The record-union., 1898-08-04
CUBAN PRISONERS.
Their Freeing Likely to Be Among
the Peace Provisions.

NEW YORK, Aug. 3.-The World"
this morning prints the following:
President Mckinley will soon be
asked to include among the provisions
upon which peace will be established
with Spain the freeing of all Cubans
imprisoned by that country for offenses
which may be classed as political.
In all the Spanish penal colonies
Ceuta and the like-there are about 500
Cubans who have been captured during
the last three years. The horrors of
these prisons have been fully de-
scribed lately, and it has been said that
the punishment meted out to these men
is altogether out of keeping with their
crimes.
The effort will be made by Tomas Es-
trada Palma, the President of the Gu
ban Junta. In fact, he has already in
stituted an agitation to that end, and
he will not give up until his object has
been accomplished. Friends of his are
now at work in the capital with this
purpose in view, and they will soon be
in communication with the officials.
rs it not just and fair that this
should be done?" said President Palma.
Here is a war won with the help of
Cubans. Thousands of prisoners have
been taken by the American army, and
they are not to be kept but are to be
sent back to Spain This is magnani-
nous on the part of America. but
would it not be a good thing to make
this vehicle for the liberation of the
Cubans who have been imprisoned since
the war began?
iyl1y n &c n h. 1o1 Il
able plan, and l do not think it will
be necessary to do much urging.
think it will commend itself to any
thinking man that the Cubans who are
in prison for the very thing for which
the Americans have gone to war should
be free, now that Spain has been de-
feated and that there is SO good a
chance to exchange them for some of
the thousands Of Spaniards who have
been captured in the war.
This brings me to a. consideration of
the terms imposed on Spain by the
United States. l feel they are most
moderate, and in my opinion this Gov
ernment has raised itself to the highest
altitude in demanding so little. 1t vir-
tually asks from Spain as follows:
Give us Cuba for the Cubans; give US
Porto Rico for ourselves, and the Phil
ippines to make any use of that may
hereafter be determined
And, when you come to look at it,
what do these demands really mean ?
II is simply saying: Give us what we
already have, because we won it from
YOU / do not know of any other ma
ton which would have been so gener-
oIs, or that would not have taken
everything it could
The Cubans never kept any prisoners
of war. When any of the enemy were
captured they were treated as kindly
as possible, and were sent back to the
Spanish ranks if they wanted to go. We
have never had any. whom we could ex-
change for our own comrades who were
in prisons"
You have read Of the cruelty attrib-
uted to the Cubans,'' Senior Palma was
asked; that they wantonly beheaded
many of the Spanish prisoners recently
taken. What is your opinion of these
stcries?''
Il do not believe there is a word Of
truth in them. No Cuban would be
SO low as to maltreat a prisoner of war
much less behead him. Mind you. this
is only my opinion. / have had no ad-
vices on that score from the scene of
war but l am willing to stake my rep
utation that no Cuban soldier ever de-
meaned himself by taking such an ad-
vantage of a man who was unable to
defend himself. That would not be
warfare: it would be murder. Recur-
ring to- the liberation of Cuban political
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