Show CLAIMS AGAINST CUBA ARE TO BE ENFORCED BY FOREIGN POWERS WHEN CUBA IS FREE washington dec 18 the state department part ment has rendered an opinion to the effect that afie united states government cannot intervene in favor of porto rico in the matter of her claim against cuba tor the spanish government raised a loan to this amount from the porto ricans to help prosecute military operations in cuba basing the loan upon the revenues of the latter island in substance the decision of the united states government is to the effect that leaving aside the question of equity in this case to sanction the collection of this claim cuba would now be to open the door to numberless other and larger claims which would exhaust the financial resources of the islands it is known to the authorities that most of the claims sought to be included in the treaty of peace at paris but resolutely excluded by the united states commissioners arc not regarded by the claimants as dead by any means but are simply held in abeyance to be presented and enforced by the full powers of foreign governments if they can be evoked by the claimants as soon as the united states control of the island ceases |