DEPENDENCIES OF THE UNITED STATES. On April 11, 1898, the President sent a message to Congress outlining the situation in Cuba, declaring that in his opinion intervention by the United States had become necessary, advising that the Cuban Government be not recognized, and requesting Congress to take action in the premises. On April 19th Congress adopted resolutions declaring that the people of Cuba were and of right ought to be free and independent; that it was the duty of the United States to demand "that the Government of Spain at once relinquish its authority and government in the Island of Cuba and withdraw its land and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban waters"; directing and empowering the President of the United States to use the land and naval forces of the United States and the militia of the several States to such an extent as might be necessary to carry these resolutions into effect. On April 20th the resolutions were signed by the President, and an ultimatum setting forth their provisions was sent to Spain. On that day the Spanish Minister asked for his passports and left Washington. On the morning of April 21st the Spanish Government presented his passports to the United States Minister at Madrid, and this act constituted the beginning of the war. The army and navy of the United States were successful in every engagement, and on July 25th the Spanish Foreign Minister decided to open negotiations for peace with the United States, the preliminary negotiations being conducted in behalf of Spain by the French Ambassador, M. Cambon. As a result of these negotiations a protocol, to serve as the basis of a formal treaty of peace, was signed at the White House on August 12th. The signing of the protocol was followed by a cessation of hostilities everywhere as soon as information of the fact could be forwarded. The two Governments immediately appointed commissioners to meet in Paris and agree upon the terms of a treaty of peace. The first session of the Commission was held in Paris on October 1st, and the last on December 10th, when a treaty was signed in duplicate. This treaty the President laid before the Senate for its ratification on January 4, 1899. As a result of the war and the stipulations contained in the Treaty of Peace, Spain relinquishes her sovereignty over Cuba, Porto Rico, and the other islands belonging to her in the West Indies, the Philippine Islands, and the Isle of Guam in the Archipelago of the Ladrones, and all of these islands pass under the control of the United States. Until the Treaty of Peace is ratified and Congress shall have enacted legislation for the government or disposition of these possessions, the President will govern them as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States. This he will do by virtue of the power necessarily lodged in all military and naval commanders to hold and control whatever possessions they may have taken from the enemy until the legislative authority of the successful belligerent is in a position to assert, and does assert, its authority. To assist him in the administration of all insular affairs the President has appointed a Colonial Commission, consisting of Gen. Robert P. Kennedy, of Bellefontaine, Ohio; Curtis Guild, of Boston, Mass., and George W. Watkins, of Grand Rapids, Mich. The Commission is under the immediate control of the War Department, and the sanction of the Secretary of War will be necessary to give effect to any line of action proposed by it. Cuba. As to Cuba, the Intervention Resolution of Congress of April 19th declared that "the United States hereby disclaims any disposition or intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control over said island, except for the pacification thereof, and asserts its determination when that is accomplished to leave the government and control of the island to its people." Article I of the Treaty of Peace, dealing especially with this island, is as follows (the text used being a translation of the Spanish copy of the treaty): "Spain renounces all right of sovereignty over Cuba. Whereas said isle when evacuated by Spain is to be occupied by the United States, the United States, while the occupation continues, shall take upon themselves and fulfill the obligations which, by the fact of occupation, international law imposes on them for the protection of life and property." On September 10, 1898, commissioners appointed by the President to arrange for the evacuation of Cuba arrived in Havana, and the work of taking over the control of the island was begun. On December 13th the President, by virtue of the authority vested in him as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, promulgated a tariff of duties to be collected "in all ports and places in the Island of Cuba, and all islands in the West Indies west of the seventy-fourth degree west longitude, evacuated by Spain, on and after January 1, 1899." This tariff, which is published in another part of this volume, makes no discrimination between imports from the United States and other countries, and the duties are considerably lower than those formerly levied by Spain. As to the coasting trade, the order provides simply that "the laws now in force restricting the coasting trade of the island to Spanish vessels are hereby modified" so that vessels of the United States may engage in the coasting trade of the island, and so that "the officer of the Army of the United States in command at any port of Cuba in possession of the United States is empowered to issue a permit to a resident of Cuba who owns a vessel, which shall entitle such vessel to engage in the coasting trade of the island." Porto Rico.-Concerning the Island of Porto Rico, the Treaty of Peace provides: "Spain cedes to the United States the Island of Porto Rico and the other islands now under her sovereignty in the West Indies." On October 18, 1898, the United States Army and Navy took formal possession of Porto Rico at San Juan. On January 20, 1899, the President, as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, promulgated a list of tariff duties and regulations for their administration, "to be in force in all ports and places in the Island of Porto Rico, and all the islands in the West Indies east of the seventy-fourth degree west longitude, evacuated by Spain, on and after February 1, 1899." The rates of duty are somewhat lower than the rates on imports into Cuba. They are uniform against the products of all nations, including the United States, but they are so adjusted as to be low on the necessaries of life and on agricultural and manufacturing machinery, which are needed to build up the industries of the Island, and most of which seem likely to be imported from the United States. The President's order brings Porto Rico within the laws governing the coast wise trade of the United States, by providing that "trade between ports of the United States and all ports or places in Porto Rico, and trade between ports or places in Porto Rico, shall be carried on in registered vessels of the United States and in no others." It is further provided, however, that "this regulation shall not be construed to forbid the sailing of other than registered vessels of the United States with cargo and passengers between the United States and ports or places in Porto Rico, or between ports or places in Porto Rico, provided that none are landed, but are destined for some foreign port or place." The Philippine Islands.-On July 12, 1898, even before Spain had made any overtures for peace, the President, by virtue of the authority vested in him as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, put forth a list of duties to be levied and collected "upon the occupation and possession of any ports and places in the Philippine Islands by the forces of the United States." Vessels of all countries are admitted to the ports without discrimination, and the duties upon all imported merchandise are uniform, without regard to the country from which the importation is made. The Treaty of Peace, after providing for a cession of the Philippine Islands to the United States, provides further that "the United States shall, during the term of ten years, counting from the interchange of the ratifications of the treaty, admit to the ports of the Philippine Islands Spanish ships and merchandise under the same conditions as the ships and merchandise of the United States." The President is now acting in conformity with the terms of this agreement, and if the United States Government retains control of the islands, it will be in a position to fulfill the obligation to the end of the ten years. But if the sovereignty is yielded up to the people of the Islands themselves, or to any other power, this Government will no longer be in a position to carry out this important provision of the Treaty. By reason of the special difficulties involved in the government of the Philippines, the President has appointed a commission to make a thorough investigation, upon the spot, of all facts and conditions bearing upon the problem, and to advise with him as to the result. This commission consists of President J. C. Schurman, of Cornell University (chairman); Professor D. C. Worcester, of Ann Arbor; Col. Charles Denby, Major-General Elwell S. Otis, and Rear-Admiral George Dewey. The Island of Guam.-On June 21, 1898, the United States cruiser Charleston, on her way to join Admiral Dewey's fleet at Manila, took possession of the Island of Guam, one of the Ladrones, in the name of the United States. By the Treaty of Peace, Spain cedes to the United States "the Isle of Guam in the Archipelago of the Marianas or Ladrones." This island is of less importance commercially than any of the other islands or groups ceded by that instrument. No special tariff or navigation laws have yet been promulgated with reference to it. CUBA. Area and Population. The Island of Cuba is the largest of the West India group, and lies about 87 miles south of Florida, between 20 and 23 degrees north latitude and 74 and 85 degrees of longitude west of Greenwich. The area is estimated at 43,319 square miles, with a length of 775 miles, and a width varying from 30 to 160 miles. The neighboring island of Pinos is 1,214 square miles, and the smaller islands 1,350 square miles-in all, 45,883 square miles. The latest census of Cuba, taken in 1887, showed the population to be 1,631,619, which is about exactly the same as the estimated population in 1894. Of these, 950,000 were white creoles, 500,000 were colored, and 160,000 Spaniards, emigrants from Spain. In addition, there were about 50,000Chinese. Havana, the capital, had 198,271 inhabitants in 1887; Santiago de Cuba, 71,307 in 1892; Puerto Principe, 46,641; Holguin, 34,767; Cienfuegos, 27,430; Sancti Spiritus, 32,608. Finances. The estimated revenue for 1897-98 was 24,755,760 pesos, of which 11,890,000 was from customs; ordinary expenditure, 26,119,124 pesos, of which 12,602,216 pesos was for the debt, 5,896,741 pesos for the Ministry of War, and 4,036,088 pesos for the Ministry of the Interior. The extraordinary revenue was estimated at 80,000,000 pesos. The debt was put at about $350,000,000, of which $50,000,000 was due the Spanish Treasury. Production and Industry. Of the 35,000,000 acres composing Cuba, it is estimated that only 2,000,000 have ever been under cultivation. There are 17,000,000 acres of virgin forest and 9,000,000 acres of fertile plains which have only served as natural pastures. In the forests are found mahogany, cedar, logwood, redwood, ebony, lignum-vitæ, and caiguaran. The soil is a marvel of richness, fertilizers being rarely employed except in the case of tobacco. The number of landed estates on the island in 1891 was estimated at 90,960, valued at 220,000,000 pesos, and rental of 17,000,000 pesos. The live-stock numbered 584,725 horses, 2,485,766 cattle, 78,494 sheep, and 570,194 pigs. The chief produce is sugar and tobacco, the sugar crop for 1894-5 being 1,004,264 tons. The tobacco crop averages 560,000 bales (of 110 lbs. each), 338,000 bales being exported. Coffee is successfully cultivated. The British Consul-General gives the following details in regard to the sugar trade in 1895 and The mineral wealth of Cuva is considerable. There are rich copper mines near Santiago, which, Letween the years 1828 and 1840, shipped to the United States alone between $2,000,000 and $3,000,000 worth annually. These mines continued in successful operation until 1867, when they ceased operations owing to a combination of circumstances, and not to the poverty of the mines. The iron mines. all of which are situated near Santiago, yield some of the richest ores in the world. The Juragua and Daiquiri iron companies (American), with a combined capital of over $5,000,000, employing from 800 to 1,400 men, ship from 30,000 to 50,000 tons of iron ore per month to the United States. |