The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-28
TO BUY SPAlNS QUlT-cLAlM
Uncle sam Pays 100000 for Csbitu
and laYaxen.

TO BUY SPAlNS Q0lI-ClAlM
Uncle sam Pays 100000 for Csbitu
and Cayagen-
| Washington, D. c., July 27.-Arrange-
| ments have practically been completed
for the purchase from Spain by the
| United States Of the Islands of Cibutu
| and Cagayen, which were left in Spanish
possession by the treaty Of Paris, al
| though part of the Philippine arehipela-
go. The purchase price was not made
public.
! Madrid, July 27-The cabinet is consid-
ering the proposition of the United
! States government for the surrender Of
| the islands of Cibitu and Cayagen, IN
consideration of an indemnity of S1o1, 000
The ministry regards the proposition IA
vordbly, and the negotiations for crafty
OF accord between the two governments
| are proceeding rapidly.
| Had the peace commissioners al Paris
in arranging for the REIMBURSEMENT TO
| the United tSates of the Philippines, con-
| tented themselves with the phraseology
''the Philippine archipelago" as descrip-
tive Of the territory to be coded to the
United States by Spain, no question, per-
/
sion of Cibitu and Cayayen islands. But
to avoid the least chance of loose de1ni-
ton, the peace commissioners drew a
geographical boundary line around the
| islands to be transferred. The bounds
were fixed by merldians Of longitude and
parallels of latitude. The lines generally
described a parallelogram, but at the
southwestern corner. for some reason,
there was the insert. excluding some of
the islands off the coast OF Borneo. BY
the terms Of the treaty, the southern
boundary line Of the archipelago started
at the eastern end, at the 121th Meridian,
and ran along the parallel of 40 degrees,
| IS minutes, westward to the meridian of
1l9 degrees, IS minutes. At that point
the line ran directly northward to lau
tude I degrees, 40 minutes, and thence
was detected westward to to the 116th
meridian.
1t was a year after the signature of the
treaty of Paris before the fact was dis
covered that in laying down these bound
aries the commissioners had excluded the
islands of Cibitu and Cagayen. 1t was
disclosed by the visit TO that part of the
archipelago of the United States steam
ship Concord The commander Of the
vessel landed an Cibitu and was cordially
received by the reigning Dato, who
promptly hoisted the stars and stripes
and announced himself under the protec-
ton Of the United tSates. Attention be-
ing attracted to that quarter, the Span
ish government soon discovered the de-
feet in the boundary line and through the
Duke D'Arcos set up a claim for the pos
session Of the island. The department
took the ground that the purpose OF the
treaty of Paris in that section was to
convey the entire Philippine archipelago
to the United States, and that. the gener-
al language of the act of concession was
sufficient to effect the transfer. the de-
fined boundary being unnecessary de-
scriptino. Negotiations lasting many
months followed and each and every
member Of the peace committee was
called upon to give his individual under
standing of the proceedings at Paris so
far as they bore upon this point. Final
~ it appeared that an exact boundary
would have to be accepted, instead of
one laid down in general Technology, ac-
cording to the fundamental principles of
common law. That being the case, it
became necessary in the interest of sound
policy to remove the existence of a prob
able cause Of irritation in the future, to
buy out Spain's neighborly rights and
continue the two islands as part OF the
Philippine archipelago.
As announced from Madrid. the cabi-
net, by which is meant the Spanish cab
met, is favorably considering the pro-
posed transfer and the negotiations prac-
tically may be regarded as closed, on the
basis of a cash payment to Spain by the
United States of 100000 for the two ISL
ands. The islands are insignificant in
area and thinly populated probably con-
tanning from 5000 TO 5000 people in all
Cibitu is long, narrow island, fourteen
miles in length by two across. It is fiat
and embarrassing, save for one small
conical mountain in the center, about 500
feet in height. IT is surrounded by coral
reefs, with no anchorage to speak of.
Cibitu lies only four miles outside of
the southern boundary fixed by the
treaty OF Paris.
Cagayen1 is about the same area. FIVE
miles by eight, with mountains reaching
a height of 100 feet. 1t is the largest of
half a dozen tiny islets known as the
Cagayen Sulu group, and owing allegi-
ance to the sultan Of Sulu. Its chief pro-
ducts are tobacco, sugar and similar
tropical products. Both the islands are
said TO be mainly valuable for their rearl
and shell fisheries, which, it is possible.
have developed some commercial import
ance a one important consideration
which has Influenced the United States
government in these negotiations IS the
desirability Of excluding any European
power from the possession of the Island
FLOR use as a naval station which would
constitute a constant menace to The
United States sovereignty. There IS roa-
son to believe that schemes Of that kind
already have been put afioat, which are
now to be thwarted
summer Tours.