Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-24
REPUDIATES THE TREATY.
Spain Backing Out Of its Agreement Made in
1877,


New York. March pa dispatch
to the World from Madrid says;
Colonial Minister Moret denies the
validity of the protocol supplement to
the treaty, negotiated in 1871 between
Caleb Cushing. then U. $. minister to
Spain, and Calderon Collantes. then
minister of foreign affairs. That pro-
tocol prescrlbes the procedure In the
trial of American citizens In Cuba
and exempts them from summary
trial by drumhead court martial.
There has been manifested of late in
political quarters and reflected in the
press, a disposition to claim that the
protocol is not binding on Spain
Senior Moret tells a reporter of the
Epoca that Senior Collantes went out
of office without having signed the
protocol and that his successor Man
uel Silvola, declined to sign 1t. There
fore according to "A custom prevalent,
Senior Collantes ultimately signed the
treaty, though he had ceased to be
minister Of state.
THE protocol never was published
in the Gazette" Senior Moret added.
land for that reason the supreme
court would deny that the protocol Is
u
it to a mere convention not binding on
Spain"
Commenting on this view, lawyers
point out that the supreme court could
not have considered the protocol bind
ing. as no reference whatever is made
to 1t in the decision of the case OF the
Cuban chief Sanguilly.
The Epoca taking up the cudgels to
defend the conservative party and
CanoVas, who always deemed the pro-
tocul of 1877 binding, asserts that the
text of the document shows that IT
was signed in Madrid Jan. IL, 1871. and
that Senior Collantes only ceased to be
minister of ialte Jan. Il. when he was
appointed minister of justice in the
same cabinet.
The question will be discussed in the
Cortes at the coming session.
The impartial deprecates the sug-
gestion recently made of forming n
national cabinet of the leaders of all
the parties to consider and solve the
difficulties OF the situation In Spain
and her colonies.
The Impartial says: THE liberals
must remain in the breach to the bit
ter end, keeping in reserve all other
political WORTHLESS and forces for for
mldable contingencies already looming
upon the horizon, which Will require
such assistance to preserve and reor-
ganize much that is Indispensable to
the existence of Spain herself"
Most of the Madrid newspapers, in
Guiding the ministerial journals, print
editorial and news articles to prepare
the, public mind for an early revela-
ton of the fact that the reports of the
American and Spanish commissions of
investigation into the cause Of the
Maine catastrophe are certain to
clash. But they give 1t to he under
stood that this Is not likely to cause a
rupture or even serious complications.
The Liberal. hitherto steadily favor
able to the present cabinet and for
years an advocate OF home rule in the
West Indies publishes today a long
and strongly worded article lamentinE
the election arrangements in cuba and
Porto Rico. especially the conduct of
the imperial government and the poll
ticians Of all shades in exercising an
influence even putting pressure upon
the new rulers Of these colonies to
such an extent as to demonstrate that
the new regime has very little altered
the old practices and systems.
The Liberal CALAMITY calls attention
to the danger Of thus tampering with
the reality and effect Of home rule
just when the newly ncdged autonomy
requires for colonial and international
consideration every possible evidence
OF II being more than a reform ON
paper.
The Liberal washes its hands of all
responsibility for the tendency OF the
colonial elections and hopes all con-
ccrned may yet, though tardily. change