The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-03
TERMS ARE ACCEPTED.
Administration Receives Unofficial
Advices to. This Effect.

Administration Receives Unofficial
Advices to This Effect.
Washington. Aug. 2.-Shortly before
midnight Secretary Alger, as he left
the White House. after p conference
with the president, said the admins
tration had received no official informa-
ton that the Madrid government had
accepted the terms of peace proposed
by the United States.
Unofficially the president had been
Informed that the Spanish ministry
had accepted the terms of this coun-
try for a cessation Of the war. The I'M
official news reached the president IN
the form not only of press dispatches,
but OF q private dispatch from con-
sular agents OF the United States
While this government has strong area-
sons for believing that its terms of
peace have been agreed to by the
Madrid government, the president is
taking nothing for granted. Arrange
ments for pressing the war to a sue
cessful conclusion are going forward
precisely as if 10 negotiations for
peace We're in progress. Notwithstand-
ing these warlille preparations, the be
lief in official circles tonight amounts
almost to conviction that active hos
tilitieS have been practically concluded.
ton said: "The end is near, in my
opinion. The information thus far re-
ceiyed is unofficial and meagre, but
that it is accurate in the main We have
no reason to doubt. In fact, we have
reason to believe it is correct
1t is understood that the reason re-
ferTed to is contained in the private
advices received by the president and
from private dispatches received by
representatives OF foreign governments
in this capital.
Ambassador Cambon. who is con-
Quoting the negotiations for the Span
ish government. has not commune
Gated, so far as could be ascertained,
with the president tonight, and it is
not probable that the official response
to the terms proposed by the United
States has as yet reached the French
ambassador. Upon its receipt it will
be transmitted TO the president without
delay.
In the event of Spain's acceptance
of the terms proposed by this country,
the first step probably will be towards
an agreement to close active HOSTILE
ties. pending the drafting of a treaty
OF peace along the lines of the ac-
cepted terms. According to precedents
ordinarily regarded. an arrnistice will
be proclaimed. and in the circum-
stances this would mean the practical
close of the war.
tt IS pointed out, however, that sew
eraI presidents have been set aside by
this government in the conduct of the
war and in the treatment of events
which led I'D TO it. One notable in
stance in which the recognized diplo-
matte precedents We're swept away was
the personal demand made by Secre-
tary Day upon Minister De LONE to
know whether the Spanish minister
was the author Of the letter rejecting
upon the president. Another precedent
was relegated to the past when the
government decided TO return to Spain
the prisoners Of war taken with the
surrender Of Santiago. Precedents have
been disregarded in other instances by
this government. In view of this fact.
therefore, precedent may not govern Z
absolutely in the conduct of the peace
negotiations.
PEACE COMMISSION.
After the proclamation of an armis-
tice automatically the next step would
be the designation by the president of
the commissioners to represent the
United States in the conduct of the
final negotiations of peace. The terms
proposed by this government provide
for a joint commission to draft a peace
treaty and to solve the difficulty rela-
tive to the future government Of the
PnlilpplneS- AGAIN, according TO Ine
best accepted presidents, this Joint
commission would meet upon neutral
ground. It has been suggested that the
commission may assemble in Paris, but
as yet that is the merest conjecture.
The commission might meet in either
of the belligerent countries.
Pending the conclusion of the work
of the commission. the probabilities are
that the armies of both Spain and the
United States viii be kept in the field,
their relative positions remaining un-
changed during the diplomatic negotia- |
lions. Here, again. however, prece-
dent may be put aside by the United /
States. but it is regarded as probable |
that this country will not withdraw
any of the troops from the field until /
determination shall have been !
reached of all questions in issue before !
the commissioners.