Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-18
CUBA THE STUMBLING STONE.
All Sorts Of Rumors as to Action Of the
Peace Commissioners.

pendent of the Times SAYS: "At the
sitting of the peace commission this
cMonday) afternoon the American
commissioners officially-and it would
seem deinitely-rejected tine idea OF
accepting sovereignty over Cuba fo-
the United States. The Spanish COM
Iissioners thereupon remarked thai
Spai. having abandoned such sover-
eighty under pressure from the United
States and the United States having
denied that sovereignty henceforth be
longs to them. Cuba is de facto in a
state of anarchy, as an intermission of
sovereignty cannot be viewed in any
other light.
The American commissioners re
joined that, without accepting sover-
eighty. the United States considered
themselves deputed and bound to
maintain security for all the inhabi-
tants that they would not fail to in
troduce and uphold order and in short.
that they would do all necessary to put
the island as speedily as possible n
a state of normal organization to be
transformed at the earliest moment
into a legal regularity, satisfactory for
the security of all.
Upon this the Spanish commission
ers. with what seems striking logic,
promptly replied that by the fact of
the declaration just made them and Of
the United States undertaking to res
tore legality, order and security, tbs
United States was invested with YER
liable sovereignty, seeing that they ad
mitted they could not tolerate the We
lapse into anarchy of an island placed
under their supervision and direction.
-''Notwithst anding these striking OBJ
jections the American commissioners
persisted in their refusal and officially
declared that the United States cannot
be considered invested with sovereign
~ and that they (the commissioners
declaration. According to impress
slions I have been able to collect in
various circles unconnected with either
side, but entitled to weight, the refusal
of the United States is not of so posi-
tive a character as would at first sight
seem to result from the formal decla-
rations mentioned.
THE reasoning given me is this: The
United States have declared that they
made war not of conquest, but of
liberation and order, but they could
not allow the prolongation at their
very doors of state of things which
was in their eyes, blow to the cause
of humanity and civilization. They.
therefore, made a public declaration
that the war was not one of conquest;
and they now consider that by agree
ing to be invested with the sovereignty
of Cuba, they would give themselves
the appearance Of having conquered
the island for territorial aggrandiZe-
ment. They refuse to give themselves
the appearance of a conquering nation
Hence they positively refuse to accept
that capacity of sovereignty which
would be inconsistent with the char
| acter of humanitrian disinteresredness
| essential to the honor of America.
THE United States quite compre-
bend that their firm refusal to accept
sovereignty does not exclude obliga-
| ton, on the footing of justice and
equity, to make Spain real concessions
as to financial burdens which would be
crushing if she were saddled with the
whole Cuban debt. We may be cer-
| tain that on this point the Americans
| will be less inflexible than on the prin-
! ciple of sovereignty. The proof, | am
| told that the United States are dis
| posed to meet Spain in an equitable
| fashion is that Spanish commissioners,
who would not at first accept an invi-
tation to dine with Gen. Horace Porter
until the end of the conference, have
| now accepted.
Friends of the United States here
think it might have been better if they
had proceeded more openly and if. in
stead of conquering the island indi-
ractly, the Washington government
had frankly accepted sovereignty in
Cuba with all the rights and obliga-
lions involved"
| The Paris correspondent of the Daily
| Mail says: 81 hear that the peace prob
| lem will soon be settled. America assum.
ing the Cuban 6 per cent. loan of 1886
which was fioated entirely for Cuban pur-
poses and rejecting the per cent loan o!
$780,
| A dispatch to London news agency
| from Paris says: To-day (Monday), the
conference reached crisis for the first
time. Judge Day presenter the demands
| of the American commissioners in threat
ening words. He said that delay was the
only possible object attainable bys,ne per
sistent efforts .of the Spanish, commits.
sioners to saddle the United States witt