Plenipotenciario cerca de S. M. Sheriffiana; En nombre de Mi Augusto Hijo el Rey Don Alfonso Trece y como Reina Regente del Reino; Vengo en disponer que, conservando su cargo, pase á desempeñar las funciones de Secretario General de la Comisión española encargada de negociar en Paris el tratado de paz entre España y los Estos Unidos de América. "Dado en Palacio á veintiseis de Septiembre de mil ochocientos noventa y ocho. "El Presidente del Consejo de Ministros "PRAXEDES MATEO SAGASTA." Lo que traslado á V. E. para su conocimiento ***. Dios gue. á V. E. m. a. Madrid, 26 Septiembre de 1898. Señor Don EMILIO DE Ojeda. MARÍA CRISTINA. SAGASTA. MOST EXCELLENT SIR: [Translation.] H. M. the King (whom God preserve) and in his name the Queen Regent of the Kingdom has been pleased to issue the Royal Decree following: "Bearing in mind the special qualifications of Don Emilio de Ojeda, My Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary near His Sheriffian Majesty, in the name of my August Son, the King Don Alfonso XIII, and as Queen Regent of the Kingdom, I will that, still retaining his office, he discharge the functions of Secretary General of the Spanish Commission entrusted with negotiating in Paris the Treaty of Peace between Spain and the United States of America. "Done at the Palace on the twenty-sixth of September, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight. "PRAXEDES MATEO SAGASTA, "MARÍA CRISTINA. "President of the Council of Ministers.” Which I transmit to Y. E. for your information *** God preserve Y. E. many years. Madrid, September 26, 1898. The protocol of the preceding session was read and approved. The American Commissioners presented a paper, copy of which is hereto annexed, in which they rejected the articles submitted by the Spanish Commissioners at the last session as an amendment to the proposals of the American Commissioners on the subject of the relinquishment by Spain of sovereignty over Cuba and the cession of Porto Rico and other islands in the West Indies, and the island of Guam in the Ladrones. The paper having been read in English and in Spanish, and the Spanish articles having been rejected, the President of the Spanish Commission on behalf of the Spanish Commissioners, presented under the rules a memorandum, setting forth their reasons in support of their propositions. The American Commissioners inquired whether the Spanish Commissioners considered their propositions as finally rejected. The Spanish Commissioners replied that the rejection was set forth in the very terms of the American reply, and that the occasion had therefore arisen for the presentation of their memorandum; but that, before filing the latter, they were ready and even preferred to discuss the subject of it orally, since this might result in an agreement and render the filing of the memorandum unnecessary. The American Commissioners said that the memorandum could be read, but that they reserved the right under the rules to make a written reply, and that any oral discussion into which they might enter was not to be considered as a waiver of that right. The memorandum, copy and translation of which are hereto annexed, was then read. The reading having been completed, the American Commissioners stated that their understand ing of the situation was this- that, Fué leída y aprobada el acta de la sesión anterior. Los Comisarios Americanos presentan una contestación rechazando el articulado de Tratado que les entregaron los Comisarios Españoles en la sesión anterior como enmienda al proyecto del Tratado que presentaron los Americanos en lo relativo á la renuncia de España á la Soberanía de España sobre Cuba y á la cesión de Puerto Rico y otras islas en las Antillas así como de la isla de Guam en el Archipiélago de las Ladrones. Se lee dicha contestación en inglés y en español. Rechazado el articulado español el Presidente de la Comisión española en nombre de dicha Comisión y en virtud del reglamento, presenta un Memorandum en que se consignan las razones en que fundaron su proposición La Comisión americana pregunta si consideran los españoles definitivamente rechazada su proposi ción. La Comisión española dice que el rechazo está consignado en los propios términos de la contestación americana, y que por tanto era llegado el momento de presentar el Memorandum; pero que esto no obstante está dispuesta á discutir oralmente el asunto antes de que se tome acta del Memorandum y hasta preferiría este curso, puesto que de llegarse á un acuerdo en la discusión podría prescindirse de la presentación del Memorandum. Se admite la lectura del documento, si bien los Comisarios americanos se reservan el derecho, sea ó no leído ó discutido oralmente, de contestar por escrito en la misma forma. Léese en inglés el Memorandum que va adjunto al acta presente. Los Comisarios Americanos manifiestan que en su sentir, habiendo sido rechazado el articulado presentado por los Comisarios Espa the articles presented by the Spanish Commissioners having been rejected, and the Spanish Commissioners having thereupon filed a memorandum under the rules, the American Commissioners were entitled to make a written reply, and that the question now recurred on the articles proposed by the American Commissioners. The Spanish Commissioners declared that in their opinion the propositions on both sides had been rejected, and that both propositions were before the Commission on an equal footing for oral discussion. The American Commissioners stated that they were ready to hear the Spanish Commissioners. The Spanish Commissioners suggested that, as the American Commissioners wished to reply to the Spanish memorandum, it would be advisable to postpone the oral discussion till the reply was before the Commission. To this the American Commissioners assented. The President of the Spanish Commission then stated that from the rapid reading of the paper presented by the American Commissioners at the opening of the session, they had derived the impression that those Commissioners were laboring under a misapprehension as to the stipulation in the Spanish articles touching Spain's relinquishment of sovereignty over Cuba. In proposing that the sovereignty should be relinquished to the United States in order that the latter might transfer it to the Cuban people, Spain had merely conformed to the letter and spirit of the joint resolution of the American Congress; but it was not her intention to impose upon the United States an obligation to make such transfer, as was shown by the fact that it was said in the articles that the United States "may" transfer the sovereignty, not that they were bound to do it. ñoles, y habiendo estos presentado el Memorandum al respecto, segun previene el reglamento, los Comisarios Americanos están facultados para contestar por escrito y que por tanto la discusión debía versar ahora sobre los artículos propue stos por los Americanos. Los Comisarios Españoles decla raron que en su opinión habiendo sido rechazados ambos estaban en igual caso y debían discutirse á la vez ambos proyectos. Los Comisarios Americanos en vista de esto se manifestaron dispuestos á oir los argumentos que tenían que aducir los Españoles; pero estos teniendo en cuenta que los Americanos debían presentar una contestacón escrita propusieron aplazar la discusión oral hasta que les fuera conocido el contenido de la respuesta Americana. Se convino en ello. El Presidente de la Comisión Española manifestó que por la rápida lectura del documento Americano comentando el articulado presentado por la Comisión Española, había él comprendido que los Comisarios Americanos habían sido inducidos en error al creer que en dicho articulado se exigía que los Estados Unidos al aceptar la renuncia en su favor de la Soberanía de España sobre Cuba, hubieran de transmitirla al pueblo cubano. El Presidente añadió que al mencionar en dicho articulado que dicha renuncia la hacía España "a fin de que los Estados Unidos puedan transferirla al pueblo cubano," España se adaptaba al espíritu y á la letra de la jointresolution del Congreso Americano, pero en el proyecto español no se imponía esta obligación á los Estados Unidos puesto que se decía que podían hacer la transferencia de la Soberanía mas no que hubieran de tener la obligación de hacerla The American Commissioners replied that the language employed in the article would, under the American law, impress the relinquishment with a trust. The Spanish Commissioners said that if the phraseology would, under American law convey that meaning, they would change it in the sense in which they had just suggested. The conference was adjourned to Friday, October 14, at two o'clock p. m. WILLIAM R. DAY GEO. GRAY WHITELAW REID. JOHN B. MOORE. Los Comisarios americanos contestaron que en efecto había sido su impresión que la renuncia por parte de España estaba hecha en términos que según las leyes Americanas implicaban una obligación fiduciaria. La Comisión Española contestó que si tal era el sentido que según las leyes Americanas podían atribuirle, se modificaría el texto en el sentido que acababa de sugerir. Se aplazó la conferencia hasta el Viernes 14 de Octubre á las dos P. M. E. MONTERO Ríos B. DE ABARZUZA J. DE GARNICA WR DE VILLAURRUTIA EMILIO DE OJEDA ANNEX 1 TO PROTOCOL No. 4. The American Commissioners, when they presented in the conference of the 3rd instant a draft of articles for the relinquishment by Spain of sovereignty over and title to Cuba and for the cession of Porto Rico and other islands in the West Indies, and the Island of Guam in the Ladrones, stated that the disposition of these subjects was determined by the Protocol of August 12, 1898. The two articles of the Protocol relating to these subjects are brief, and, as it seems to the American Commissioners, easy of comprehension and readily to be carried into effect. They are: "ARTICLE I. Spain will relinquish 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 proposed by them, to express the relinquishment or cession, 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 making the treaty effectual, and preserving evidence of public and private property rights. The American Commissioners regret to find in the articles presented by the Spanish Commissioners on the 7th instant a departure from the terms of the Protocol in the following particulars: To the unconditional engagement of the Protocol to relinquish all claim of sovereignty over and title to Cuba, they have proposed conditions: 1. 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 estab lished in the treaty between the United States and Spain. 3. That the United States shall engage itself to Spain for the performance of these conditions. In place of the unconditional relinquishment agreed to in the Protocol, it is proposed that the relinquishment now offered shall embrace all charges of every kind which Spain and her authorities in Cuba have lawfully contracted heretofore, and may hereafter contract, prior to the ratification of the treaty of peace; and these "charges and obligations," past, present, and future, which it is proposed to "transfer" to the United States, are declared to include debts, civil and ecclesiastical salaries, and civil and military pensions, ostensibly in arrears, as well as yet to accrue. To the American Commissioners this appears to be not a proposition to "relinquish all claim of sovereignty over and title to Cuba", but in substance a proposition to "transfer" to the United States and in turn to Cuba a mass of Spanish charges and obligations.* It is difficult to perceive by what logic an indebtedness contracted for any purpose can be deemed part of the sovereignty of Spain over the Island of Cuba. In the article proposed it is attempted to yoke with the transfer of sovereignty an obligation to assume an indebted ness arising out of the relations of Spain to Cuba. The unconditional relinquishment of sovereignty by Spain stipulated for in the Protocol is to be changed into an engagement by the United States to accept the sovereignty burdened with a large mass of outstanding indebtedness. It is proper to say that if during the negotiations resulting in the conclusion of the Protocol Spain had proposed to add to it stipulations in regard to Cuba such as those now put forward, the proposal, unless abandoned, would have terminated the negotiations. The American Commissioners, therefore, speaking for their Government, must decline to accept the burden which it is now proposed shall be gratuitously assumed. The American Commissioners further observe that in article 3 of the draft there is a negative clause, by which property not belonging to the Crown of Spain is excepted from the proposed relinquishment and transfer of sovereignty. In one respect this exception appears to be unnecessary, and in another illogical. So far as it affects the question of legal title it is unnecessary, since such title, if not held by Spain, would not pass to the United States by Spain's transfer of sovereignty. On the other hand, so far as it affects the question of sovereignty, it is illogical, since the sovereignty, which includes the right of eminent domain, would, if excepted from the relinquishment, remain with Spain. We would thus have the singular spectacle of Spain relinquishing her sovereignty over property belonging to the Crown, but retaining it over all other property. Thus again we should witness the utter defeat of the explicit engagement in the Protocol that Spain would "relinquish all claim of sovereignty over and title to Cuba." In the articles presented by the American Commissioners there were stipulations in relation to archives and official records, which stipulations were intended to secure, and, as the American Commissioners believe, would effectually secure, the object of preserving and of furnish See Protocol No. 5. |