The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-16
Want Uncle Sam to Pay the Cuban
Debt.
WHAT THEY WILL LEARN
AMERICA WILL NOT PAY ONE
SINGLE PESETA-
Proposition Was Exhaustively Dis
cussed at Paris, But the American
Commissioners Do Not Propose to
Yield On This Point-Absurdity
of the Spanish Demands.

Paris. Oct. 15-The American and
Spanish peace commissions closed their
first two weeks of labor here today,
and the progress made has been chlef1y
nv negative action. The first article
of the protocol provided that Spain
will relinquish all claims OF sovereignty
over and title to Cuba"
Naturally, the joint sessions were de-
voted to the Cuban article Of the pro-
tocol. Naturally, too, the Americans
opened their case by the assumption
that little or no action was necessary
regarding Cuba, on the ground that
IT'S disposition was definitely fixed by
the terms of the protocol. Notwlth-
standing, at the meeting last Thursday
the Spaniards submitted suggestions
and propositions amounting to holdlng
that the United States should take over
all or part of the Cuban debt. After
reading this presentment In Enghsh on
Tuesday, Senior MontriOs, president OF
the Spanish commission, verbally re-
heated it at length and reiterated the
same in summarized form
The Americans, at their own session,
took up the Spanish presentation and
determined the formulation of the an
sWer of the United States, on which
the clerical force was busily engaged
until the hour of the Friday session,
the commissioners in the meanwhile
devising, simplifying and fort1fy1ng IT,
Careful exact and full was the prepar-
alton of the answer, and, therefore, 1t
became impossible, as intended, to
serve a copy of it on the Spanish be-
fore the hour of opening the session,
SO that the oral discussion might begin
promptly.
Thus 1t happened that the Americans
! carried the answer, which was SUD
mitted at the opening of the session,
occupying four instead of the usual two
hours. on account of the exhaustive
discussion of the matter. None save
the commissioners, Secretaries Moore
and Ojeda and Interpreter Ferguson
knew what was said. Possibly the
question of the assumption of the Gu
ban debt by the United States was set
tied then and there. Whether the
Americans declined any Spanish obi
CATION on account of Cuba, none in
Paris. save those who were present,
know. Whatever may have transpired
at Yesterdays session, whether the
Spaniards We're or were not yesterday
advised that the United States declined
to assume the Cuban debt, it may be
distinctly said that with such light as
it now has, the United States commits
sion will consistently and TO the end
refuse to assume all or any part of the
soning more cogent than any yet adj
vanced, the United States commission
will, if it has not already done so, de-
clare that the Cuban debt represents
treasure chiefly spent by Spain in sup
pressing instructions and possibly in
warning on the United States. If they
have not already been so informed, the
Spaniards will be assured that the
United States has expended enormous
sums, not to acquire Cuba, but to free
it from disastrous conditions for self
government, which presupposes the
self-assumption of just obligation. The
Spaniards will-if, indeed, it has not
already been done-have impressed
upon them the fact that by the sigma
ture of the protocol they utterly relin-
quished all claims of sovereignty over
and title to Cuba.
If they have not already heard it, the
Spaniards will hear the expression OF
American surprise that Spain, having
so Internationally and unequivocally
surrendered Cuba, should now advance
a claim or even a suggestion that the
United States assume the debt of a
territory which, though surrendered by
Spain. was unsought by the United
States as a conquest prize, is not now
a possession of the United States. and
which has been freed by the United
States at a vast expense to the United
States, for independence now. or when
matured for self government Thus,
possibly, progress has been achieved
negatively, for, with the present light,
the Americans decline, or will refuse
the responsibility of a single peseta of
the so-called Cuban debt.