if everything goes on we'll. the
United States will be in a position to
offer Spain heavy financial bonus for
giving up the island, while at the same
time the insurgents would find them
selves in position to make junction
with the United States naval forces at
any one of the half dozen different ports.
COLONEL RUIZ'S BODY
NEW YORK, Feb. 3.-According to
the Havana correspondent of the World
the Spanish soldiers have not found the
body of Lieutenant-ColonelR Ruiz. When
Arangueren was killed, says the cores
pondent, the insurgents were near the
spot where Ruiz was buried, and they
opened the grave and left in it this note:
Excuse us, but Ruiz's body is not
at your disposal"
The firemen had a great funeral pro-
cession in memory of Ruiz, but some
other body than his has been buried in
memory of Ruiz, ayers the correSpon-
dent. The authorities say nothing was
left of the body, which had been burned,
except a few fragments. The bones
were charred, they say, and there were
machete cuts. Yet it was announced
that the body had been fully recog-
nized.
Continuing, the correspondent says:
Autonomy is langushing through
General Blanco's failure to purchase
important leaders. Strife is reported be-
tween the radical and the conservative
members of the Autonomist Cabinet and
designations are talked of.
Despite another anti-American cir
cular, published on the day of General
Lees dinner to the Names officers, the
feeling against the Yankees has dwin-
died to nothingless. The day the cir
cular was issued Spains greatest tor
eador, Mazzantini, was here. The
Names officers and almost the entire
American colony attended the bull fight
n cipn htIt 70
excitement of the occasion was not anti
American. The American officers We're
pointed out simply as interesting visi-
tors. The guard was not even increased.
"The American officers are convinced
that there will be no trouble without
lingo provocation and local trials COM
bined.
The Maine is thronged by Spanish
and Cuban visitors. A local baseball
team will challenge the Names sailors
to game for the benefit of the recon-
centrados.
Il am credibly informed that five men
of Arrangements escort who were cap
tured when he was killed and who We're
reported to have been shot the next day
are alive in Campo FLORIDA"
THE COST OF WAR
MADRID, Feb. 3.-The cost of the
Cuban war from February 1885, to the
end of 1897 is officially estimated at $24O,-
100000, besides the arrears due from the
Cuban treasury, amounting to $4,000
900. The impartial complains that the
commercial negotiations between Spain
Cuba and the United States are being
intrusted to Senor de LONE, Spanish
minister at Washington. and urges the
government to appoint experts to exam
inc the terms of the treaty on Spains
behalf.