The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-27
A 100000 BLUNDER.
Which Was Made by the Paris Peace
Commission.

Washington, July 27.-Had the peace
commissioners at Paris. in arranging for
the REIMBURSEMENT to the United States
of the Philippines, contented themselves
with the phraseoiogy 1.-The Philippine
archipelago as descriptive of the ter
ritOry to be coded to the United States
by Spain, no question, perhaps, would
have arisen over the possession OF C1b1tu
and Cagayen islands. But to avoid the
least chance of loose definition, the peace
commissioners drew a geographical
boundary line around the islands, to be
transferred. The bounds were fixed by
meridians of longitude and parallels of
latitude. The lines generally described
a paraIlelOgram, but at the southwest
ern corner, for some reason, there was
an inset, 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 127th meridian and ran along
the parallel of 40 degrees As minutes
westward to the meridian of 119 degrees
25 minutes. AT that point the line ran
directly northWard to latitude degrees
40 minutes and thence was DETECTED
westward to the 18th meridian forming
the small inset above referred to.
1t was year after the signature of
the treaty of Paris before the fact was
discovered that in laying down these
boundaries, the commissioners had ex-
cluded the islands Of Cibitu and Caga-
yen 1t was discovered by the visit to
that part of the archipelago of the Uni
ted States steamship Concord. The
commander of the vessel landed on CT
btu and was cordially received by the
reigning Datol, who promptly hoisted
the stars and stripes and announced
himself under the protection of the Uni
ted States. Attention being attracted to
that quarter, the Spanish government
soon discovered the defect in the boun-
dairy line and through the Duke d'Arcos,
set up claim to the state department
for the possession of tn islands The
department took the ground that the
purpose of the treaty of Paris in that
section was to convey the entire Philip
pine archipelago to the United States
and the general of the act cession was
sufficient to effect that transfer, the de-
nned boundary being an unnecessary
description. Negotiations lasting many
months followed and each and every
member of the peace commission was
called upon to give his individual under
standing of the proceedings at Paris, so
far as they bore upon this point. Finally
1t appeared that an exact boundary
would have to be accepted, instead of
one laid down in general Technology,
according the fundamental principles of
common law.
That being the case, it became neces-
sary. in the interest of sound policy and
to prevent the existence of a proba bile
cause of irritation in the future, to buy
out SPANS neighborly rights and con-
tinue the two islands as part of the
Philippine archipelago. AS announced
from Madrid, the cabinet, by which is
meant the Spanish cabinet, is favor
ably considering the proposed transfer,
and the negotiation may be regarded as
closed, on the basis of a cash payment
to Spain by the United States of $780,
900 for the islands.
The two islands are insignificant in
area, and thinly populated, probably
containing from 5000 to 5000 people in
all. Citubu is a long. narrow island,
fourteen miles in length by two across.
It is fat and embarrassing, save for
one small conical mountain in the CEN
ter. about 500 feet in height It is sur
rounded by coral reefs, with no an
chorage to speak of. Cibitu lies only
four miles outside of the southern
boundary fixed by the treaty of Paris.
Cagayen is about the same area, five
miles by eight, with mountains. It is
the largest of half a dozen tiny islets
known as the Cagayen Sulu group, and
owing allegiance to the Sultan of SulU.
It's chief products are tobacco, sugar
and other tropical products. Both
the islands are said to be mainly valu-
able for their pearl and shell fisheries.
which, it is possible, may develop some
commercial Importance. One important
consideration which has Influenced The
United States government in these ne
gotiations is the desirability of exclud-
ing any European power from the pos
session of these islands for use as a
naval station which will constitute a
constant menace to the United States
sovereig nty. There is reason to believe
that schemes of that kind already have
been put afOat, which are now to be
thWarted.