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Show CUBA DECLINES TO BEAR DEBTS fflHI!ED BY SPAIN A Courteous Dut Positive Refusal la Given to Proposal for Cuba to Assume As-sume a Portion of the Spanish Span-ish National Debt. Havana. Secretary ot. State Volez, In reply to Scnor Solor, tho Spanish minister, has declined to consider Spain's proposal that Cuba assume a portion or tho Spanish national debt. This announcement was mndo at the closo or what Scnor Velez described as most amicable negotiations bo-tween bo-tween hlmscir and tho Spanish minister minis-ter rclatlvo to Spain's dcslro that Cuba assume a proportion ot tho Spanish Span-ish debt. Tho secretary on Saturday gavo out tho following statement: "Tho Spanish minister to Cuba on May 27, 1009, addressed to tho Cuban department of Btate a courteous note setting forth the dcslro or his govern-nioiit govern-nioiit to maintain tho closest and most friendly relations with Cuba ns becoming be-coming two countries so closely united by blood, tradition and mutual Interest. Inter-est. Ho said that he had been Instructed In-structed to express tho dcslro of Spain for a discussion of the matter of tho debts contracted by Spain rui account or Cuba when tho latter was her colony. col-ony. Spain rounded her contention on tho principle that a country separated from another iihould bo clnrgeable with a part of tho debt of tho country from which It had separated. "Having studied closely tho nntcco-dents nntcco-dents of this question, which public opinion in neither Spain nor Cuba bus-pected bus-pected of being still pending. Secretary Secre-tary Velcz replied on Juno 19 to tho note of the Spanish minister. Scnor Volez declared that the acceptance of tho Spanish vlow was Incompatible with the provisions of tho Cuban constitution, con-stitution, ,to which Spain consented In recognizing tho republic. The secretary secre-tary hnd decided, consequently, that his government was unablo to enter Into negotiations on tho question oi tho Spanish colonial doht." |