The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-30

Forced to Yield to American De
mands or Face Revolution at
Home - indebtedness Assumed
by The United States Amounts to
S40, O0O,OOO-OriginaI Intentions
Did Not Contemplate So Much.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. 29.-The
United States has decided to claim the
entire Philippine archipelago and the
Spanish commissioners will be notified
to this effect Monday. The Spanish
commissioners will be informed the
United States will assume the Philip
pine debt of $40, O0O,O They will also
be notified the United States Will as
sumo control of Cuba temporarily, in
trust for the people of that island; that
Porto Rico becomes the absolute prop
erty of the United States free from
Spanish debt, and that Guam is to be
ceGed to the United States as a naval
station. These terms, it is believed,
the Spaniards have already practically
agreed to.
The development of President McKin-
ley'S expansion policy has at last
reached its natural result. Before the
peace commissioners left Washington
they were notified officially that the
Island of LuZOn must belong to the
United States, as we'll as Guam ana
: Porto Rico. They were informed, how
ever that Spain would be required to
give guarantees of good government
for the other islands in the Philippine
group. 1t was believed by the admlnis-
tratiOn that ultimately the whole arch
ipelagO would be coded to the United
States in the interests of civilization.
The president believed then, as he does
now, that the Island of LuZOn embrace
ed about all Of the Philippines it was
profitable for this country to hold. But
he recognized then, as now, the lmpOS-
sibility Of Spain ever being able to gov
ern the outlying islands properly. The
peace commissioners were instructed
that while the minimum demand in the
China sea would be the Island Of Lu-
ION, Spain would not be permitted to sell
the other islands, and the United States
would at least maintain quasi pro-
tectOrate in the interest of good gov
eminent.
EVADING THE DEBT.
Since the negotiations at Paris began
it has become evident that Spain was
mere concerned about debt than about
territory The effort to make the
United States assume the debt Of Cuba
failed completely, because this country
does not intend to annex Cuba, and
/ could not therefore, burden itself with
a debt running up into the hundreds
of millions with no future revenue to
make it good. The case of the Philip
pines was different. With Luzon gone,
the Spaniards would be deprived Of
practically all their colonial revenue,
but would be under the expense Of
governing the other and Improbable
mem beTs of the group. Spain borrowed
two years ago about $40 000, 900, with
the Philippine customs as security. By
taking LuzOn the United States &C
- 60, 4I,A ATNt
of the debt, and hence, the Spaniards
urged, the obligation naturally went
with the territory. This view of the
situation has met with some favor
among the American commissioners.
The president. it is understood, has
instructed them that the United States
will assume control of Cuba Tempo
rarily, and in trust for the people there,
who are to have en- Independent gov
eminent, free from Spanish debt, but
with the debts Of municipalities, con-
tracted for local improvements, proper
y adjusted. Porto Rico becomes the
absolute prQSerty of the United States,
free from rational debt, as a war in
demnity. Guam is to be ceded to the
United States as g, naval station.
The entire Philippine group is to be
coded to the United States, this cOun-
try assuming the debt of $4,000 900 con-
tracted, it is said, in good faith, to
Queu upTisings of the natives, which
never rose to the dignity of war, and
were never protested against by the
United States
SPAIN AGREES.
These terms, it is said, the Spaniards
have already practically agreed to.
They have admitted that, with the ISL
and Of Luzon lost to Spain, that coun-
try could not possibly maintain navy
and army in the rest Of the archipel-
ago sufficient to keep the unruly ma
tlVeS in check, fired as they would be
by the prosperity of their brethren in
LuzOn under the Stars and Stripes.
The Spaniards have been playing all
along for something in the nature of
a concession and the assumption of the
distinctive Philippine debt by the Unit
ed States would be sufficient, they be-
neve, to keep their people quiet, the
facts being judiciOusly distorted by
the Spanish press censorship in such a
way as to magnify the triumph Of the
Spanish commissioners. This condition
of affairs is now supposed to fore
shadow the early agreement on the
treaty
The United States IS entrenched in
Manila and San Juan, and could take
Cuba with but little difficulty. Spain
understands only too well that the
United States has only to say what it
viii or will not do. Continuance of
the war would only delay the redemp-
ton Of Cuba without affecting the sit
uatiOn in Porto Rico or Manila in the
least.
SPANS MOTIVE.
PARIS, Oct. 29-It is easy to explain
the attitude Of Spain in the peace
negotiations. The plea made by the
Spanish commissioners Wednesday,
that the United States take cognizance
OF her desperate financial straits, was
more than a confession Of bankruptcy
1t meant that Spain was willing to con-
cede any territorial demands the Unit
Cd states might make, provided some
thing was done to avert her financial
ruin and thus render possible the sal
walton Of the present dynasty.
il is almost fOregone conclusion
that, if Spain is compelled to repudiate