The evening times., 1898-10-21
THAT CUBAN DEBT.

|. Various correspondents have asked for
information concerning the so-called Gu
ban debt, which is just now so much to
the fore in European newspaper discus
slons of the terms of peace between the
United States and Spain. They want to
know its origin, its amount, the grounds
on which Spain asks the United States
TO pay tiff, indeed, Spain does ask any
such thipg-and the grounds on which
the United States declines or may prop
erly decline to pay it, or to assume any
responsibility for it, The following, from
the New York Tribune, is a compact
statement of the case:
Strictly speaking, Cuba has no debt.
That is to say, no debt has been con-
tracted by the Cuban people for their own
benefit. Many years ago the Spanish gov
ernment, finding an item in its accounts
which 1t could not conveniently dispose of
in any other way, arbitrarily charged 1t
against Cuba, and thus created a Cuban
debt. That debt has since been aug
mented by miscellaneous additions chief
ly Of military expenditures. 1t is credi-
bly, stated that the costs of wars in Af-
rica and the Philippines have been charg-
ed against Cuba. Certainly the cost of
suppressing the various Cuban rebellions
has and so, it is to be presumed, have
been the costs of waging the last war
against the insurgents and of the disaS-
trous war with this country. Last year
the amount of the debt thus created was
over $350, O,OOO. AT the present time it
is probably not far from $3.50 1000 1t
represents chiefly the cost of keeping Gu
ba in subsection to Spain. Practically
none of it represents benefits conferred
Yhu Il
and. 1t is therefore a Cuban debt in
name only. In fact, 1t is a Spanish debt
contracted by Spain for her own benefit
Now, 1t Is commonly held that interna-
tionai law requires a nation to assume re-
sponsibility for the debts of another coun-
try which 1t anneXes or takes in con-
quest, unless, of course, some formal
stipulation to the contrary be made Thus
we might be held responsible for the
debts of Hawaii. or of Guam, should we
decide TO hold the latter island It does
not appear that international law i'm
poses any such obligation upon state
that wins its independence by successful
revolution The true principle is stated
by Noolsey thus: Where despotical
government has contracted debts against
nation attempting to recover its liber-
ties, obligations entered into TO subju-
gate the people must be regarded as per-
ldlulNS To Ine government alone, ana not
as resting upon the people That is 10
say, Spain having contracted debts
against the Cubans struggling for their
liberties, such obligations, entered into 20
subjugate the Cubans, must be regarded
as pertaining to Spain alone, and not as
resting upon the Cubans. Certainly they
cannot be saddled upon this country,
which has neither conquered nor annexed
Cuba nor acquired that island in any
way.
There are other arguments TO the same
effect which need not be rehearsed at
length. Bhe ground which we have cited
Is sufficient Justification for this coun-
try's refusal TO assume the Cuban debt or
10 consent to its imposition upon Cuba.
The ground upon which Spain makes
such a demand. If indeed she does make
it. which scarcely seems credible, we
must leave for Spain herself 10 state. We
can imagine none that would do that ma
tion credit II is not to be believed, un-
til incontestably confirmed, that any Sc
rious Spanish statesman expects the Gu
bans in the hour of their deliverance, TO
pay the cost Of their own former en-
slayement, or expects the United States
in the hour of its triumph to pay the
costs of the war that was waged against
It"