The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1898-11-04
FROM SPANISH SOURCES.
The French Press Sees the Spanish
American Troubles Through
Spanish Spectacles.
HENCE THEY CONFUSE THE SITUATION.
IL 10 Averred that Spain VIII Break on Ne
gotiations IL Our Demands Regarding
the Philippines are Insisted Upon and
Call Upon Civilized Nations to Witness
the Manner In Which She is Abused.


Paris, Nov. 2.-The French papers
derive their news of the work of the
peace commissioners from Spanish
sources, and, therefore, the morning
papers here are interesting as indicat-
ing the atmosphere in Spanish quarters
and the trend of French views and
tendencies. 1t must be recalled that
the Spaniards have utterly accepted
the refusal of the United States gov
eminent to assume any of the Spanish
debt, and the Cuban question has been
set away to await its place in the final
treaty, providing differences on the
question of the Philippine islands
shall not prevent the making of any
treaty. As the whole is composed of
its parts, so must the Philippine ques-
ton be mutually agreed on or none of
these questions previously agreed on
will find place in the treaty.
They Confuse the situation.
This is all the provision or provision
al understanding existent. In view of
the facts then, the Paris press has in
dicated tendency to confuse the sit
uation.
The Matin, in reviewing it, says:
1T is well understood that the ces-
sion of Porto Rico was tantamount to
the payment of a war indemnity in
cash, and entirely freed Spain from
any subsequent repetition on the sub
ject."
A Positive Misstatement.
Turning back to Cuba, the Matin re-
marks:
THE Spaniards declined to concur
in separating the debt from the pledge,
the mortgage from the load, and as it
was impossible to reach an under
standing, they asked that at least the
order of the protocol be inverted, and
that the question of the Philippines
be previously discussed, that question
possibly offering the Americans an op-
portunity for rendering some COM
pensation lor the enormous sacrifices
they have forced upon the conquered.
The Americans finally acceded to the
change, and only asked the Spaniards
to accept Professionally the clauses re-
lating to the Cuban debt. with the
reservation that the acceptance could
be withdrawn if no agreement was
reached as to the Philippines
Spanish Action Foreshadowed.
Referring to Mondays meeting, the
Matin says:
THE Spaniards said they would
make their answer known on Friday.
But it is easy to foresee what it will
be-a refusal, precise and formal. The
Spanish plenipotentIaries have made
up their minds, in the event of the
United States adverting to the Philip
pine proposition, to decline signing
the act of peace, to break off the ne
gotiations and to call upon the civil
lied nations to witness the abuse of
force to which they will be subjected,
and the violation of the provisions set
forth in the Washington protocol"
"The spaniards Will Never Agree.
The Gaulois says:
'1he Spaniards will never agree to
abandon the archipelago without com.
pensation, and we belive the Ameri-
cans intend to suggest that they will
assume the Philippine debt. We hope
the negotiations will not be broken,
but Spain, it is given out as certain,
would take such course rather than
submit to hulniIiatin0 terms -