The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-18

London, Oct. 1.-THE Paris cores
pondent of the Times says: ''At the sit
ting of the peace commission this af-
ternoon the American commissioners
officially-and it would seem definitely
rejected the idea OF accepting sover-
eighty over Cuba for the United States.
The Spanish commissioners thereupon
remarked that Spain, having abandon
ed 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 state of anarchy, as an in
termission of sovereignty cannot be
viewed in any other light.
The american commissioners re-
Joined that, without accepting sover-
eighty, the United States considered
themselves deputed and bound to main
tain security for all the inhabitants;
that they would not fail to introduce
and uphold order, and, in short, they
would do all that was necessary to put
the island in a state of normal organ
ization, to be transformed at the ear
1iest moment into a legal regularity,
satisfactory for the security of all.
Upon this the Spanish commission
ers, with what seems striking logic,
promptly replied that by the fact of the
declaration just made them and OF the
United States undertaking to restore
legality, order and security, the United
States were invested with veritable SOW
ereignty and consequently could not re-
fuse to accept the consequences of such
sovereignty, seeing that they admit
edly could not tolerate the relapse into
anarchy of an island placed under their
supervision and direction.
Notwithstanding these striking OBJ
In nrifa -faY =cin nr1faf.c
persisted in their refusal and officially
declared that the United States cannot
be considered invested with sovereignty
and that they (the commissioners
could not deviate from this definite de-
claration. According TO Impressions I
have been able to collect in various
circles unconnected with either side, but
entitled to weight, the refusal OF the
United States is not OF so positive a
character as would at first sight seem
to result from the formal declarations
mentioned.
NOT A WAR OF CONQUEST.
1.-THE reasoning given me is this: The
United States have declared that they
made a war, not of conquest, but of
liberation and order, because they could
not allow the prolongation at their very
doors of a state of things which was,
in their eyes, a blow to the cause of
humanity and civilization. They there
fore made a public declaration that the
war was not one of conquest, and they
now consider that by agreeing to be
invested with the sovereignty of Cuba
they would give themselves the appear
ance of having conquered the island for
territorial aggrandiZement. They re
fuse to give themselves the appearance
ofa conquering nation. Hence they posi-
lively refuse to accept that capacity of
sovereignty. which would be inconsist-
ent with the character of humanitarian
disinterestedness essential to the honor
of America.
"The United States quite comprehend
that their firm refusal TO accept SOW
ereignty does not exclude obligation, on
the footing of justice and equity, to
make Spain real concessions as to
financial burdens which would be
crushing if she were saddled with the
whole Cuban debt. We may be certain
that on this point the Americans will
be loss inheXible than on the principle
OF sovereignty. The proof, I am told,
that the United States are disposed to
meet Spain in an equitable fashion is
that the Spanish commissioners, who
would NOT at first accept an invitation
to dine with General Horace Porter
until the end of the conference, have
now accepted.
FRIENDS of the United States here
think it might have been better if they
had proceeded more openly and if, in
stead of cOnquering the island indirect
", the Washington government had
frankly accepted sovereignty in Cuba
with ali the rights and objections in
volved."
MAY DIVIDE THE DEBT.
The Paris correspondent of the Daily
Mail says: Il hear that the peace
problem will soon be settled, America
assuming the Cuban per cent loan
of 1885, which was foated entirely for
Cuban purposes and rejecting the per
cent loan OF $780,
A dispatch to the London News
Agency from Paris says: To-day
(Monday) the conference reached a cri-
sis for the first time. Judge Day pre-
sented the demands of the American
commission in threatening words He
said that delay was the only possible
object attainable by the persistent ef-
forts of the Spanish commissioners to
saddle the United States with the Gu
han debt, and would be tolerated no
longer. as the United States would
neither assume nor guarantee any part
of the debt
.eTne Spaniards replied that this
placed Spain in a position of repu-
dating or Of reducing the face value
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 sur
render of the Philippines would prob
ably be demanded, irrespective of the
Cuban or any other debt.
This, to the Spaniards, the first init
nation of the intentions of the United
states as to the Philippines. resulted
in a whispered conference, followed by
a request for an adjournment in or
der to communicate with Madrid. Judge
Day said that President Mckinley had
instructed him to demand the entire
surrender of Puerto Rico tomorrow
(Tuesday) and the delivery Of every |
town 10 the United States officers be- |
fore midnight. together with the evacu-
alton of Havana on or before Nov. 1, Z