| Show MAY REOPEN WAR SPAIN IS UNWILLING TO PAY THE CUBAN DEBT prefer dismemberment of their kingdom to may ilay refuse to proceed further with negotiations paris oct 23 25 the am american erl ea n peace commissioners at the Is last s t s session e s s ton of the joint peace commis commission slon took with them a carefully prepared written answer to the proposals of the spaniards regarding cuba it il is understood misunderstood the american reply is to a certain degree in the nature of a compromise proposal the consideration by the commissioners of porto R zico klco and the ladrone islands has bas now been merged with the cuban question and all the points involved are being carried forward to a a simultaneous conclusion Wh when enthis this has bee been arrived at the philippine question ques tian will be taken up of course there is a possibility of a disagreement and the spaniards if the american commissioners decide not to assume any portion of the cuban indebtedness debt edness may announce their unwillingness to proceed any further with negotiations based upon the protocol should the spanish decide to do this it will be because they wish to excite the pity of their creditors and of other nations the cortes may clieo be asked to endorse their action in fact the spaniards may even prefer a resumption of hostilities to acquiescence in the american refusal to share their financial burden the americans have intimated to the spaniards the possibility that spain may at some som e future period be able to deal with an independent government regarding the assumption of provincial and municipal portions of the cuban bandett debt which is estimated to have been before the last rebellion in cuba broke out and contracted since 1893 1895 but should independent cuba as she doubtless would refuse to assume more than lier her proportion of the debt based on actual betterments to in cuba and only even in ill this case of obligations contracted previous to 1835 1805 spain would be compelled to appeal to her people and confront them with practically seven eighths of the debt contracted since spain would also be compelled to declare her inability to meet her obligations and this at present seems to the spaniards a more bitter alternative than to accept the united states refusal to share bhare the cuban debt with all that this means the idea being that the spaniards would be able to call the attention of their creditors to theiron yielding though fruitless efforts irk in their behalf it is said that there are persons high in the spanish councils who claim to believe that spain would rather submit dumbly and helplessly to decimation or dismemberment than confront this continued financial burden one course would leave her pride unsullied it is claimed and the other is regarded as doubtful if not impossible of adoption within the boundaries of national solvency |
