The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-28
YIELDS TO the
INEVITABLE
Spain Gives Up All Claim to
Cuba.
WITHOUT CONDITIONS
SPANIARDS DIED HARD-WHI
RIOS DID NOT RESIGN.
PORTO RICO AND GUAM MATTER SETTLED
Philippine Matter 10 be Taken Up Next Week
Debt of Those Islands May be AS
sumed by US if They Be-
come Ours.

Paris. October 27.-The Spanish peace
commissioners have accepted the mega
| tive view of the United States com
mission toward the proposed assumption
| by the United States of the Cuban
debt.
The American commissioners have
firmly but courteously declined to as
sumo for the United States the entire or
joint responsibility for the Spanish tinan-
cial conditions.
In spite of the fact that the Spanish
| commissioners had doubts of succeeding.
their hope of so doing has been so keen
and their contention has been 50 vigo
rously prosecuted that the final convic-
ton of their inability to win their point
brought such shock and depression that
there were grave doubts as to the cont1n-
uance of the negotiations.
In support of these statements is the
fact that Senor Montero Rios, after Mon
days session would have resigned the
Presidency of the Spanish peace com
mission, had he not believed that his
doing so might have grievously shaken,
if not unseated Senor Sagasta's Govern
ment. From this standpoint, if for no
other reason. Senior Montero Rios re-
tanned his position; ;and at yesterdays ses-.
sion the Spaniards announced that tneg
would forego further arguments on the
Cuban debt and agreed that, practically
in the terms and absolutely in the spirit
of the protocol, the article about Cuba
should go forward into the final treaty.
Thus Spain agrees to relinquish soyer-
eighty over and claim to Cuba without
either terms or conditions.
All differences, if any existed, regard
ing Porto Rico and the selection of the
Island of Guam, were also arranged by
mutual understanding, and the COM
missioners found themselves well nigh
touching the Philippine question, which
will be taken up next week.
Washington, Oct. 27.-The intimation
conveyed by the American Commission
ers to the Spanish that the position of
the United States with respect TO Cuba
and the Cuban debt could not be re-
garded as subject to change, had, as
the Paris advices show the desired eff
feet The one concession as to Cuba
that our Commissioners will make Will
be to guarantee for the United tSates
that life and property shall be secure
in Cuba until such time rs stable gov
ernment shall be formed and operative
in Cuba. There will be no perpetual
guarantee on this score.
Undue significance has been attached
TO the despatch of a special messenger
from Washington yesterday to the Presi-
dent at Philadelphia. Almost every day
Il long report has come by cable from
Judge Day, president of the American
Commissioners at Paris telling what has
been accomplished what the Spanish
Commissioners were seeking, and what
the American Commissioners propose 70
do at the next meeting. The President
has gone over these reports very care
fully, in company with Secretary Hay,
and sometimes with military or naval
experts if their advice seemed to be ne
cessary. Yesterdays report was very
long and to have reduced 1t to cipher
code for the purpose of telegraphlng 1t
70 Philadelphia would have consumed
more time and been less satisfactory in
results than the services of a messenger.
AS vital stage has been reached it was
thought advisable not to delay till the
Presidents return, so Assistant Sec
retary Cridler's confidential clerk was
sent to Philadelphia with the daily re-
port.
1t is expected that the Commissioners
will now take up the subject of the
Philippines. 1t is unlikely that the same
rule will be applied to the debt of these
islands as was insisted upon relative to
the Cuban debt In other words. if
the United States anneXes the Philip
pines it might be reasonably contended
that at least so much of the debt as rep
resented moneys expended for the inn
provement of the island should pass to
the United States with the title. The
situation is regarded as materially diff
ferent from that in Cuba, where the
! United States gains nothing substantial,
for. with the annexation of the Philip
pines, we should acquire territory al
most as large as the British Isles, with
teeming population Of more than 81
OOO,0OO people. 1t will be for the
American Commissioners to arrange the
details of the transfer of the Philippines
to the United States. as it is expressly
stipulated in the peace protocol that the
disposition of the Philippines shall be
arranged by the Peace Commissioners,
so that shere is ample warrant. unlike
the case of Cuba, for full discussion OF
all questions of the Philippine debt,
municipal and insular.
! The sins that pay best are the last