The Van Buren press., 1899-12-09
two powers. Effect has been given I,
its most important provisions
Suafn's Withdrawal From Cuba.

relIUQulShed territory nelQ Dy us IN trust
for the inhabitants, maintaining, under
the direction of the executive. such gov
rfment and control therein as. should
conserve public order, restore the pro-
ductiVe conditions of peace so long dis
turbed by the instability and disorder
which prevailed for the greater part of
the preceding decades, and build up that
tranquil development of the domestic
stete whereby alone can be realized the
high purpose, as proclaimed in the joint
resolution adopted by the congress on
the 18th of April, 1898, by which the United
States disclaimed any disposition or in
tention 10 exercise sovereignty, jurisdic-
tion or control over Cuba, except for the
pacihcation thereof, and asserted its de-
termination when that was accomplished,
to leave the government and control of
the islands to its people. The pledge con-
tanned in this resolution is of the high
est honorable obligation and must be sa-
A Grave Responsibility.
This nation has assumed before the
ture good government of Cuba.
Oar Mission.
Our mission. to accomplish which, we
tool up the gage of battle. is not to be
fulfilled by turning adrift loosely
framed commonwealth to face the vicissi-
tudes which too often attend weaker
states whose natural wealth and abun-
dant resources are offset by the ineongru-
ties of their political organization and
the recurring occasions for internal rival
ries to sap their strength and dissipate
their energies The greatest blessing
which can come to Cuba is the restoration
OF her agricultural and Industrial pros
pefity, Which will give employment to lido
men and re-establish the pursuits of
peace. This is her CHIEF and Immediate
need.
out of the Cuban island revenues dur
ing the six months ending June 80, 1Sy9t
81, IL, l420 was expended for sanitation,
S293 SS1 10 for charities and hospitals, and
$50 .03 for aid to the destitute.
Diplomatic Relations Resumed.
Following the exchange of ratifcations
of the treaty of peace the two govern
ments accredited ministers to each other,
Spain sending to Washington the duke
OF ARGOS, an eminent d1plomatfst, pre-
viously stationed in Mexico, while the
United States transferred to Madrid Hon.
Bellamy Storer, its minister at Brussels.
This was followed by the respective ap-
pointment of consuls
Commercial Treaties.
The fourth section of the tariff act au-
proved July "a. 1881 appears to. provi'ie
only for commercial treaties which should
be entered into by the president and also
ratified by the senate within two years
OF its passage. Owing to delays fnevita-
BILE in negotiations of this nature, none of
the treaties initiated under that section
could be concluded in time for ratification
by the senate prior to its adjournment on
the 4th of March last. Some of the pen1-
ing negotiations, however, were near con-
ciusion at that time, and the resulting
conventions have since been signed ny
the plenipotentiaries. Others, within both
the third and fourth sections of the act,
are still under consideration.
Conventions of Reciprocity.
Conventions of reciprocity have been
signed during the congressional recess
with Great Britain for the respective col
onies of British Guiana, Barbados, Ber-
muda. Jamaica, and Turks and Caicos
islands, and with the republic of Nicara-
qua.
been concluded with France and with the
Argentine Republic.
Bureau of American Republics.
The interest taken by the various states
forming the international union of Amer
lean republics in the works of its or
ganic bureau Is evidenced by the fact that
for the first time since its creation, in
1890 all the republics of South and Cen
ira, America are now represented in It
The Work of the Bureau.
The purely international character of
the work being done by the bureau and
the appreciation of its value are further
emphasized by the active cooperation
which the various governments of the
Latin-American republics and their diplo
matte representatives in this capital are
now exhibiting, and the Jealous endeav-
ors they are making to extend its Held
of usefulness.
The Pun-Amcrican Exposition.
The act to encourage the holding of the
Pan-American exposition on the Niagara
frontier within the county of Erie or Nj
aeara, in the state of New York, in the
year 1901 was approved on March 3, 1883.
This exposition, which will be held in the
city of Buffalo in the vicinity of the great
Niagara cataract, and within a days
Journey of which reside forty million OF
our people, will be confined entirely 10
the western hemisphere.
The Government Exhibit
The law provides an appropriation of
the DurDOSe of making
hibit at the exposition by the govern
ment of the United States from its execu-
tive department and from the Smithson-
ian institution and national museum, the
United States commission of fish and fish
eries the department of labor and the
bureau of the American republics. To Sc
cure a complete and harmonious arrange.
ment of this government exhibit, a board
of management has already been created
and charged with the selection. purchase.
pf pfeparation, transportation, arrangement
ano safe-keeping of the articles and ma
terials to be exhibited.
The Export Exposition.
In accordance with the act of congress,
approved December Il, 1888, and under
the auspices of the Philadelphia CONNER
cLAl museum, a most interesting and vdlu-
able exposition of products and manutac
lures especially adapted to export trade.
was held in Philadelphia from the l4th
of September to the LIST of December, 1899.
I he representative character of the ex-
hibits and the widespread interest mani
Tested in the special objects of the under
taking afford renewed l, encouragement 20
growth of our enlarged expectation Of
''''" The Hagne Conference.
In response to the invitations of his
ma iesty, the emperor of Russia, delegates
from twenty-six countries were assembled
at The Hague on the 18th of May, as
members of a conference in the interest
of peace. The commission from the
~. Cd Of 4 1y.,
d. White Hon. Seth Low, Hon. Stanford
Newell, Capt. Alfred 7. Mahan, of the
United States navy; Capt VIM. T; Gro
zier. of the United States army, and Hon.
Frederick w. Hollis, secretary. The oc-
cason seemed to be opportune Tor the
serious consideration of plan for the
pacific adjustment of International dinsr-
ences, a subject in which the American
Teople have been deeply interested for
many years and a definite project To-
permanent international tribunal was in
cluded in the Instructions to the delegates
of the United States.
The Mediation Provided For.
The mediation provided for by the con-
vcntion is purely voluntary and advisory,
and is intended to avoid any invasion or
limitation of the sovereign rights of the
adhering states.
Guarded Our Historic Position.
While earnestly promoting the idea of
establishing permanent internatAlnal
tribunal the delegation OF the Unitec
states was not unnlnuIul OF tle inNoli-
veniences which might arise from an Db-
trusive exercise of mediation, and in Sign
ing the convention carefully guarded the
historic position of the United States by
he following declaration:
Nothing contained in this convention
shall be so construed as to require the
United States of America 20 depart from
.ts traditional policy of not iptrudinS
upon, interfe ring with or entangling it
self in the political questions or policy of
international administration of any state;
nor shall anything contained in the said
convention be construed to imply a re-
lrquishment by The United States of
America of It's traditional attitude toward
purely American questions"