e
basis of certain conditions, the first of which was that Spain should
relinquish all claim of sovereignty over or title to the island of Cuba,
and should immediately evacuate that island. That was significant. It
indicated that the United States purposed to fulfil its pledge
concerning the independence of Cuba. The next condition was that Spain
should cede to the United States the island of Porto Rico. But there was
no hint at her cession of Cuba to the United States. She was merely to
renounce her own sovereignty. These conditions were accepted by the
Spanish government through M. Cambon on August 12; the naval and
military commanders on both sides were ordered to cease hostilities, the
blockade of Cuba was discontinued; and the War of Independence was at a
triumphant end.

CHAPTER VIII

Following the protocol and the cessation of hostilities, two major tasks
were to be performed. One was to remove the Spanish forces from the
island and to establish permanent terms of peace, and the other was to
organize and establish a permanent Cuban government.

The former of these was promptly undertaken, by the governments of the
United States and Spain. A joint commission arranged the details of
evacuation, which was a formidable undertaking because of the number of
persons to be transported and the paucity of shipping facilities at the
command of the Peninsular government. The city of Havana was not
evacuated until January 1, 1899, and the last Spanish troops were not
removed from the island until the middle of February following. There
were about 130,000 officers and soldiers transported, together with some
15,000 military and civilian employes and their families.

Simultaneously the task of treaty-making proceeded. President McKinley
on August 26 appointed five Commissioners to conduct the negotiations.
They were William R. Day, Secretary of State, Chairman; Cushman K.
Davis, Senator; William P. Frye, Senator; Whitelaw Reid, Ambassador; and
Edward D. White, Justice of the Supreme Court. Mr. White found himself
unable to serve, and on September 9 George Gray, Senator, was appointed
in his place. The Spanish government named as Commissioners five of
Spain's foremost statesmen: Eugenio Montero Rios, Buenaventura
d'Abarzuza, Jose de Garnica, Wenceslao Ramirez de Villa Urrutia, and
Rafael Cerero. The Commissioners began their deliberations in Paris on
October 1.

The first question discussed was the disposition of C