La correspondencia de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 1890-1943, 1909-06-27


when they presented in the confe-
renee of the 3rd instant draft
articles for the REIMBURSEMENT by
Spain of sovereignty over and IT,
tie to Cuba and for the cession of
Porto Rico and other islands in the
West Indies, and the Island of Guam
in the Ladrones, astated that the
disposition of these subjects was
determined by the Protocol Of Au-
gust II, 1898.
The two articles of the Proto-
col relating to these subjects are
brief, and, as it seems to the Ame-
rican Commissioners, easy of COM
prehension and readily to be ca
rried into effect.
They are:
ARTICLE |. Spain will relin-
quish all claim of sovereignty over
and title to Cuba.
ARTICLE II. Spain will cede
to the United States the island of
Porto Rico and other islands now
under Spanish sovereignty in the
West Indies, and also an island
in the Ladrones to be selected by
the United States"
The American Commissioners
were careful, in the, articles propo-
sed by them, to express the relin-
punishment or cesslon, as the case
might be, in the very words of the
Protocol, merely adding thereto the
usual subsidiary and incidental
clauses touching public property
and archives, with a view to ma
king the treaty effectual, and pre-
serving evidence OF public and pri-
vate property rights.
The American Commissioners re-
gret to find in the articles presen-
ted by the Spanish Commissioners
on the 7th instant a departure from
the terms of the Protocol in the
following particulars
To he unconditional engagement
Of the Protocol to relinquish all
claim Of sovereignty over and IT,
tie to Cuba, they have proposed
conditions:
/. That Spain shall transfer
her sovereignty over the island to
the United States, and that the
United States "shall in their turn
transfer it at the proper time to
the Cuban people"
2. That this transfer shall be
made upon the conditions to be
established in the treaty between
the United States and Spain. !!
g. That the United States shall
itself to Spain for the per-
formance Of these conditions.
In place Of the unconditional
REIMBURSEMENT agreed to in the
Protocol, it is proposed that the |
now offered shall |
embrace all charges of every kind
which Spain and her authorities
in Cuba have lawfully contracted |
heretofore, and may hereafter con- |
tract, prior to the ratification"
past, present, and future, which
t is proposed to transfer" to the
United States, are declared to in
,iude debts, civil and ecclesiasti-
,al salaries, and civil and militia
y pensions, ostensibly in arrears,
IS well as yet to accrue,
To the American Commissioners
his appears to be not a proposi;-
ion to "relinquish ali claim Of So
,ereignty over and title to Cuba"
out in substance a proposition to
transfer" 20 the United States
and in turn to Cuba a mass of Spa
nish charges and obligations
1t is difficult to perceive by what
ogic an indebtedness contracted for
my purpose can be deemed part !
1f the sovereignty Of Spain over
he Island Of Cuba. In the article
proposed it is attempted to yoke
With the transfer of sovereignty |
an obligation to assume an indeb-
.edness arising out Of the relations
If Spain to Cuba. The unconditio-
lai REIMBURSEMENT of sovereign
Y by Spain stipulated for in the
Protocol is to be changed into an
Engagement BY the United States
o accept the sovereignty burden
d with large mass of outstand-
ng Indebtedness. !