The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-04
Negotiat Pending Between the
United States and CubanS.
ON A FINANCIAL BASIS
SPAIN WILL BE RENDERED A
HEAVY BONUS.
Insurgents Express Perfect Willing
ness to- Assume a Reasonable
Share of the Spanish War Debt
Uncle Sam As Guarantee-Expla
nation of Naval Movements.

Il
Chicago. Feb. 3.-A special to the
Tribune from Washington says: Sc
, cret negotiations are now actually in
progress between the state department
and the insurgents in Cuba looking to
a stoppage of the war on some financial
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 a diplo-
matte representative of an independent
nation.
Direct communication has been had
within the last few weeks between the
insurgent 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.
OUR SHIPS IN CUBA. s,t
These Negotiations have gone side by
side with the gradual maSSing of the
ships of the north Atlantic within
striking distance of Cuba. Orders 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 a
report direct to Consul Brice at Ma
tanzas, where there has been some in
dication of rioting. Should everything
be found peaceable, the ship will pro-
coed to Santiago 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 happen
ing to him, American ships will be in
the harbor of every important port in
Cuba.
NATURE OF NEGOTIATIONS.
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-
Guided. if everything goes well, the
United States will be in a position to
offer Spain a heavy financial bonus for
giving up the island, while at the same
time the insurgents would find them
selves in a position to make a junction
with the United States naval forces at
any one of the half dozen ports.
A cablegram has been sent by the
state department to Consul Brice at
Matanzas, notifying him that the Mont
gomery is now en- route to that port,
and directing him to make the neces-
sary arrangements for its reception.
AT MATANZAS.
Although it is not admitted by the
state department officials, the impress
sion prevails that Consul Brice, in adj
vising the department of the recent
riots occurring at Matanzas, suggested
that a warship should be Immediately
sent there for the protection of Ameri-
can interests. The fact that the state
department requested that the Mont
gomery be sent strengthens this belief.
The sending of the battleship Mont
gomery to Matanzas is regarded here
as OF equal Importance to the dis
M fcl,iner of the AIaine To Havana