The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-06
rnE PEACE NEGorIATIoNs.

| THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
The refusal of the Spanish members of
the peace commission to agree to the prop
osition submitted by the American men,
bers, that the United States take all of
the Philippine Islands and reimburse Spain
for certain of her possessions there, does
not appear to have caused the President
and his cabinet any uneasiness or even
surprised them Evidently they were ex-
pecting a refusal
There is, of course, the most intense in
terest now to know what the next step Of
the American members of the commission
will be- II was predicted by some Of the
Paris papers that if the Spanish members
of the commission refused to accept the
proposition they would break off further
peace negotiations, under instructions
from their home government, on the plea
that IL was useless to attempt to arrive
at an amicabe arrangement, and that
Spain, being powerless TO resist, would let
the United States take whatever they
pleased. That prediction was. of course,
made for the purpose of creating SYM
pathy for Spain in Europe, and also prob
ably to create a sentiment in this country
in favor of offering better terms to Spain.
Spain, however. has no intention Of
breaking off negotia tons. That is shown
by the lengthy answer her commissioners
made to the proposition of the American
commissioners. Their answer. while in
definite, can properly be construed as a
counter proposition. Spain has nothing to
gain by breaking off treaty negotiations
That she cannot fail to understand. Eu-
rope is not disposed to lend her a help
ing hand. No European state has any
thing TO gain by interfering in her behalf.
Any interference by one or more of the
European Powers would likely bring about
a general European war. A war of that
kind is not desired by any one of them.
England, wants us to have the Philip
pines, and would be our friend in the event
of any of the Continental Powers going
to the assistance of Spain.
1t would be far better for the United
States if they were to finally decide that
they did not want all of the Philippine
group-if they were to come to the con-
clusion that their interests would be bet
ter served by having only coaling sta
ton at Manila together with such com
mercial concessions in the Philippines as
would satisfy our merchants and manu-
facturers, but if the President and his ad-
vlsers have decided on having all of the
islands 1t is certain that the refusal of the
Spanish commissioners to agree to the
proposition of the United States to take
them will not cause any material change
to be made in the Presidents policy.
Spain decided to submit to war the ques-
ton as to whether or not she should prac-
ticaly give up Cuba to the Cubans, and
she must take the consequences of war
The United States did not demand a
money indemnity when Spain asked for
terms of peace. but all the world under
stood that they would take territory. It
is true that no demand is made for the
Philippines in the protocol, but they are
mentioned In a way that leaves no doubt
that Ii was the intention of the President
to demand them if he became satisfied that
the people wanted them.
mere is no DOUBT or SPANS Willingness
to part with the Islands. She wants more
for them, however. than the President Is
willing to give. He understands that il ne
should allow Spain for them anywhere
near what she thinks she ought to have,
the people would be dissatisfied with him
and his party, and the Senate would, in
all probability, refuse to ratlfy the peace
treaty.
1t may be that the American members
of the commission viii make some minor
concessions. but the demand, substantially
as it was originally made, will be insisted
upon, and will be granted by Spain. She
canot do otherwise than grant it without
subjecting herself to far greater mis-
fortunes than those from which she has
recently suffered.