The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-03-30
SPANS STORY OF PEACE
Madrid Governments Version oil
the Negotiations.
THE OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE


Bpnninrds Firmly Believed That the
United states Intended TO Annex
Cuba--Eeeh side Dreaded n Renew
nj of Hostilities-wnnted For Phil
ippines Enough TO Meet Cuban Debt.
l obtained recently copy OF the
red book Of Spain, containing all the
documents relating TO the peace ne
gotiations recently presented to the
cortes by the minister of state. These
documents throw an interesting light
on the negotiations OF the conference in
Paris. detailing the moves made by the
Spanish commissioners in their efforts
to shoulder upon the United States the
great Cuban debt and to preserve to
Spain the Philippine archipelago. Per-
haps the most notable feature Of the
documents Is that which indicates that
the Spaniards were apprehensive up TO
the time Of the signing Of the treaty
that the United States would break off
negotiations and resume hostilities
while the fear on the part Of this gov
ernment was that the Spanish commits.
sioners would withdraw and thus ne
cessitate the continuance Of warlike
operations
The book opens with the invitation
of the French government for the
American and Spanish commissioners
to conduct their negotiations in the
sale des conferences at the foreign
Office The FIRST passage between the
commissioners relates to the request Of
the Spanish commissioners for mainte-
nance Of the status quo existing in the
Philippines at the time Of signing the
protocol, to which the Americans re-
piled that that was matter in the way
Of settlement between the two govern
ments and as commissioners they had
no jurisdiction. Commenting upon this,
the Spanish minister for foreign affairs
stated that, considering the conduct OBJ
served by the American troops in the
Philippines, their commissioners In
Paris would naturally evade any answer
to the questions propounded to them by
the Spanish commissioners as to the
status in those islands and that the ex-
cuse given by the American commits
sioners certainly was very unsatisfsc-
tory
Senior Rios complains on Oct that
the American commissioners, in the
draft Of q treaty presented by them re-
lating to the relinQuishment Of the SOW
ereignty over Cuba, do not suggest in
whose favor such REIMBURSEMENT is to
be made. and be calls attention to the
fact that its acceptance of this would
prevent Spain from demanding through
the treaty that the United States or
any other power should assume the obli-
cations and burdens of all kinds now
resting on Spain and which grew out Of
the exercise of her sovereignty over
Cuba
The firmness of the belief Of the Span
ish commission that the United States
proposed to annex Cuba is found in
these extracts from letter sent by Senior
Rios to the minister of foreign affairs
dated Oct IL
Upon observing that the paper pre-
sented in writing by the American
commissioners rejecting our draft of
the first two articles of the treaty was
based on the supposition that we pro-
posed therein that the United States ac-
cept the sovereignty over Cuba, to
transfer 1t at the proper time to the Gu
ban people, | called their attention to
the inaccurate translation of our article,
which does not say that the United
States must accept the sovereignty over
the island Of Cuba, to transfer it at
the proper time to the Cuban people,
but that they may transfer it at the
proper time to that people.
This correction produced visible
effect on the minds Of the American
commissioners. which seemed to confirm
us in our former presumption that the
United States proposed to annex the is
land Of Cuba They do not manifest
this conclusively but, on the contrary,
neither do they desire that the obliga-
tions which they spontaneously con-
tracted. to transfer the said sovereignty
to the people Of Cuba, should be record
ed in the treaty, and. above all, they
do not wish that Spain should reserve
in the treaty the right of demanding of
them performance of this obligation.
"Presuming the purpose Of annexa-
tion which the American government
entertalns, we should improve in the
coming discussions the benefits which
II offers us advantageous to the inter
ests OF Spain. The United States In
their joint resolution spontaneously
stated that they did not demand of
Spain the sovereignty over the island
Of Cuba save to transfer IL to the people
there, that they might become inde-
pendent Spain. therefore. would be
acting perfectly right In demanding the
performance Of this spontaneous obliga.
tion. Upon not demanding 1t 1t does
them service which requires proper
tional compensation.
"This commission understands that
II should limit itself wholly to not de-
manding this performance, but abstain
ing from any manifestation whatever
either for OF against annexation. II an
nexation Is agreeable to the United
States, this commission believes that
they will surely carry it into effect
without the necessity Of requiring it Of
Spain, and il it is not agreeable this
commission Gso understands that Spain
absolutely lacks means of imposing it