The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-07
FAVOR FORAKER RESOLUTION.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
for Cuban Independence.


Senate Foreign Relations Committee
for Cuban Independence.
WASHINGTON, April 6-The Senate
foreign relations committee met at 10
o'clock. The discussion to change the
Cuban resolution to meet the recon-
mendations Of the President was resumed.
1t was recognized that 1t would be difficult
and really not desirable to decide absolutely
on a course to be pursued until the Presi-
dents message should be laid before the
committee, but is was felt that important
preliminary work could be done in arriving
at the sentiment of the members of the
committee. A difference of opinion de-
veloped as to the ACCESSIBILITY of yielding to
the Presidents wishes and Of giving up the
recognition of Cuban independence, and it
was found that there would be important
difficulties in the way of pursuing this
course, as some of the members appeared
quite determined not to consent to a recon-
sideration of the first decision to incorporate
both the independence and the Intervention
features in the resolution.
The members who had been present at
yesterdays executive session Of the Senate
reported an evident determination on the
part of members to embody the indepen-
dence feature in whatever resolution might
be reported or at least secure a, division of
the Senate on this point. On the other
hand, it was contended that only the Presi-
dent could recognize independence under the
Constitution and it was asked what course
senators who held that view and still adj
vocated independence would pursue when
confronted with q demand to have Congress
take this STEP The reply was that they
could vote for the resolution, still leaving
it to the President to sign execute 1T as
he may see fit. 1t was argued that II the
United States should recognize independence
and then go to war to secure it and succeed
in defeating and driving the Spaniards out
of Cuba we would still be in position to die
tate our own terms with the Cubans. The
claim was also made that the United States
would be stronger before the civilized world
in not appearing ITO want to annex the
islands, and it was asserted that this APP
pearance would be greatly strengthened by
the adoption Of policy looking to the in
dependence Of the Cuban republic. The COM
mittee took q recess at Il o'clock without
reaching any conclusion.
The exchange of opinion among members
rendered It quite evident that majority
Of the committee were opposed to eliminate
ing the clause for independence and the
friends for that form of expression were
confident that when the report should
come to be made it would be, as first de-
termined upon. fol, the Foraker resolution
declaring for the recognition Of Cuban in
dependence and for armed intervention.
Later it was stated that Senators Frye and
Lodge stand alone in thinking that a
change should be made, eliminating indie
pendence from the Cuban resolution. The
remaining nine members OF the committee,
composed of four Republicans and five
Wi
original decision for both independence and
intervention, unless there should be some
change from present conditions before the
vote is taken
The question of Cuban bonds was raised
at the meeting. 1t was brought up by SEN
ator Foraker, who said that he had heard
it intimated that there was speculation in
Cuban bonds behind his resolution declar-
ing for the recognizahce of Cuban independ-
ence. This, he said, was not true in any
respect and he added that he had not
known when the resolution was drawn that
there We're any Cuban bonds out. He had
investigated the question since, however,
and had learned that only SIS, 600 of Cuban
bonds had been sold This even, the sena-
tor said, in q sarcastic tone, he did not con-
slider sufficient to influence the course of
events. Mr.. Foraker then stated that there
was another point of the bond question to
the committee and this was the possibility
of the United States having to assume re-
sponsbility for the payment of the interest
on, if not the principal, of the Spanish
bonds secured by the Cuban revenues in
case of the intervention of this country N
the Cuban war without first recognizing the
independence of the Cubans. He said he
would not assert positively that such would
be the case, but he believed the proposition
strong enough under international law to
make ground for an international lawsuit.
He stated that there was no less than $780,
100000 of these bonds
The executive session of the Senate to-
day was brief. 1t was held at the instance
of Mr.. Davis after a conference with the
President. When the galleries had been
cleared Senator Davis explained the reason
of the delay in sending the message. He
said it was due to the fact that there had
been some delay in getting Consul General
Lee and all other Americans out of Havana
and that more time was absolutely neces-
sary for this purpose. Hence the President
did not consider 1t wise or humane to send
in the message, which might precipitate Sc
rious trouble and endangers the lives of
these npOnlp