The herald., 1898-08-10
SPAIN DON'T WANT THEM
Willing to Let Uncle Sam Feed he,
Sailors-The Latter Contented

Willing to Let Uncle Sam Feed Her
Sailors-The Latter Contented
NEW YORK. Aug. "a special to the
| Tribune from Washington says:
The United States has magnanimously
offered to parole the 1900 Spanish naval pris-
oners taken at the destruction of Admiral
Cervera's feet whenever Spain is ready
to repatrlate them. With the exception Of
| officers. who are enjoying American hos
pitality within the limits of Annapolis. the
| bulk of these prisoners are confined to the
naval station at Portsmouth, where they
have the liberty of a large, picturesque Is
land and are comfortably quartered and
| fed in temporary buildings erected espec-
| tally for their use. The offer of this gov
eminent was made regardless of the ap-
preaching elimination of peace negotia-
tons, and simply with a view Of sending
home a large number of national guests
who had considerably overstaid their well
come and become burdensome upon the
host These Spaniards have suffered
scarcely any of the restraints usually i'm
posed upon prisoners Of war, but have been
cared for as tenderly as Il they had been
American sailors. Most of them were ter
ribly debilitated from the deprivations they
had suffered and a large percentage have
had to be nursed and cared for in hospitals.
Instead Of turning them over to Spain IN
the pitiful condition they presented when
they sought refuge from their burning
ships and from the Cubans aboard the
American naval vessels, they have been
fully restored to health and vigor, and the
offer of the United States contemplates
giving them back to Spain more able
bodied than they were when they left the
peninsula six months ago. Although this
striking instance of American generosity
to a hapless enemy was officially laid be-
fore the Madrid authorities through the
representatives Of a neutral nation some
days ago, no response whatever has been
received beyond the simple acknowledg-
ment, with the statement that 1t would re-
ceive consideration. There was every rea-
son to believe that Spain would eagerly
embrace the opportunity to secure these
prisoners, constituting as they do the flow
er of the naval forces, as an important
source of strength to the government at
| this time, In case domestic dissatisfaction
assumed dimensions which could be con-
| trolied only with much difficulty. The Of
| fer, however did not contemplate the gra-
| tuitous transportation of the men to Span
| ish territory as in the case of General Tor
rails garrison at Santiago, but provided
only for their delivery on neutral vessels
under guarantees Of security in the ports
| Of the United States. and perhaps the Span
ish delay is caused by the difficulty Of Sc
curing a single transport at the present
time.
During the next two or three months the
prisoners will be source of little or no con-
Germ to the United STATES. the trouble and
cost Of clothing them being confined to
the furnishing Of food and clothing, but as
winter approaches it will be necessary as
early as November TO erect more substan-
tial buildings for keeping them warm, or
II may be necessary to transfer them to
the South. 1t is a remarkable fact that
Spain does not possess a single American
prisoner to offer in exchange for the num-
Der Of Spaniards who have been captured
in the Philippines as we'll as in the West
Indies. and this inequality makes the pres
emit offer of parole all the more charitable
on the part of this government.