The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-25

Paris, Oct. 24-The American peace
commissioners were in session today
from 10 am. to almost pm, when
they repaired to the joint session. They
took with them a carefully prepared
written answer to the proposals of the
Spaniards regarding Cuba. 1t is un-
derstood the American reply is, to a
certain degree, in the nature of a COM
promise proposal. The consideration
by the commissioners of Puerto Rico
aid the Ladrone islands has now been
merged with the Cuban question and
all the points involved are being car
ried forward to simultaneous con-
clusion. When this has been arrived
at, the Philippine question will be
taken up.
OF course, there is a possibility of a
disagreement, and the Spaniards, if the
American commissioners decide not to
assume any portion of the Cuban in
debtedneSs, may announce their un-
willingness to proceed any further with
negotiations based upon the protocol.
Should the Spanish decide TO do this,
it Will be because they wish to excite
the pity of their creditors and of other
nations. The corteS may then be asked
to endorse their action. In fact, Span
iards may even prefer a resumption of
hostilities to acquiescenee in the Amer
lean refusal to share their financial
burden.
CUBANS MAY ASSUME PORTION.
The Americans, however, have init
mated to the Spaniards the possibility
that Spain may at some future period
be able TO deal with an independent
government regarding the assumption
of the provincial and municipal por-
Of l1E han dfz11r 1fala
tinated to have been $3.50, 100000 before
the last rebellion in Cuba broke out,
and $500, ,000, eco contracted since 1895.
But should independent Cuba, as she
doubtless would, refuse to assume more
than heE proportion of the debt, based
on actual betterments in Cuba, and
only, even in this case, of obligations
contracted previous to 1895, Spain
would be compelled TO appeal to her
people and confront them with prac-
tically SeVen-eighthS of the debt con-
tracted since. Spain would also be COM
PEELED to declare her inability to meet
her obligations, and this at present
seems to the Spaniards a more bitter
alternative than to accept the United
States refusal to share the Cuban
debt, with all that this means, the
idea being that the Spaniards would
be able 20 call the attention of their
creditors to their unyielding though
fruitless efforts in their behalf.
MIGHT PREFER DISMEMBERMEN
Finally, it is said that there are per-
sons high in the Spanish councils who
claim to believe that Spain would
rather submit dumbly and helplessly to
decimation or ACKNOWLEDGMENT than
confront this continued financial bur
den. One course would leave her pride
unsullied, it is claimed, and the other
is regarded as doubtful, if not impossi-
BILE of adoption, within the boundaries
or national solvency.
Spain, however, will not break off
the present negotiations before having
proposed that the United States share
half the insular debt, the interest rate
to be reduced to 2 per cent, which
Spain may hold, practically reduces to
sl16, 900, 900 the portion proposed TO be
borne by the United States or guar
anteed thereby.
Such q proposition would not be ac-
cepted by the United States, either di-
rectly or in behalf of Cuba.
The session of the Joint commission
began at 2 o'clock in the afternoon
and ended at 4:5O pm.