The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-11-04
THECOSTOFWAR
Spain Must Pay Every Dollar Ex-
pended by the United States.
II After Balancing Our Accounts it ID
Found Amy Compensation is Due the
DOns, it Will BE Paid to Them
in Lump sum.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2.-The cabinet
Tuesday devoted most of its attention
to consideration of questions connected
with the administration of affairs in
Cuba and Porto Rico. The admins
trative feature of the Philippine ques-
ton also received some attention.
Nothing has been heard from the com
mission at Paris as to Mondays pro
ceedings and it is realized that nothing
is to be expected in the way of devel-
opments until Fridays session.
While the cabinet gave little atten-
ton Tuesday to the peace negotiations
at Paris, there is no longer any doubt
as TO the general purposes of this gov
eminent to retain the entire Philip
pine archipelago. If. after final bal
ancing of the account. viz, the cost
of the war to the United States on one
side. and our acquisitions on the 9TH
er, it is found that any cOmpensa-
ton is due the Spaniards it will
be made in lump sum. 1t is point
ed out that at the time the protO-
col was signed the United States did
not have and has not since acquired
any part of the Philippine islands out
side of Manila city and harbor, and
that the United States has never en-
tertained purpose to acquire any ter
s.itOry by the power of conquest. What
the United States will insist upon is
that she must be fully reimbursed for
every dollar expended by her on account
of the war. and in the statement will
be included an amount sufficient to
cover all payments, present and
prospective, on account of the pensions
incident to the war. No Spanish bonds
of any character or amount, other than
local or municipal bonds, will be paid
or assumed by this government. The
question of the status of municipal
obligations under circumstances like
the present is fully settled by in
ternatiOnal law. They must be
recognized Us valid and binding
by the cOnquering power, and hence
it is assumed that the United States
will not raise any question on this
point, but promptly consent to guaran-
tee their final payment. What sum OF
money this government will consent to
pay to Spain can not even be estimat-
ed, but when the final account is rem
d1sred, it is believed that the balance
due Spain will be small, probably not
exceeding So. 0OO 600 or $50, 600, 600.
The belief still prevails among the
majority of the cabinet that the Span
iards VIII accept the terms laid down
by che United States and whatever of
delay occurs before that result is
reached will be chargeable only to the
purpose of the Spaniards to secure the
best possible terms: to extort the last
possible million dollars, before acced-
ing to our demands.
The possibility of disagreement of
thu commissioners and the failure of
the conference, however, is now con-
tempiated with greater equanimity
than at an earlier stage of the negOtia-
tions. The administration has salts
fed itself that Spain is neither able nor
willing to resume hostilities on any
scale that would make her dangerous
opponent to the United States. There
fore, supposing the Paris conference to
fail, al that would be III ~sed upon
our government as an imm~~.latc duty
would be to take immediate complete
military possession of the Philippines.
This it is believed could be accom-
plished without loss of life. The last
vestige of Spanish military power in
the islands is that under Col. Rios,
commander-in-chief of the Viscayas
islands, and by deputizcd authority,
in charge of all Spanish territory not
directly within the control of the
United States, in the Philippine is
lands. Bis force is insignificant from
a military point of view, and it IS
doubtful if he could have held his own
against the insurgents had the Tagals
been allowed by Adm. Dewey to make
Manila the base of an expedition Oh
rected against the Spanish commander
So far as Cuba is concerned, the diff
4icI1lty might be more serious but even
in Cuba the Spanish military forces
are not in condition to offer prolonged
resistance to the American conquest
of the island and with the Spanish
navy at the bottom of the sea they
could not be reinforced with troops
from Spain. Therefore, about the
worst that could happen would be
the necessity imposed upon US o.
truggling along without the sigma
.ure of a treaty of peace, bu
in full possession of all the terri
tory we desire, and that such con
.ditions can exist without damage t'
material interests is shown by the his
tory of the Spanish-Amer;ean republics
which revolted from SPANS rule.