The times., 1899-01-05
Bitter Resentment Over the
Maine Disaster.
ANIMOSITY OF THE PRESS
Public Feeling Aroused by Violent
Articies-Criticism of the Peace
Commissioners How Financiers
Resnrd Cuhn's Debt - The United
States upbraided on Many Scores.

because the press took care to arouse
public feeling about the famous Maine
question. Spaniards have always taken
much to heart this unfortunate incident
They are convinced that it happened more
than anything else TO hasten on the con-
fiict between the United States and Spain.
They absolutely decline to admit that
the disaster was due to any culpab!e negli-
gence on the part of their naval and colo
NAL authorities in Havana, and much less
to any dark and criminal design CT native
born Spaniards in their quondam colony.
! They persist in sticking to the finding OF
their experts and of their naval commits
sion at Havana, which, they contend, did
argue very conclusively in favor of acci-
dental causes of the successive explosions
| that sank the Maine.
The part of the Presidents message
| which alluded to the Maine catastrophe
caused in Spain in all classes and particu-
larly so in official, naval, and military
circles, undisguised Indignation echoed by
| the press in very severe language. This
indignation was much increased when the
news came from Paris that the American
Commissioners, acting under instructions
from their government, had again refused
to entertain the Spanish proposal for sub
| mitting the final investigation of the
Maine mystery to foreign arbitration.
opinion of the whole nation, and markedly
that OF the more educated and ruling
classes, when it declared that the Ameri-
can Government, in refusing to submit
this case of arbitration, not only inflicted
| upon Spain a grievous insult that would
never be forgiven or forgotten, but also
! thereby proved that the United States
knew its alleged evidence TO be so worth
less that it would not have been accepted
by any impartial court composed of com
| petent authorities in such matters. Nothing
! Will be greater bar in the way of the re-
| establishment of cordial relations between
the two countries than the Maine cloud
The Peace Negotiations
After 1t was perceived that America was
determined to annex the Philippines and
to refuse arbitration on the Maine affai~
/ public opinion got daily more impatient
against the prolongation of the negotia-
tions, and the press famed this impatience
by affecting to believe that there was dan
ger OF fresh demands being sprung upon
the Spanish commissioners at every sue
cessiye sitting of peace commission in
which the representatives of the victor had
been told to admit no argument, recognize
no right, make no concession, spare no
/ injury or humiliation in the inexorable
carrying out of the spoliation all along
contemplated by President Mckinley
So strong was the desire evinced that
the negotiations be quickly terminated that
Sagasta made no secret that he had in
structed Duke de Almodovar TO telegraph
repeatedly TO Montero Rios pressing him
to bring the negotiations to close and
TO keep in touch with the national feelings
by refusing any further cession of ter
ritory or concessions of any kind in the
Caroiines. Marianas, or Ladrone Islands
that remained in the possession of Spain
In fact, the sudden change in tone and
behavior of the President of the Spanish
commission at Paris in the three last sit
tings OF the peace conference was quite
as much caused by the impulse given in
Madrid as by its own disappointment and
ill-humor at having to return TO Spain
with such unsatisfactory results, after
more than two months of parley and ma
neuvering.
1t must have been CALLING for Montero
Rios to read the severe criticisms the Ma
drid press made of his unsuccessful efforts
10 minimize the consequences of the war.
These criticisms show once more how
little the majority of Spaniards had under
stood the significance of the preliminary
peace protocol, signed on August 12 at
Washington by NJ. Cambon in the name
of the Spanish government, and how per-
sistently they have stuck TO their habit Of
taking their own wishes for indisputable
rights.
Illusions stiiI Cherished
Even now. when ii is all over, and one
might suppose that every doubt and IL
lusion had been dispelled by what has
passed during the Paris negotiations, and
what has been placed on official record
you will hear people in Madrid financial
and political circles say that the bond
holders Of Cuba, especially the foreigners,
must apply to the new Cuban government
or to the United States before they turn
to Spain, from whom they cannot expect
more than some slight recognition of the
debts and a recognition falling much
short of what she will do for the bond
holders of Spanish peninsula debts.
1t is on the faith of such castles in the
air that the foreigners, who have bought
about II per cent of the Cuban bonds in
circulation, are encouraged in France in
Belgium, in Germany, to form defense
, committees with a view to petition their
respective governments to appeal to the
United States, and to make representa-
. tions in Havana, as soon as some provis-
ional government has been constituted un-
der American protectorate.
The Spaniards do not seem to under
stand that the knife will cut both ways.
and when these foreign bondholders fail
to get redress on the other side of the At
lantic, they will naturally insist upon Spain
carrying out as far as possible the pledge
; she solemnly gave to debts almost en-
/ tirely contracted for purely imperial pur-
poses and for maintaining her SOW
ereignty in Cuba
Another question which was made much
capital of by the press and by the poll
: ucians TO excite the people against the
United States is the much desired rescue
OF the 1000 prisoners in the hands of
the Tagali. America is upbraided for her
! supposed indifference to the shocking con-
! dition of these wretched Spaniards of both
sexes.
Under New Sovereignty
The most narrowing accounts received by
mail and telegraph from Iloilo. Manila. and
Hong Kong are daily published to show
that the former masters OF the archipelago.
officers and civil officials, friars and priests.
pacific traders and agriculturalists, old men
and women, children Of both sexes. are no
better treated than the sailors and soldiers.
and are made to work on the high roads
and public buildings under the lash of
their native jailers
! Some accounts say these SpaHiards are
not allowed the food clothing and shelter
/ that convicts got under Spanish rule and