The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1898-07-29

diplomacy.
There will not be any disposi-
ton shown to take undue advan-
tage of defeated and helpless
nation, but to justify and secure
the indulgent treatment that the
United States is now in a temper
to accord, the Spanish negotia-
tiations must be honestly, fairly,
openly and directly conducted.
1t cannot be tolerated for an
instant, that through the indul-
gence of the United States by
granting an armistice or other
wise in the early stages of the
peace negotiations, the Spanish
| government shall covertly Sc
cure breathing spell to recu-
perate and rally for further
resistance to the American arms.
Two propositions seem includ-
ed in all lists of all demands,
namely, first, the absolute indie
pendence Of Cuba, with the pro
vision that the island shall be
absolved from responsibility tor
any debt heretofore charged
against it by Spain
The last clause, it is expected,
will cause some friction, mas
much as it is certain to arouse to
! desperate resistance certain
European holders of bonds issued
by Spain based on the revenues
of Cuba.
The second proposition IS the
absolute cession of Porto Rico to
the United States, likewise uu
encountered by any liability for
indebtedness.
1t is believed that Spain has
practically made up her mind to
to this condition before institut-
ing the overtures for peace.
Another point upon which the
United States, it is believed, viii
insist, is the cession of certain
coaling stations in the Ladrones
and Carolinas, probably Guam
island in the former and zap
island in the latter, and perhaps
others in a different quarter OF
world not yet designated. These
territorial concessions, it is OK
pected, will be regarded by our
oovel nment as sufficient com
pensation for the expenditures
made by the country without 4
a specific demand for money
idemnity.
The last consideration is one
which promises to give more
trouble than any other, namely
the future Of the Philippines.
There is a reason to believe that
the president has not determln-
ed how this subject shall be
treated. A coaling station is
wanted there, but beyond that it
may be that we may not care to
go. An entirely different attl
tude might have been assumed
by our government but for the
course adopted by the insurgents
under Aguinaldo, which, it is as
serted leaves the United States
under no moral obligation to care
for his people.
The revolution in the Philip
pines began sometime prior to
to the outbreak of war between
the United States and Spain
Since the war the insurgents
have assumed a very imperious
attitude, have conducted their
military operations without ref
erence to the wishes of the
American commander, Admiral
Dewey, have been generally in
tractible in their relation with
our troops and sailors, and, final
ly have set up an independent
government Of their own, abso-
lutely without reference to the
United States. These things, it
is held here, are quite sufficient
to absolve our government from
any responsibility for what hap
! pens to Aguinaldo in the future,
} though, Of course, it is not meant
by this to assert that it has diff
nitely made up it's mind to relin
quish all claim to the islands, be
yond the coaling station already
referred to
Touching the question of in
demnity, it may be stated that
our government will be in 70
mood to abandon any claim on
that score, if Spain, by further
resistance, obliges it to go to the
heavy expense Of sending a ma
val expedition to Spain and Of
continuing on large scale the
military movement now under
: way.