The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-25
REFUSES TO
ASSUME THE
CUBAN DEBT
Uncle Sam VIII Not
Agree.
SPAIN WOULD EXCITE PITY
MAYDECLINE TO PROCEED WITH
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
It Is Said the Dons May Even Prefer
a Resumption of Rostilities to
Yielding on the Financial
Propositions.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

PARIS, Oct. 24-The American Peace
Commissioners We're in session from III
a. m. until almost 2 p. M, when they
repaired to the joint session. They
took with them a carefully prepared
written answer to the proposals Oh tiAe
Spaniards regarding Cuba.
The consideration by the Colnfols~
sioners Of Porto Rico and the Ladrone
Islands has now been merged VITA tlIe
Cuban question, and all the points IN
volved are being carried rorWafI " "
simultaneous conclusion.
When this has been arrived at tIe
Philippine question will be taken up
OF course there is possibility o. us
agreement, and the Spaniards, II tlIS
American Commissioners decide not lc
assume any portion of the CUBAN III
debtedness, may announce their un-
Willingness to proceed any TURNER Win
negotiations based upon the protocot.
Should the Spanish decide to 90 TINS
if viii he because they wish TO excite
the pity of their creditors and OF other
nations. The COrtes may then pe
asked to indOrSe their action. III 1dcl'
the Spaniards may even prefer le
sumption of hOstilities to acqulescelIce
in the American refusal to snare theli
financial burden. -.
The Americans however, have mt
mated to the Spaniards the posslplity
that Spain may at some future period
he able to deal with an Independent
government regarding the assumption
of the provincial and municipal por-
tfons of the Cuban debt, which is eStl-
mated to have been $15O,0OO,000 peIore
the last rebellion in Cuba broke out
and $500 900, 900 contracted since 1898.
;,,Ianan6pnf (fllha she
doubtless would, refuse to assume
more than her proportion of the debt,
based on actual betterments in CUBA,
and only even in this case OF oblga-
lions contracted previous to 1898, Spain
would be compelled to appeal TO her
people and confront them with prac-
ticalIy seven eighths of the debt con-
tracted since. Spain would also be
compelled to declare her inability to
meet her obligations, and this, at pres
ent. seems to the Spainards a more bit
ter alternative than to accept the Uni
ted States refusal to share the cuban
debt, with all that this means, the 1dea
being that the SpaniardS would De apIe
to call the attention of their creditors
10 their unyieldlng though fruitless eff
forts in their behalf.
Finally, it is said that there are per-
sons high in the Spanish councils VINO
claim to believe that Spain would
rather submit dumbly and helplessly to
defamation or ACKNOWLEDGMENT than
confront this continual financial bur
den. One course would leave her pride
unsullied, it is claimed, and the other
is regarded as doubtful, if not inlpossi-
BILE of adoption within the boundaries
of national SOlVency.
Spain. however, will not break off the
present negotiations before having pro-
posed that the United States share half
the insular debt, which in such prop
osition may be placed at $500, 100000, the
interest rate to be reduced to per cent,
which Spain may hold, practically re-
ducing her share to 100000, the por-
ton proposed to be borne by the United
States, or guaranteed thereby.
Such a proposition would not be ac-
copied by the United States, either il
rectly or in behalf of Cuba.
The session of the joint commission
began at 2 p. m. and ended at 6:35 p. m.
The adjournment of the joint COM
mission was until o'clock in the after
noon of Wednesday next Guam in the
Ladrone Islands, has been chosen by
the Americans for the United States
under the terms Of the protocol.
The chief matter considered at to.
days session was the American reply
to SPANS revised and renewed propo-
sitions of the last meetings, and the
indications are that the Cuban ques-
ton will be disposed of this week. But
no details have been given out by either
side regarding SPANS presentment of
Friday last, or the American traverse
of the same submitted to-day.
MADRID, Oct. 24-The Impartial to-
day says: mo victor ever treated the
vanquished as the United States is
treating Spain. The Government has
received a grave dispatch from Porto
Rico, announcing that the American
general there is acting toward Spain
as the European nations have treated
China. He ordered a Spanish steamer
to embark the remainder Of the Span
ish troops at Porto Rico in spite of the
protests of her captain. who had or
ders to go to Havana to embark sick
soldiers. Our Government will proba-
bly, protest against such action"