Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-02
HAS HAD HER DANCE AND MUST
SETTLE WITH THE FIDDLER.
UNCLE SAM TO BE REIMBURSED
ALL WAR EXPENSES, EVEN PEN
sIONs, TO BE CHARGED TO SPAIN.
Porto Rico and the Philippines to
BE Taken on Account, and if
balance Is Due Spain
1t VIII BE Paid
in Cash.

WASHINGTON, Nov 1.-The cabinet to-
day devoted most of its attention 10 con-
sideration of questions connected with the
administration of affairs in Cuba and
Porto Rico. The administrative feature of
the Philippine question also received some
attention. Nothing has been heard from
the commission at Paris as to yesterdays S
proceedings, and it is realized that moth
ing is to be expected in the way Of de-
VelopmentS until Fridays session.
While the cabinet gave little attention
to-day TO the peace negotiations at Paris.
there is no longer any doubt as to the
general purposes of this government TO re-
tain the entire Philippine archipelago. IT,
after final balancing of the accounts, viz:
The cost of war to the United States on
one side, and our acquisitions on the other,
ii is found that any compensation is due
the Spaniards, it viii be made in a lump
sum. 1t is pointed out that, at the time
the protocol was signed, the United States
did not have and had not since acquired
any part Of the Philippine islands outside
of Manila city and harbor, and that the
United States has never entertained a pur
pose to acquire any territory by the power
of conquest. What the United States will
insist upon is that she must be fully reim-
bursed for every dollar expended by her
on account OF the war, and in the state
TO cover all payments, present and pros
pective, on account of pensions incidental
20 the war.
No Spanish bonds, of any. character Or
amount, other than local or municipal
bonds, will be paid or assumed by this
government. The question of the status of
municipal obligations under circumstances
like the present is fully settled by inter
national law. They must be recognized
as valid and binding by the conquering
power, and hence it is assumed that the
United States will not raise any question
on this point, but promptly consent to
guarantee their final payment. What sum
of money this government would consent
TO pay to Spain cannot even be estimated,
but when the final account is rendered, ii
is believed that the balance due Spain will
be small, probably not exceeding S29,oOO,oe9
The belief still prevails among the ma
3ority of the cabinet that the Spaniards
will accept the terms laid down by the
United States and that whatever delay oc-
chargeable only to the purpose of the
Spaniards to secure the best possible terms,
10 extort the last possible million dollars,
before acceding to our demands.
The possibility of disagreement of the
commissioners and the failure of the con-
ference, however, is now contemplated with
greater equanimity than at an earlier
state of the negotiations. The administra-
tion has satisfied itself that Spain is neither
any scale that would make her a danger
GUS opponent to the United States There
fore. supposing the Paris conference fails,
all that would be imposed upon our gov
ernment is an immediate duty to take COM
pete military possession OF the Philip
pines. This, it is believed, could be ac-
complished by us without loss of time or
life. The last vestige of Spanish military
power in the islands is that under Colonel
Rios. commander-in-chief Of the Vizcaya
islands, and, by deputized authority, in
charge of ali Spanish territory not directly
within the control of the United States. in
the Philippine islands; His force Is insig-
and II is doubted If he could hold his own
against the insurgents had the Tagals been
the oase of an expedition directed against
the Spanish commander.
So far as Cuba Is concerned, the diff
Guilty might be more serious. but even in
Cuba the Spanish military forces are not
in condition to offer a prolonged resistance
10 the American conquest Of the island,
of the sea. they could not be reinforced by
troops from Spain. Therefore. about the
worst that could happen would be the ne
cessity imposed upon US OF struggling
along without the signature of a treaty Of
peace but in full possession of all the ter
ritory We desire. and that such conditions
can exist without damage Of material inter
ests is shown by the history of the Span.
ish-American republics, which revolted
from Spain's rule.
touched upon Cuba and Porto Rico. 1t was
fhe purpose to develop views 3S to the besi
means of collecting the revenues and Gus
toms providing some means of equdlizine
the duties which will be collected locally
upon imports from the United States as
we'll as from other countries. and provid-
ing for the peaceful and satisfactory gov
ernment of the cities and towns until sucf
time as congress shall have ordered other
wise II is the intention OF the president
TO maintain a military government in bott
Cuba and Porto Rico for the time being
but his purpose is also TO mitigate the
harsher features of such form of govern
ment' so far as lies within his power.
For instance. there was taken into seri
Gus consideration a view put forth by Sec
rotary Alger that K would be well in Cuba
TO use the Cuban soldiers. who seemed L
he fitted for such work, as n local polio,
force or gen d'armerie. possessed in
measure. of both the power of the polic'
and soldier. There are several strong argu
ments which the war department has pu
forth as sufficient to justify the adoption
of this course. In the first place. honor
able and profitable employment would h,
given to n considerable proportion of tn.
Cuban soldiers who might otherwise. in tht
absence of industrial employment. drift int,
evil courses or become a dissatisfied anl
dangerous element in the community. II
the second place. these men. being thor
oughly acquainted locally with places. hab
ity OF the Spanish-Americaus and the Ian
Fuage. would be much more serviceabI
as police than American soldiers. Alread,
some of the evils attending the employment
of the latter have been experienced a
Manila and Santiago. the results bein;
sometimes comical and at others Seriou
ff.a Fi1rc Inn l,so