Mr. Day to Mr. Hay.
Joint Commission met yesterday. We presented paper rejecting Spanish articles as to Cuba and Puerto Rico. Spanish Commissioners then filed under the rules a memorandum giving reasons in support of their position on Cuban debt and now insist upon relinquishment and transfer of sovereignty to United States which is to accept it without any express obligation to transfer it to the Cuban people. On Cuban debt we shall insist upon our original position. A majority favor adherence to words of Article I of protocol as to relinquishment of sovereignty over Cuba. Senator Gray in favor of accepting sovereignty unconditionally in view of our already expressed declaration of trust in regard to same, and that we may thereby avoid future complications with Cubans claiming sovereignty while we are in process of pacifying island and restoring order in accordance with our own ideas. We desire instruction on this point. We shall, unless other wise instructed, insist upon disposition of matters in first and second articles of the protocol before taking up Article III. We meet again on Friday.