The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-04-15
NEARING IN outbreak
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continued from FIRST Pdge.
the recognizing government to the CAPT
tai Of the government so recognized. The
only safe and prudent plan therefore is
that suggested by the President
in his message armed intervention
without recognizing the existence much
less the independence Of the insurgent
simulacrum Of government, leaving the
establishment of stable and suitable
government to be determined in the fu-
ture after SPANS sovereignty in and
over the island has been extinguished,
and this is precisely what the House has
decided to do by vote of 324 to 20.
~
The house has acted-the Senate has
yet to act. When the resolution to de-
clare against Great Britain was before
Congress in 1912, the Senate debated it
at length and only reached vote on the
seventeenth day after the discussion be-
gan. The Senate will not be so deliber-
ate at this time. There is one question
that has heretofore remained in the
background that is now assuming promi-
hence. This is, what legal effect will
Intervention by the United States in
Cuba, either with or without recogni-
ton of independence, have upon the
bonds issued by Spain and secured by
Cuban revenues! This question has been
considered by the President and he has
taken the advice thereon of the best in
ternational lawyers OF the country. The
consensus of opinion among them is that
the United States would be responsible
for the payment of these bonds if by in
PREVENTION it should destroy the security
upon which they are based. If the
Cubans could gain independence by their
own unaided efforts it would be different
The bonds in question would in such
case remain charge against the mother
country and It would have to pay them
as bestit could. The new government
in that case would not be chargeable
with nor responsible for them. An in
stance of the working of the principle in
volved is seen in the division of Virginia
and the erection of the State of West
Virginia from part Of the territory
comprising the old State of Virginia.
The old state debt of Virginia remained
against Virginia, shorn though it was
of about a third Of its former territory,
inhabitants and revenue resources. 1t
was this condition of affairs that gave
rise some fifteen years ago to the read
juster party under the leadership of the
late General Malone and which elected
a Governor of the State and two United
States Senators.
~
Inasmuch as the u nited States by in
tervening in Cuba will establish the in
dependence of the island and so deprive
Spain of the revenues out of which the
bonds in question were to be paid it will
be held responsible therefor in interva-
tional law. If the independence of the
iDsurgent government in Cuba were re-
eognized now the United States would
be unable to provide for the payment of
these bonds out of Cuban revenues and
would therefore have to pay them itself
out of its own revenues. This is of
course on the assumption that the Cuban
government so recognized would not
consent to pay them. But by interven-
ing without such recognition the United
States will be in position to provide for
the payment of these bonds out of the
revenues Of Cuba in accordance with the
pledge under which they were sold TO
their present holders. This is only one
of the reasons why the United States
should proceed in such manner as will
leave it free hand when the time comes
to settle upon the future government of
Cuba These bonds amount now to
$3.50, 900, 900, some $50, 1000, 600 of the
original issue having been paid. They
are mostly held in Germany, which
accounts largely for the concern felt in
that country as to the fate of Cuba.
EDWARD WRIGHT BRADY.