The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1898-11-04
TO BE REIMBURSED.
Spain Will Have to Make Coed
Our War Expenses.
We WILL RETAIN The PHILIPPINES.
The Possibility or Disagreement OF the
Commissioners At Paris aud the FAN
ure Of the Conference COntem-
plated with Equanimity.

Washington, Nov. 2-The cabinet
yesterday devoted most of its atten-
ton to consideration Of questions con-
nected with the administration Of af-
fairs IN Cuba and Porto Rico. The ad-
ministrative feature Of the Philippine
question also received some attention
Nothing has been heard from the COM
mission at Paris as to Mondays pro-
ceedings, and it is realized that moth
ing is to be expected in the way Of de-
velopments until Fridays session.
While the cabinet gave little atten-
ton yesterday to the peace negOtia-
tiOns at Paris, there is no longer any
doubt as to the general purposes of
this government to retain the entire
Philippine archipelago. II, after
final balancing of the accounts, viz:
The cost of war to the United States
on one side and our acquisitions
on the other, it is found that
any compensation is due the
Spaniards, it viii be made in lump
sum It is pointed out that, at the
time the protocol was signed, the
United States did not have and had
not since acquired any part of the
Philippine islands outside Of Manila
city and harbOr, and that the United
States has never entertained a purpose
to acquire any territory by the power
Of conquest What the United States
will insist upon is that she must be
fully REIN bursed for every dollar ex-
pended by her on account Of the war,
and in the statement will be included
an amount sufficient 20 cover all pay
ments, present and prospective, on ac-
count Of pensions incidental to the
war.
No Spanish bonds of any character
or amount, other than local or munic-
ipal bonds. wiki be paid or assumed
by this government The question Of
the status Of municipal obligations
under circumstances like the present
is fully settled by international law.
They must be recognized as valid and
binding by the conquering power.
The belief still prevails among the
majority of the cabinet that the Span
iards will accept the terms laid down
by the United States and that what
ever delay occurs before that result is
reached viii be Chargeable only 70 the
purpose of the Spaniards to secure the
best possible terms, to extOrt the last
possible million dollars, before &C
ceding to our demands The possibili-
ty Of disagreement Of the commission
ers and the failure Of the conference,
however, is now contemplated with
greater equanimity than at an earlier
state Of the negotiations The ad-
ministration has satisfied itself that
Spain is neither able nor willing to re-
sumo hostilities on any scale that
would make her a dangerous opponent
to the United States Therefore, sup
posing the Paris conference fails, all
that would be imposed upOn-Our govern
ment is an immediate duty to take COM
plete military possession Of the Philip
pines This, It is believed, could be
accomplished by US without loss Of
time or life. The last vestige Of Span
ish military power in the islands is
that under Col. Rios, commander-in-
chief of the Vizcaya islands and, by
deputized authority, in charge Of all
Spanish territory not directly within
the control of the United States in
the Philippine islands. His force is
insignificant, from a military point Of
view, and it is dOu bted If he could hold
his own against the insurgents had
the Tagals been allowed by Admiral
Dewey to make Manila the base Of an
expedition directed against the Span
ish commander.
So far as Cuba is concerned, the diff
Guilty might be more serious, but even
in Cuba the Spanish military forces
are not in condition to offer q pro-
Ioneed resistance to the American con-
quest Of the island. and with the Span
ISL navy at the bottom Of the sea, they
could not be reinforced by troops from
Spain. It is the intention Of the pres
ident to maintain a military govern
ment in both Cu pa and Porto Rico for
the time being, but his purpose is also
to mitigate the harsher features Of
such form Of government, so far as lies
within his power. For instance, there
was taken into serious consideration 8
view put forth by Secretary Alger,
that it would be well In Cuba to use
the Cuban soldiers, who seemed to be
fitted for such work, as a local police
force or gendarmerie, possessed, in a
measure, OF both the power Of the police
and soldier There are several strong
arguments which the war department
has put forth as sufficient TO justify
the adoption Of this course In the
first place, honorable and profitable
employment would be given TO con-
siderable proportion Of the Cuban sol
diers who might otherwise, in the alb
sence of industrial employment, drift
into evil courses or become dissatis-
fed and dangerous element IN the
community. In the second place,
these men, being thoroughly ac-
guainted locally with places. habits Of
the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and the Ian
gusge. would be much more service
able as police than American soldiers