The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-25
Effect of Recognition of the Cuban
Insurgents.
WOULD BE FAR-REACHING
FREDERICK r. CoUDERT A REC
oGNIZED AUTHORITY.
Our Ships Would Be Liable to Search
and Our Commerce Would Be Har-
assed-Would Be of Doubtful
Benefit to the Cubans-Spain's
Position.

New York. March 2l.-AIr Frederick r.
Coudert, who is a recognized authority on
international law. was asked what. in mis-
opinion. would be the result Of reccgni-
ton by the United States OF the Cuban
insurgents, replied: 4 presume that by
recognition IS meant recognition of
state of belligerency. which would give
cuban insurgents Il status rs belliGerent
power. do not tnigk II Is intended
however, to intimate that the president
Will recognize the Cuban republic as an
independents and established power. lt
does not seem to me that IL has yet
reached the stage, Notwithstanding its
stubborn fight Tor freedom during the
last three years. where we can rank i
among the states that are cnui!eo 10
diplomatic intercourse
Assuming thar the president will re-
cognize thar there is a state of war in
the island, and that there are two par
ties TO the war. namely: Spain on one
hand, and the Cuban insurgents on the
other. the effect viii be far reaching
whether it viii aid the insurgents as
much as expected by its many friends. is
doubtful. 1t would certainly subject the
United States to some Inconvenience.
heretofore we have required that the Gu
ban sympathIzers should not fit out eNpe-
ditlons against Spain, which is friendly
power. We have only recognized one au-
IhOritv in the island. and Spain, having
on her part refused to admit that there
was war in Cuba. could not exact from
US what she might exact from neutrals.
STATUS OF NEUTRALS.
After the recognition of a state of bel
Hgerency we become neutrals and are
forbidden to give aid or comfort to either
of the powers; our ships will be liable TO
search and our commerce to much har-
RAISING and annoying interference Pos
sibly the new position of Cuba may ena-
BILE it to raise funds Whether this viii
be so or not is matter Of conjecture. Il
will certainly increase the moral force of
the insurgents and give them a status
which they do nOSEpGS
This viii not OF itself justify Spain in
taking offense. We simply recognize
fact. and we are the sole judges OF the
existence of that fact. Three years IS
long time for an insurrection to last, I'M
less II Is one of great power and one very
difficult to subdUe. President Cleveland
stated two years ago that the state of
affairs then existing in Cuba must be
stopped within a reasonable time. Presi-
dent Mckinley has stated The same thing.
he question OF reasonable time Is one
for Us to determine. and for no one else.
The president, in acknowledging con
dition OF belligerency. Will be acting
strictly within his right and / have no
doubt will be supported by the countr--.
Our citizens generally have entire faith
in his intelligence, his sense and his pat
riotism. Whatever he decides VIII, be-
heYe, find general acceptance
SPANS RIGHTS.
what effect if any. would recognition
by the United States have upon SPANS
right TO treat as pirates the officers and
crew of any inSUrECnt vessel they cap
tured in the high seas2 This is q cues
ton which would depend very much upon
the view that Spain would take. We can
not change the situation - between Spain
and Cuba by mere declaration of orr
opinion rs to the existence of a certain
fact. We declare that fact exists
Spain denies il. As there is no court and
jury TO decide. each nation must act upon
what it deems proper and eXpedient IN I
DIR the circumstances.
Spain * not bound to treat her rebel /
lous subjects as belhgeTentS because we /
declare that they are entitled to that
designation. Al thu same time she must /
be consistent. or ought to De. and if. in I
her dealings with US. she acts on the as /
sumption that there is a state of war and +!
she involves the benefit of that theory
as against the neutral. it is difficult to
see how she can. in the same breath. de-
clare Drivateers TO be pirates and to
treat them as such.
We must remember that she was not {
one of the powers that joined in the /
declaration OF 1886 against priVateering, 1
and, therefore. could not avail herself of /
the treaty of Paris to declare privateers /
of any nation to be pirates At the same /
time We must not forget that war is q /
great foe to considerations based on ]
reason. justice and the equity of men and I
things. The object of war is merely to /
ablish the right Of the stronger or (
the strongest 20 have his own way. If 4
he fails. he is proved TO be in the wrong: 4
If he succeeds then he has d demonstrated /
the correctness of his position.