Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-10-18
EFFORT WILL NOT SUCCEED
HOWEVER. 1T Is SERIOUSLY DE-
LAYING PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
Paris Dispatch to London Says the
Conference Reached II Crisis Yes
terday for the First Time
Judge Days Alleged
Demands.

but rather in an effort on the one slde 10
get that subject before the joint commls-
sion and on the other TO exclude II en-
tirely as not proper for discussion. |
Without doubt the friction between the
two sides has become more prohouhceu
within the past few days. but TINS Is at
tributed to mistaken ideas existing on the |
part of the Spanish public men regarding
the sentiment in the United States and the
probable results of varying political strus-
giles here. Under these erroneous impress
sions the Spanish commissioners have per-
sisted beyond what were believed 10 DC
their powers of endurance upon their Ell
forts to secure, by some means. an ar
rangement. by hook or crook. preferably
just now by getting the United States 10
accept title to Cuba, for the assumption OF
the Cuban debt by this country, or at ieast
to relieve Spain from that heavy obliga-
ton The, Spanish effort will not prevail,
but the United States commissioners are
retarded in the consummation of their
work thereby.
LONDON, Oct. ia dispatch to the
London News Agency from Paris says:
To-day, Monday, the conference reached
a crisis for the first time. Judge Day pre-
sented the demands of the American COM
mission in threatening words. He said that
| delay was the only possible object attaina-.
commissioners to saddle the United States
| with the Cuban debt, and would be tolerat-
| ed no longer as the United States would
| neither assume nor guarantee any part of
| the debt.
"The Spaniards replied that this placed
| Spain in a position of repudiating or of re-
| ducing the face value of the Cuban bonds
| from 80 to 60 per cent paying only half the
stipulated interest on the reduced value.
| Before they would adopt either alternative
| they would surrender to the United States
| the entire Philippines.
Judge Day responded that the surrender
| of the Philippines would probably be de-
| manded irrespective of the Cuban or any
| other debts.
| This, to the Spaniards the first ntima-
| ton of the intentions of the United States
| as to the Philippines, resulted in a whis-
| pered conference, followed by a request
| for an adjournment in order to communi-
cate with Madrid. Judge Day said that
| President Mckinley had instructed him to
demand the entire surrender of Porto Rico
tomorrow (Tuesday), and the delivery of
every town to the United States officers be-
fore midnight, together with the evacua-
ton of Havana on or before November l.
when the United States would be at the
gates of the city ready to take possession
There was no alternative offered in the
case OF either of the demands, and the ses-
sion consequently was very brief The
American commissioners have received dis
patches from Washington Indicating that
the administration is irritated and indig-
nant over the delay of the Spanish commits
| sioners.''
The Paris correspondent Of the Times
| says:
AT the sitting Of the peace commission
| fha
commissioners offically-and it would seem
definitely-rejected the idea of accepting
sovereignty over Cuba for the United
States. The Spanish commissioners there
upon remarked that, Spain having aban-
doned such sovereignty under pressure
from the United States, and the United
States having denied that sovereignty
henceforth belongs to them, Cuba is de
facto in a state of anarchy, as an inter-
mission of sovereignty cannot be viewed in
any other light.
"The American commissioners reioined
that. without accepting sovereignty, the
United States considered themselves de.
. puted and bound to maintain security for
| all the inhabitants; that they would no.
fail to introduce and uphold order and in
, | short, they would do all that was neces
sary to put the island in a state of norma
| | organization, to be transformed at the ear
liest moment into a legal regularity, sat
j. isfactory for the security Of ALL
Upon this the Spanish commissioners
with what seems striking logic, prompt;
' replied that by the fact of the declaration
just made them, and of the United State
undertaking to restore legality, order an,
j, security, the United States were inyeste,
= with veritable sovereignty. and consequent
n ly could not refuse to accept the conse
nf Itnh icYr,t&- aaip r,o
$ they admittedly could not tolerate the re
f lapse into anarchy Of an island placed un
" der their supervision and direction.
Is Notwithstanding these striking objec
:. | tions the American commissioners persist
a | ed in their refusal, and officially declare
5, | that the United States cannot be consid
J. cred invested with sovereignty, and tina
J. they Ghe commissioners could not deviat
" from this definite declaration.
e, According to impressions L have bee
le able to collect in various circles uncor
IS nected with either side, but entitled I
n weight, the refusal of the United State
N is not of so positive u character as woul
at first sight seem to result from the fol
NAL declarations mentioned. The rea:
oning given me is this: The Uni
ed States have declared that the
:. made war. not of conquest, but of lii
Grafton and order, because they could M
allow the prolongation at their very doOl
of a state of things which was, in the
lS eyes blow to the cause of humanity an
D. civilization.
I'd '.They, therefore. made 4 public declar
X ton that the war was not one of CO..
quest, and they now consider that
c. agreeing to be invested with the sovereg
II ty of Cuba, they would give themselves Il
n | appearance of having conquered the islai
st | for territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. They T
r fuse to give themselves the appearance
y a conquerins nation. Hence they postiv
re ly refuse to accept the capacity OF so
ne | ereignty which would be inconsistent wi
or the character of humanitarian disinteres
re edness essential to the honor of AmeriC
Tre THE United States quite comprehend tn
e. ! their firm refusal to accept sovereign
er. does not exclude obligation, on the footi
or of justice and equity, to make Spain re
concessions as to financial burdens whi
would be crushing if she We're saddl
with the whole Cuban debt. We may
a, certain on this point, the Americans "
az az be less infexible than on the princil
ON of sovereignty. The proof, l am told, III
ayr the United States are disposed to ms
oW Spain in an equitable fashion Is that
he | Spanish commissioners, who would not
es first accept an invitation to dine with CO
he | eral Horace Porter until the end of I
conference, have now accepted.
Friends of the United States think
might have been better II they had p
en- ouering the island indirectly. the Washir
nj ton government had frankly accepted 81
we | ereignty in Cuba with all the rights a
in | obligations involved
es- The Paris correspondent of the Da
ars Mail says: -