The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-10-21
A HITCH AT PARIS.
Newspaper Correspondent says Rup-
ture is Almost Certain.
Americans Refuse to Discuss the Cuban
Debt, and as Result the Span
iards May Withdraw.

| PARIS, OCT. l0.-(COpyrlRnC' 1915,
by w. r. Hearst. "A rupture in the
peace proceedings is now almost a
certainty. The Spanish Commits
sioners made desperate attempt in
the Joint session to uncover the
plans of the United States regarding
the future government of Cuba.
This was done by direct command
of Sagasta, that willy old adept of
diplomacy.
When the American Commission
ers declined to talk about the Cuban
debt, on the ground that the United
States would not consider any ques-
tions not Incident to the strict terms
of the protocol, MontOjO Rios de-
manGed to know whether Spain was
to surrender her sovereignty in Cube
to the United States or to a Cuban
Republic. Chairman Day replied
that he could not discuss that point,
as Spain had agreed in the protocol
to relinquish her sovereignty in the
island Internationally.
Again and again the Spanish Com
missiohers tried to discover whether
Cuba is to be independent or to be
annexed by the United States.
They declared that a national
debt is transferred when sovereign
ty Is transferred, and as Spain held
the responsibility for the Cuban
debt, she had right to know to
whom she was to deliver up her
sovereignty in order that she might
discuss the responsibility for the
debt.
The American Commissioners re-
piled that while all this might have
been true at one time, the signing Of
the protocol had put an end to all
argument. Spain had sued for peace,
bad agreed to relinquish her sover-
eighty in Cuba and thus the only
thing for Spain to do was to depart
from the island. The United States
would not consider anything else.
The dual commissions in Porto
Rico and Cuba had met simply to
arrange for the execution of the pro-
tocol, not to consider any original or
eXtraneous propositions.
Rios twisted and turned in his ar
guments. He declared that the
United States must at least assume
the debt Of Porto Rico, and declared
that the financial administration of
| Porto Rico was separate thing
from the Cuban treasury and had al
ways been so treated by the Spanish
Colonial Department.
The American Commissioners re-.
fused to be drawn out. They said
that Spain must get out of Cuba the
protocol said so, and the prOtocc
said nothing else. The Spaniards
then gave up the situation in de-
spair and the meeting adjourned.
The political situation in Madrid
is tragic. The specter of financial
ruin looms through the whole land,
and behind looms the sinister ghost
of revolution. Here in Paris are
crowded the agents of Spain's de-
spairing policy seeking by a thou
sand secret channels to find an es-
cape for the doomed Bourbon dy-
nasty.
The American Commissioners, by
a rigid Interpretation Of the protO-
col and by their persistent refusal to
admit the discussion of outside
points, have completely discOncert-
ed Sagasta's adrOitly laid plans, and
caused such bitter disappointment
that those in position to know the
facts no longer hesitate to say that,
in apparent disregard of the posi-
BILE grave consequences of such a
step, instructions have been sent to
the spanish Commissioners author.
izing them to withdraw from the
conference and return to Madrid il
they find that upon the disputed
points their role is limited to &C.
ceeding without argument to the
American demands.