This was, indeed, the position which the Spanish Treaty Claims Commission subsequently took in ruling that to establish a claim it would be necessary to show that the destruction of property was the consequence of negligence upon the part of Spanish authorities or of military orders.

Of other serious grievances there was no doubt.
American citizens were imprisoned, interned in reconcentrado camps, and otherwise maltreated.

The nationality of American sufferers was in some cases disputed, and the necessity of dealing with each of these doubtful cases by the slow and roundabout method of complaint to Madrid, which referred matters back to Havana, which reported to Madrid, served but to add irritation to delay.

American resentment, too, was fired by the sufferings of the Cubans themselves as much as by the losses and difficulties of American citizens.
One change of extreme importance had taken place since the Cuban revolt of 1868-78.

This was the development of the modern American newspaper.
It was no longer possible for the people at large to remain ignorant of what was taking place at their very doors.