The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-02

and accurate newspaper publications de-
scriptive of the peace conditions have
made 1t unnecessary to maintain secrecy
longer, and when the cabinet met it was
with the understanding that short
synoptical statement touching the mat
ter, though not including the text Of the
peace terms, should be made public.
It is understood to be the present in
liability for all the Indebted claims pre-
ferred by American citizens against
Spain. on account Of injury to personal
property in Cuba. Some part of this
liability may be imposed upon the Cow
ernment of Cuba later on when that
shall have been established, and to IN
clude such cases as can be dlrectly
charged up against the insurgents, where
thew have destroyed the property of Am
erican citizens in the course Of their OPP
erations.
This assumption by the victorious nation
of liability for private claims is not new
in the arrangement of peace conditions,
hut on the contrary, is rather in the line
of the usual practice. AT the conclusion
of the Mexican war the United States as
sembled all such claims in behalf of
ncfa h1iehpd
special tribunal for their adjudication and
pavment. The same course was pursued
in 1919 in effecting a settlement of the
Florida trouble with Spain; though the
decision announced by the special tri-
bunal were a source of litigation and ne
gotiation clear down to the present time
The amount of these claims against
Spain in behalf of American citizens who
suffered in Cuba was s15, ,O0O,0co at the date
of the destruction of the Maine. 1t is
estimated that this total has been IN
creased to s20,00O, coo since that time and
no doubt is entertained that there are
many other claims of large amounts that
have not vet been presented OF course,
it is not possible at this stage to indl-
cate what proportion of the claims are
Justly chargeable to the acts of the Gu
han insurgents and it is known that in
many cases the claimants themselves
were unable to tell the source OF the
damage to their property, whether the
Spanish troops or the insurgents
Major General Wade had long consul
tation with Secretary Alger today perfect
ing the details of the expedition he Will
lead to Porto Ricr to reinforce General
Miles. The fifteen regiments that viii
make up this expedition have been practi-
cally selected already, though General
Wade may suggest some amendment. 1t
is felt to be necessary to hasten the de-
parture of the expedition for no other
reason than to remove the soldiers from
their present unheathful camping ground
There will be no extra session of Con-
gress though the Senate will have to be
called together for prompt ratification of
the treaty of peace if the present plans of
the President prevail. 1t is stated at the
White House that unless there should be
some extraordinary development the
House will not meet until 1t convenes IN
regular session next December.
This statement, made on the authority
of the President himself, in answer 10
personal Inquiries, is the contradiction to
reports current among public men that
Congress will soon meet to draft legisla-
ton to meet the demands that will follow
the close of the war, as well as give for
NAL assent on the part of the Senate to
the treaty.
The military occupation of the territorial
acquisitions of this government will in no.
wise necessitate further legislation ex-
pressly authorizing the continuance of
large military force, according to the view
of the President. Persons who conferred
with the President today positively as
Sert that 1nere is no necessity lof
special legislation to authorize the
keeping together of the great army
of volunteers. The President it is
understood, takes the ground that the
requirement in the volunteer act for dis
bandment of volunteers on the termina-
ton of war does not contemplate disband-
ment until the emergencies that are Incl
dent to this war are over, and does not
prevent the maintenance of a large body
of troops in our territorial aecessions un-
til order is restored.
A well known public man who was in
conference with the President today sug-
gested that to the necessary military oc-
cupation of our conquered territory
would involve maintenance for two years
of an army of about 100000 men.
The typhoid epidemic at Camp Alger
continues to spread and orders were is
sued today to move the entire second