As in history, Spain began negotiations with the Americans, and by early 1898 representatives of both sides had begun to make secret contacts in Paris. During the negotiations, the Spaniards had clearly given up their intention to continue to control Cuba and the Philippines. To be honest, once it was discovered that they were no match for the Americans on the battlefield, the Spaniards were quite realistic. They also know that what they can't get with a knife or gun on the battlefield, it's a dream to get it back with a mouth cannon at the negotiating table. So, the main goal of the Spaniards now is to find a way to get some money back from the Americans.

Historically, the United States developed from 13 states on the Atlantic coast to the fourth largest country in the world in terms of territorial area, and a large part of the other territories were bought by force by the threat of force when European countries were in various troubles. There are also territories that are simply snatched from neighboring countries (mainly Mexico), of course, the Americans are civilized people and want to be moral, so after robbing them, they throw out some money, so that it is not an invasion, but a purchase. Poor Mexico, that's how it sold half of its territory to the United States.

Since the Americans have such a fine tradition, it is natural for the Spaniards to find a way to recoup a little loss by this. Coupled with the fact that the war had put a huge strain on the Spanish economy, the Spaniards were now in dire need of money. So the Spaniards first opened their mouths to the Americans, and they proposed that Cuba and Puerto Rico, the Philippines and the Pacific Islands, each of which should be counted as 30 million dollars, a total of 60 million dollars, and sell them to the United States cheaply.

Therefore, during the negotiations, although the representatives of the Spanish government said a lot of nonsense, their basic attitude was actually like this: "60 million, as long as 60 million, rich and beautiful, strategically located tropical islands, you can take them home!" Sixty million, only sixty million! Sixty million, you can't buy it, you can't buy it, you can't buy it. So what are you waiting for? Hurry up and pick up ......"

But this offer was immediately rejected by the American representative: "What, you are poor and crazy? A few broken islands, so expensive? Don't you look at it, people in Mexico, how much did they cost to sell us such a big territory? It's only 18,250,000! That's the price of conscience! You look at that offer of yours, do you still have a conscience in comparison? Moreover, Cuba cannot be included either, Cuba is an independent country, not our colony! Cuba's independence is only a punishment for you to blow up and sink the Caribbean Pearl, so Cuba cannot be counted as money. Somewhere else to take a bag, and then by area, compare the price of the sale in Mexico and ours, the reasonable price should be two million four thousand dollars. Then let's be a little more generous and add 100,000 to you, even if it's 2.5 million! ”

Anyway, one party asks for a sky-high price, and one party pays back the money on the spot. After more than a month of bitterness, in March 1898, an agreement was finally reached:

(1) Spain renounces its claim and ownership of Cuba and is occupied by the United States.

(2) Spain ceded the island of Puerto Rico and other Spanish islands in the West Indies and Guam to the United States.

(3) Spain ceded to the United States the islands commonly known as the Philippine Archipelago, and the United States paid Spain 20 million U.S. dollars within three months of the exchange of ratifications of this Treaty.

(4) The two sides repatriate prisoners of war to each other.

(5) After the two countries exchange instruments of ratification of the treaty, the Western army will withdraw from the Philippines and Guam, and the heavy artillery (except field artillery) in the forts and coastal fortifications shall remain in place for six months after the treaty takes effect, and the United States may purchase them at the expense of the United States.

(6) the commitment of the United States to allow Spanish ships and cargo to enter the ports of the Philippine Islands on the same terms as those received by United States ships and cargo for a period of 10 years from the date of ratification of the Swap Treaty; Spain has the right to establish consulates in ports and places of territories over which it has relinquished or ceded its sovereignty.

With the signing of the treaty, the war ended, and the remaining Spanish troops began to gradually leave Cuba and the Philippines. So the question of the future of these two places was put on the agenda.

Negotiations with the Cubans actually began while negotiations between the United States and the Spaniards were underway. Representatives of the Cubans and the United States had a truly friendly conversation in Havana.

"Hello, Mr. Raeder, the other day I saw the list of representatives of my American friends, and when I found out that it was you, I thought, this is really not better." As soon as the Cuban plenipotentiary saw the American representative Raeder, Guti greeted him and shook his hand with a very intimate expression, obviously, they were very familiar.

"yes, so do I." Mr. Raeder also smiled and said, "Guti, we haven't seen each other for more than a year. How's it going, everything is okay at home? ”

"Not bad! Remember the rubber trees you mentioned to me when we first met? Now the trees are old enough to cut rubber. I made a lot of money last year, but unfortunately last year there were too many restrictions on transportation, and this year I will definitely earn more. Guti replied with a smile.

Guti was born as a manor and had been involved in the Cuban Revolution for many years. He was also one of the first people to have been fully trained in Blackwater. Blackwater's training was effective, and MacDonald's weapons were very good, and they gave a very good impetus to the revolution in Cuba. It's just that these are things that require money. Although some enthusiastic non-governmental organizations have made significant contributions to Cubans, these contributions have been inadequate and, in many cases, inadequate. So the revolutionaries in Cuba often need to be self-reliant and make their own money. Especially after having its own base and port, doing business with the Americans has become an important way to make money. Some Americans, especially the McDonald consortium, provide them with business loans, technical services, stake in their plantations, and provide them with all sorts of technical and sales services. In the process, many Cuban revolutionaries gradually became export merchants, and their interests increasingly coincided with those of the United States, especially the MacDonald consortium. Guti is one of them, and now Mr. Guti owns the largest rubber plantation in Cuba and a small banana plantation. He has become one of the wealthy people in Cuba, and a considerable part of the military expenditure of the Cuban Revolution was also donated by Mr. Guti. In this way, Mr. Guti naturally has a huge influence in Cuba.

The negotiations between the Americans and the Cubans were very smooth, because the Americans were very fair compared to the Spaniards. Aside from the lease of Guantanamo as a U.S. military base, there are no other unequal clauses in the agreement between the Americans and the Cubans. Of course, even renting out Guantanamo is not free. In addition to paying rent, the United States has assumed certain obligations to protect Cuba. So, Ah Mei, you think it's so great and kind.

In addition to defensive support, the United States has also made great economic contributions to Cuba. The two sides agreed to grant full national treatment to the citizens of the other side. In other words, Cubans can come to the United States completely without restrictions to buy land, open businesses, and share in the economic development of the United States, and of course, the same is true for Americans in Cuba. The two sides even agreed that in order to achieve the great goal of coexistence and co-prosperity, and in order to achieve the common prosperity of Greater Asia and America, the two sides will implement a low-tariff policy on each other's goods. The United States imposes zero tariffs on most Cuban products, except for a very few products, and in response, the United States has given Cuba a little privilege to allow Cuba to charge a small amount of tariffs on American products. Of course, in order to repay the goodwill of the United States, the Cuban side also knew about the kindness, and they assured the United States that these small tariffs were only symbolic and that their main value was to prove that Cuba was a completely independent country.

In order to promote the economic development of both sides, as well as the friendship of the peoples. The two countries have also agreed to implement a policy of visa exemption between their citizens, and the United States of America and the Republic of Cuba have opened all their territorial waters and territories to each other. The means of transport owned by the people of the two countries, such as boats and vehicles, can also travel with each other without restrictions. The warships of the two countries can also sail freely in each other's territorial waters under harmless conditions, as if they were sailing on their own soil. This treaty fully embodies the friendship between the two peoples and has become a model of equal interaction between large and small countries, strong and weak countries.

At the press conference announcing the signing of this glorious treaty, the Cuban representative, Mr. Guti, recited a poem of his own composition with great affection:

There is a name that all tyrants all over the world will be horrified when they hear it.

There is a name that a qiē freedom-loving people should praise when they hear it.

There is a name, the gangster who hides in the shadows and murders the people gnats his teeth at her.

There is a name in which people who yearn for peace under the sun have high hopes for her.

It's she who saves the world from the devil again and again,

It is she who gives hope to fearful human beings again and again.

Who stood in the way of the colonialists?

Who supported the battlefield of national independence?

Who liberated Cuba and the Philippines?

Who forced the Spanish robbers to surrender?

She holds the torch high and guides us in the dark!

The truth of her declaration is always ringing in our ears!

The more the hypocrites slander her hypocrisy,

The more upright people have faith in her!

We will never forget her greatness!

You ask me what she looks like?

She is a scorching red flame,

She is the vast blue sea,

She is pure and dazzling white light!

You ask me her name?

I sue you! Look, the beacon of freedom, the hope of mankind! R1058