The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-01
The Magnitude of the Wars Results.

In the eyes Of foreign observers and Of
Spain will be memorable not only for its
brevity, but also for the exceptional impor-
lance Of its results. To find a parallel for
both the quantity Of territory and the
volume of population transferred from one
sovereignty to another, we should nave to
go back to the most successful campaigns
Of the great NAPOLEON and to the peace OF
Paris, which ended the Seven Years War.
Although none of the insular possessions
lost by Spain has been thoroughly and care
fully surveyed, it is possible tocompute the
area Of all of them with a close approach to
accuracy. 1t is estimated, for example,
that Cuba, including the Isle of Pines and
hundreds Of outlying keys ~orislets which are
politically connected with her, comprises
nearly As, 900 square miles. Porto Rico,
with its dependencies. nay be set down as
comprehending at least &, 800 square miles.
Guam, the member Of the Ladrones group
which has oeen coded to us, is credited
with 100 square miles. The Philippine and
Sulu archipelagos are believed to have, col
lectively, q supericies of more than 49,
900 square miles. 1t is, therefore, about
1of,oOo SqudIC lilC OudO cpdLl IdS lOSb,
and about 119, 900 that we have gained
the difference, Of course, being represented
by the area of Cuba, whose inhabitants have
not, as yet, determined on their future
political status.
To indicate the significance OF these
figures by concrete objects Of comparison,
we may say that Spain has lost possessions
equivalent in area to about five-sixths OF
her own European territory, while we nave
acquired a superficies exceeding that Of the
Italian peninsula and the island Of Sicily
combined. Scarcely less imposing are our
conquests from the viewpoint of popula-
ton. Even admitting that, owing to
the appalling waste of life caused
by the Weyler regime, Cuba may nave
400, 900 fewer inhabitants at the present
hour than she had at the date of the last
census, we must still assign to her not less
than 1 200, 900; Porto Rico, when the last
census was taken, had upward of 800, 900.
The lowest estimate that has been placed
upon the population OF the Philippines
would make it not less than eight millions,
and this is probably short of the truth.
What Spain has lost, then, in the course OF
few months, is population largerthan that
of the two European kingdoms of Belgium
and the Netherlands, which, under their
former name Of the United Provinces, the
Spanish sovereigns PHILIP II. and PHILIP
III. fought SO long and desperately to re-
tain. We, Oh our part, have added to our
population about 1000, 900 human beings,
or considerably more than the kingdom Of
Prussia contained at the beginning OF the
present century.
AS regards the territory and population
coded, few of the wars OF the great NAPo-
LEON are comparable with the contest
which has now been closed. The campaigns,
indeed, Of Marengo and Hohenlinden deliv-
cred a large part OF Italy from the Austrian
yoke, and practically converted the Rhine
into q French river. By the peace OF
Tilsit, Prussia lost such extensive and
populous tracts in Germany and Poland
that she, temporarily, ceased to be con-
sidered as a great power. TIL first cam
paign Of Spain was followed by the corona
ton OF JOSEPH B~oNAPARTE at Madrid, but
he was speedily expelled from the Spanish
capital, and in none OF the ensuing years
could the French conquest OF the Spanish
peninsula be viewed as complete. BY the
peace OF Paris, OIL the other hand, which
was concluded In 1893, there was a great
transfer Of territory, France ceding to
Great Britain not only Canada, but other
possessions both in the West Indies and
in the East Indies.
AS regards, however, the brevity OF the
contest and the magnitude OF the results
attained, 80 far as mere territory lie con-
cerned, a nearly perfect counterpart will be
found In our own war with Mexico, when,
in the course Of a few months, Gen. SCOTT,
at the head of a small force, took Vera
Cruz. and, after fighting a series OF battles,
entered the Mexican capital and there die
tated terms Of peace. There is, also, a point
Of resemblance between the treaty about to
be signed at Paris and that Of Guadeloupe
Hidalgo. BY the last-named treaty we
acquired California and New Mexico, but we
agreed to pay therefor the sum of $751;
100000. besides assuming debts amount