Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-10-19
AS USUAL IT'S MONEY
That Is Causing the Most Trouble
in the Peace Negotia.
tions at Paris.
CUBAs BONDED DEBT THE ISSUE.

controversy a to Who Shall Pay It, How
ever, Is Probably over and Uncle sam
Stands Pat as to That Part Contracted to
Help Put Down Cuban RebeIIions-
Probable Real Purpose OF the Adroit
Spanish Contention.
Washington. oct. 19.-It IS hoped,
though hardly expected. by the officials
here that Mondays proceedings before
the peace commission at Paris marked
the high tide Of Spanish opposition and
that from now on the Spanish commits
s.cners viii retire gradually from their
extreme position, which was that the
United States must relieve Spain Of re-
sDCnsibility for the Cuban debt. This
is the Spanish contention, as reported
by Paris cables. When a power an
nexes territory, it is implied that 1t as
sumes all the previous obligations of
such territory 1t is international law,
sanctioned by usage, and which has al
ways been complied with. Thus, when
France annexed Savoy. size assumed all
the debts contracted by the latter while
stiil an Italian province. The Amer
leans reply that the money raised by
the Cuban loans was not applied to the
requirements or interests of the island.
but was chiefly borrowed to the end
Spain and to procure funds which she
could no longer raise in the peninsula
and consequently is purely a Spanish
debt
Dons Are Good at Such Business.
1t is recognized that the Spanish attack
upon TIE American position was
marked by the greatest cleyerness and
adroitness. The opinion prevails that
the animating purpose OF the Spaniards
is to work upon the sympathies of other
European nations. while appealing to
the interests Gpt only of the holders of
Cuban bonds but also to the holders
OF purely Spanish securities which would
be affected by sympathy. The Spanish
argument directed to showing that the
United States must assume sovereignty,
else the island viii be left without legal
status. is interpreted as being a dis
tinct bid for the intervention OF the
foreign bondholders. The latter. ac-
cording to the Spanish hope. might be
expected to call upon their own govern
ments to aid the Spanish cause by pro-
testing to the United States against the
destruction Of the large values repre-
sented by the Cuban bonds owned by
their own citizens.
Ultimate Purpose of the SpanIards.
Considerations based upon equities
like these have at times had great
weight with international tribunals. but
back OF II all is apparent, in the eye OF
the officials here, a purpose to influence
not so much the American peace COM
misSiOners as the government at Wash
ington directly. There has never been
any question here as to the status OF
municipal and other local obligations
based upon Cuban assets. As the pro-
ceeds of bonds issued by the municipal
tiles have presumably gone to benefit
the localities IT has never been con-
tended here for an instant that these
obligations would be repudiated. What
ever may be the outcome Of the negotia-
tions at Paris relative to the general
debt of Cuba. the bonds of the munich
palities and such securities Will retain
their validity.
No Surprise at Our Capital.
The proposition alleged to have been
made Monday by the Spanish commits
sioners to surrender to the United States
the entire Philippine group rather than
that Spain should be held responsible
for the Cuban debt did not take the
officials here by surprise. 1t was rec
ogniZed Immediately as only another
phase of the Spanish effort to connect
the Philippines and Cuba in some way
in the negotiations. The American
commissioners at the beginning refused
to permit any such association. hold
ing that each subject treated in the
protocol must be dealt with separately
and in order. and so far as the state de-
partment knows they have not changed
their views in this matter since.
Hope fer Faster Progress
While II Is realized in official cir
cles that the negotiations In Paris
have reached what probably will
be the most critical point to be
passed over until the commission is face
to face with the question as to what
disposition shall be made of the Philip
pine islands. there is an abiding conf
dence that the Spanish commissioners
will not oblige the Americans to resort
to extreme measures. and that the ne
gotiations will proceed with greater ex-
pedition from this point
OUR FLAG FLOATS AT SAN JUAN.
Details of the Completion of the OccuPn-