New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-04
AUERIC4 AND SPAIN.

Some Of the less judcious and less temperate
European journals. and some of those least
kindly disposed toward republics in general and
this Republic in particular, seem inclined TO
criticisc the position taken and maintained by
the United States in regard TO the debts OF
Spain The "Solel" of Paris. for example.
which is devoted to the monarchical cause but
of which better things might have been eX-
pected remarks that our plan appears to be TO
take all of SPANS colonies and to leave Spain
"all the debts of all those colonies. The state
lnent is. Cf course incorrect in general and in
detail. This country has no notion Of taking all
at SPANS colonies nor of leaving to Spain all
the debts of any one il does take. 1t is not
necessary. however. 10 enter into particular ref
uiation of $50 palpabe a miSstatemcnt. nor 10
undertake the easy task Of vindicating the gen
cral position of this Government toward Spain
What may be timely is a word on the special
point raised by the "Soleil"
The situation is admirably portrayed in cur
rent cartoon in Life" which represents Uncle
Sam saying to Spain. Pay your debts? Really
Sehor. you've a fairly cool hand There is the
answer 10 the "Soleils' attack. When the
United States takes any OF SPANS colonies 1t is
perfectly legal. moral and reasonable for her
TO leave 10 Spain all those debts of the colony
which were contracted not by and for the col
ony but by and for Spain herself. Despite the
fact that The vast bulk Of Cuban revenues was
appropriated 10y Spain for her own uses instead
of being applied TO the needs of the island. the
United States grants the validity of all munich
pal and other debts contracted in good faith for
the bettcrment OF the island although It Is per
fectly obvious that there would have been no
such debts and no need OF any If a fair share of
local taxation had gone into the local treasury
for local purposes instead OF going TO Madrid
for Poninsular purposes But when It is asked
that this country shall assume or shall compel
Cuba to assume Il goodly share of SPANS own
PeDnsular debt that people who have won
their freedom shall pay The cost Of their former
cnslavcment and that the victor nation shall
pay the war bills Of the vanquished. the only
possible answer IS an emphatic and everlast-
ing No
Ii is quite true as The London Daily Chron-
iclc" observes that for victor nation to pay a
Justly vanquished nation big cash indemnity
would be an all but incredible novelty. Ii
would he unique. Japan took valuable Chinese
territory. but instead Of paying a solatium ex-
acted n big cash indemnity. Turkey did the
same 10 Greece SO did Russia TO Turkey. True,
those nations are not so high in the ethical scale
that We should Initiate their example. But
their conduct approved or AT least ac-
quiesced in. by the most enlightened European
Powers Germany took from France two of her
falrest provinces, and then. instead Of paying
France for them. or paying Frances war ex-
penses. made France pay her an enormous in
demnty Prussia did not pay Austria sola-
tlum for Sadowa nor Denmark one for Schles-
wig-Hostcln. We are not aware that France
and Great Britain Unidentified Russia for the
latters losses in the Crimea. And such eX-
ampes might be multiplied indefinitely.
II K be said that the United States should
take a higher moral ground than was taken in
any Of these cases, the ready and ncontrovertl-