Show SPAINS POWER OEAr Absolute Indifference Shown to Plans of Loyal Cubans THE LAST I PROPOSITIONS COVER ALMOST COMPLETE INDEPENDENCE 1 I INDE-PENDENCE The Only Emblem of Sovereignty Which Spain Would Retain Har Flag Over the Island Yet All These Concessions Insurgents Ra jectPlans For Armistice I 1 Havana Feb 26The best commentary commen-tary on the deadened state of Spanish authority in Cuba is found in the absolute ab-solute Indifference shown toward the proposals of the radical autonomists of their proposition to The meaning propositon I open negotiations with the Insurgents negotatons understood In Madrid on a new basis is Mard or where it is fully discussed I the shadoW of an overwhelming sprrow the American people it were not over wer would be discussed intelligently in the I United States I Yet dh in Havana the departure 1 passing comment If the I barely causes passing comment I insurgents were willing to content I themselves with anything except complete com-plete separation from Spain they vculd find in these concessions proposed the radical autonomists a posed by IJCEEd basis of peace They would not lay I down their arms until the Spanish cor confirmed all the propositions I tes had formally cnfrmed al ha formaly ositions They could probably go further fur-ther and demand that Spain be satisfied I I fled with the flag aione as the embem fag of her sovereignty and that they take I possession of their fortresses and maintain main-tain an army and navy of their own Whether they would be willing to pay even 100000000 of the debt might be doubtful Whether the Spanish ministry min-istry doubtful persudde the Spanish people i peo-ple to accept must be judged in Spain I and not here WILL ACCEPT NO TERMS But it is known that the insurgents I I will accept no terms not based on act wi ual Independence That Mr Govin a I I member of the cabinet should have been a leading spirit In the prepositions I is in its way important and increases the hostility cf the intransigeants to autonomy and adds to their bitterness I against i ea government which makes I Govin part of itself They have never I forgiven him for calling them birds of I I passage and they are now convinced that his aim is the destruction of Spanish I Span-ish sovereignty as the first step toward full separation While Secretary Govin adds to his unpopularity among the In transigeants there is no ground for supposing that he will gain favor with the insurgents Insurgents It may not be correct to characterize I movement as insincere yet a fatal weakness is the confession in advance that the insurgents are not expected entertain the propositions made to them The radical autonomists do not even expect that actual negotiations can be opened I ABSOLUTE INDIFFERENCE With this feeling possibly there is no I cause for wonder at the absolute indifference in-difference of the Havana public to the politics of the scheme The Cuban autonomists I au-tonomists by offering to surrender the control of the Cuban government to the insurgents discharge the responsibility responsi-bility which the Madrid ministry has placed on them of persuading the Insurgents In-surgents out of existence The procedure I proced-ure would be incomprehensible anywhere i any-where outside of this island That it does not meet with objections from the 1 Sagasta cabinet may properly be interpreted in-terpreted as meaning that the autonomy auton-omy of a few months is no longer the policy of the ARMISTICE Spanish liberals I I If further concessions would result In Ian I furher I and the an armistice between Spain i insurgents this benighted island would I be blessed Many thousands of the inhabitants in-habitants who are otherwise doomed to death by starvation would be saved Something would be preserved oi in the 1 ruins of the agriculture of the country i In spite of the immense area of i charred cane fields a large amount of sugar could be ground and marketed I Since he became satisfied there was not enough commerce left In Cuba to form the basis of a treaty of commerce between I be-tween Spain and the United States Gomez has been more liberal Several I big plantations which have been In suspense sus-pense and have paid the insurgent tax will i be allowed to grind The promise arim i is not of a sugar crop somewhat In excess I ex-cess of last year With an interval of i peace it would be largely in excess I An armistice would insure a lair crop along with a further recupera ion of the industrial resources of the Island Unfortunately Spain does not know how to reach a direct proposition i I proposi-tion of this kind Should the present I ton ce between her and this United I States be changed into friendly relations rela-tions a proof of that friendship might be shown by asking President McKm leys administration to arrange an armistice I arm-istiCe with the insurgents i |