Page:Cambridge Modern History Volume 7.djvu/715

1898] Cuba and the Philippines. 683 efforts to the establishment of the position that the debts in question must follow the sovereignty of the island, and must be assumed by whatever nation possessed that sovereignty. The American commis- sioners, on the other hand, maintained that from no point of view could the debts in question be considered as local debts of Cuba or as obligations chargeable to the island ; that they were created by the government of Spain, for its own purposes and through its own agents ; and that the precedents which had been cited of the assumption or apportionment of debts, where a State was absorbed or divided, were inapplicable to the so-called Cuban debt, the burden of which, imposed upon the people of Cuba without their consent and by force of arms, was one of the principal wrongs for the termination of which the struggles for Cuban independence were undertaken. The American commissioners moreover contended that Spain, by her unconditional agreement to relinquish her sovereignty over Cuba, had waived the question of the debt. On these grounds the American commissioners repeatedly declined to assume the so-called Cuban debt, either for the United States or for Cuba. The discussion continued, however, till the eighth conference, on October 24, when it was brought to a head by the pointed inquiry whether the Spanish commissioners "would refuse to consider any articles as to Cuba and Porto Rico which contained no provision for the assumption of indebtedness by the United States, or Cuba, or both?" The Spanish commissioners two days later replied that they would not refuse to consider such articles, since their "final approval " must depend on an agreement upon a complete treaty ; and they invited the American commissioners to enter upon the discussion of other points, and at the outset to submit a proposal with regard to the Philippine Archipelago. The joint commission was thus brought face to face with the question of the Philippines. By the protocol of August 12 this question was left entirely open. The avowed object of the United States in so leaving it was to gain time for further consideration. The problem was both novel and perplexing. It may be confidently affirmed that before the destruction of the Spanish fleet at Manila the acquisition of the Philippines by the United States had not been suggested even as a possible contingency ; but, although Dewey's victory attracted universal attention to the islands, it was not followed by any general and definite expression of desire for their annexation. An accident of war was destined to exert an important influence on the direction of public sentiment. Soon after the destruction of the Spanish fleet telegraphic communication with the islands was severed. For this reason the orders that were sent out from Washington on August 12, immediately on the signing of the protocol for the suspension of hostilities, were a week old when they reached the Philippines. Meanwhile, on August 13 Manila was captured by the American forces ; and on the following day a capitulation was signed. CH. XXI.