Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-10-19
CUBA CAUSES CLASH.
responsibility For the Islands Deb
Blocks the Commissions.
9TH PARTIES OBSTINATE
, SAYS French Paper, Reviewing
Mondays Session No Chance
of Submitting Question to
Continental Arbitration.

.Gonday's Joint session of the peace
commissioners, and, referring to the
delay caused by the difference In the
language spoken by the commissioners
dds;
But, according to the Spaniards the
ilain cause of the difficulty encounter.
ed in the negotiations comes from the
lack of cancellation in the attitude OF
the American commission. 1t is known
n retard to Porto Rico and Cuba, that
NE articles of the protocol are abso-
rtely po.:itive. Spain cedes Porto RICO
- the United States and relinquishes
sovereignty over Cuba. These TWO
points are definitely settled and are
not open to discussion. Besides, the
Spaniards make it a point of honor to
scrupuOusly abide by their engage
raents toward their conquerors.
The Cuban Debt.
THE question Of the Cuban debt re-
MAINS Upon which power should the
onerous obligation of guaranteeing the
debt rest? Here is where the two COM
missions differ in their views, and nei-
ther is inclined to yield. The Spaniards
agree on the following lines: When
power dIHtAeS lSlIllOlS, IL 10 iiiPiANN
that it assumes all the obligations pre-
viously of such territory. 1t is interna-
tional law, sanctioned by usage, and
which has always been complied with.
Thus, when.France annexed Savoy, she
assumed all the debts contracted by
the latter while still an Italian prov
ince
Lastly. they remind their opponents
that Cuba is virtually the key of the
gulf of Mexico, q strategic position OF
the first order to the United States and
an immense advantage. which calls for
some sacrifice upon the part of the
Americans.
ITO this the latter replied at first
that they could not listen to any dis
cussion of the matter of the debt being
under formal instructions from their
government But, on the Spanish COM
mission insisting and in the presence OF
it's very firm attitude, the Americans
have taken a more conciliatory atti-
tude, not that they entertain the inten-
ton of yielding to Spain's injunctions,
but they consant to argue against the
Spanish position. These arguments
may be briefly summed up as follows:
I'ersenHI 10 spain.
"The Americans insist upon the fact
that the money raised by the Cuban
loans was not applied to the require
ments or interests of the island, but
was chiefly borrowed to the end of i'm
proving the financial condition of Spain
and to procure funds which she could
no longer raise in the peninsula, and
that the debt, therefore, is personal to
Spain.
"On the other hand, the Americans say
that America has no intention of an
neXing Cuba and could not therefore
assume such obligations. Finally, it is
held, owing to the fabulous cost of the
late war; the American people would
not concede the right to assume such
obligations.
"These are approximately the
grounds IN which the present discus
sions are conducted. What will the
outcome be? Certain newspapers have
considered the possibility of referring
the difference to the arbitration of a
continental power Neither commission
has vet suggested such a solution; but,
on the other hand, we have good
grounds to believe that, even We're the
suggest ION accept BILE to Spain, it would
have no chance of being agreed to by
the Americans"