The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-08-06
AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT.
It is Given Out by the Authority
of the President to Remove
Misapprehension.
The PEACE TERMS OFFERED TO SPAIN.
They are Substantially as Heretofore Pub
Iished, Except that No Mention 10
Made In Any Manner of the Debt of
Cuba-The Government VIII Look after
American Claims.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.-The following
is an official statement given u by
authority of the president as to the
terms of peace offered by the United
States:
I'm order to remove any misappre-
hension in regard to the negotiation az
to peace between the United States and
Spain, it is deemed proper to say that
the terms offered 6y the United States
to Spain in the note handed to the
French ambassador on Saturday last
are in substance as follows:
The president does not now put for
ward any claim for %pecuniary indemni-
ty, but requires the REIMBURSEMENT Of
all claim of sovereignty over or title to
the island of Cuba as well as the imme.
date evacuation by Spain of the island;
immediate evacuation of Porto Rico
and other islands under Spanish sover
eighty in the West Indies; and the like
cession of an island in the Ladrones.
The United States will occupy and
hold the city, bay and harbOr OF Ma
Mia. pending the conclusion of 4 treaty
of peace, which shall determine the
control, disposition and government of
the Philippines. If these terms are
accepted by Spain in their entirety,i it is
stated that commissioners will be
named by the United States to meet
commissioners on the part of Spain for
the purpose of concluding a treaty Of
peace on the basis above indicated.
As to American Claims.
1t is understood to be the present in.
t~ent:on of the administration to assume
liability for al the indebted claims
presented by American citizens against
Spain, on account of injury to personal
property in Cuba. Some part of this
liability may be imposed upon the gov.
eminent of Cuba later on, when that
shall have been established, and to in.
clude such cases as can be
Directly Charged Up Against the Insur.
gents,
where they have destroyed the property
of American citizens in the course OF
their operations. This assumption by
the victorious nation of liability for
private claims is not new in the ar.
rangement of peace conditions, but, on
the contrary, is rather in the line OF
the usual practice. At the conclusion
of the Mexican war the
United Sttaes Assumed All Such Claims
in behalf of American citizens, and es.
tablished a special tribunal for their
payment. The same course was pur-
sued in 1919 in affecting a settlement
of the Florida troubles with Spain;
though the dccIsiouS announced by the
special tribunal were n source of lit.
cation and negotiation clear down to
the present time.
The Amount of the Claims.
The amount of these claims against
Spain in behalf of American citizens
who suffered in Cuba was SIS, 900, 900 at
the date of the destruction of the
Maine. 1t is estimated that this total
has been increased to $50, 900, 900 since
that time, and no doubt is entertained
MO 1LClC are many OIicT CIdllnS Oi
large amounts whichhave not yet been
presented. OF course,
1t Is Not Possible at This Stage
to indicate what proportion of the
claims are justly chargeable to the
acts of the Cuban insurgents, and it is
known hat in many cases the claim
ants themselves were unable to tell
the source of damage to their property,
whether by the Spanish troops or the
insurgents.
EXCHANGE OF COMPLIMENTS.