The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-08-09
PAROLE IS OFFERED.
The Government Tenders Cervera's
Men to Spain.

New York, Aug. "a special to the
Tribune from Washington says:
The United States has nagnanfmousIy
offered to parole the thirteen hundred
Spanish naval prisoners taken at the de-
struction of Admiral Cervera's feet when
ever Spain is ready to repatriate them.
With the exception of the officers, who
are enjoying American hospitality within
the limits of Annapolis, the bulk of these
prisoners are confined to the naval station
at Portsmouth, where they have the lib
erty of a large picturesque island and are
comfortably quartered and fed in tenn
porary buildings erected especially for
their use.
regardless of the approaching elimination
of peace negotiations and simply with
view of sending home a large number of
national guests who had considerably
overstayed their welcome and become bur-
densome Jpn the host. These Spaniards
have suffered scarcely any of the re-
straintS usually imposed upon prisoners of
war, but have been cared for as tenderly
as if they had been American sailors.
Most of them were terribly debiIftated
from the privatiOns 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 pitt
able cOnultlon lney presented When Iney
sought refuge from their burning ships
ana from the Cubans ABOARD the Amerl-
can HdNdI EeSseIS, they nave DeeH Iully
restored to health and VigOr and the offer
OF the United states cOnIemplateS giving
them back to Spain more able-boded than
when they left the peninsula six months
ago.
Although this striking instance Of Amer
lean generosity to a helpless enemy was
officially laid before the Madrid authOri-
ties through the representative of a neu-
trail ma iOn several days ago no response
has been received beyond the simple
knOwledgeme with the Statment that it
would receive consideration. There is
every reason to believe that Spain would
eagerly embrace the opportunity to secure
these prisoners. constituting as they DO
the flower of the naval force, i'm
pOrtant source of strength to the govern
ment at this time in case domestic dis
affection assumed dimensions which could
The offer, however, did not contemplate
the gratuitOus transportation of the men
to Spanish territory, in the case of
TOrafS garrison at Santiago, but prOVid-
ed only for their delivery neutral YES
ports of the United StateSeta Oinununun
sells under guarantee of security in the
the Spanish delay is caused by the diff
Guilty of securing single transport at the
present time.
During the next two or three months the
concern to the United States, the trouble
and cost of main tanning them being con-
fined to the furnishing of food and cloth
ing, but as winter approaches it will be
necessary as early as November to erect
more substantial buildings for keeping
them, it 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 large number of Spaniards who
navy, in the Philippines, as we'll as in the
West Indies, and this inequality makes
the present offer of parole all the more
charitable on the part of this government