Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-11-05
EXPENSES OF The WAR.

Spain IL Expected to Reimburse the United
States for Every Dollar spont iu tho Late
struggle--No Danger of the Contest Be-
Ing Renewed.
Washington, Nov. 2.-While the cab
net gave little attention yesterday to
/, the peace negotiations at Paris, there
is no longer any doubt as to the pur-
pose of this government to retain the
entire archipelago. If, after final bal
ancing of the account, viz, the cost of
the war to the United States on one
side and our acquisitions on the other,
it is found that any compensation is
due the Spaniards it will be made in
lump sum. 1t is pointed out that at
the time the protocol was signed the
United States did not have and has not
since acquired any part of the Philip
pine islands outside of Manila city and
| harbor, and that the United States has
never entertained purpose to acquire
any territory by 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
| statement will be included an amount
sufficient to cover all payments, pres
ent and prospective, on account of pen
sions incident to the war. No Spanish
bonds of any character or amount,
| other than local or municipal bonds,
will be paid or assumed by this gov
ernment The question of the status
| of municipal obligations under circum-
stances like the present is settled by
international law. They must be recog-
nized as valid and binding by the con-
| quering 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 be estimated, but
when the final account is rendered it
is believed that the balance due Spain
will be small, probably not exceeding
S25, 900, 900 or $50, 600, 600.
The belief still prevails among the
majority of the cabinet that the Span
iards will accept the terms laid down
by the United States, and that what
ever delay occurs before that result is
reached will be chargeable only to the
purpose of the Spaniards to secure the
best possible terms; to extort the last
possible million dollars before acced-
ing to our demands. The possibility
of disagreement of the commissioners
and the failure of the conference, how
ever, is now contemplated with greater
equanimity than at an earlier stage OF
the negotiations. The administration
has satisfied itself that Spain is neither
able nor willing to resume hostilities
on any scale that would make her a
dangerous opponent to the United
States. Therefore, supposing the Paris
conference to fail, all that would be
imposed upon our government as ar
immediate duty would be to take com.
plete military possession of the Phil.
ippines. This, it is believed, could be
accomplished by us without loss ot
time or life.
The last vestige of Spanish military
Rios, commander-in-chief of the
Visayas islands and, by deputized au,
: thority, in charge of all Spanish terri,
tory not directly within the control o.
the United States in the Philippines
His force is insignificant and it i:
doubtful if he could have held his owr
against the insurgents had the Tagal:
been allowed by Admiral Dewey t.
make Manila the base of an expedition
directed against the Spanish com
mander.
So far as Cuba is concerned, the diff
iculty might be more serious, but ever
in Cuba the Spanish military forces are
not in condition to offer prolonged
resistance to the American conquest o
the island, and with the Spanish navy
at the bottom of the sea they could no
| be reinforced by troonS from Snain