Evening star., 1898-08-09

All the cabiLet members assembled early
for the regular cabinet meeting this morn
ing fully expecting to hear the reply of
Spain to the peace terms of this country
inasmuch ii was generally understood
in official circles that the reply arrived laje
yesterday afternoon and had been trans
lated during the night by the French en-
bassy.
The popular impression was that Ambas-
sador Cambon would communicate with the
President prior to the cabinet meeting, Ms
iting the White House early. The Fren n
ambassador had his own plans, however,
and sefit no word of his Intentions Secr--
tary Day went to the White House about
$50 o'clock, and after remaining a few mini
utes with the President went to his off ce
and was the last of the cabinet officers 10
arrive for the meeting. Each time he sail
he did not think there would be anything
official from Spain before the cabinet met.
This indicated that he had received some
inkling that NJ. Cambon was not just ready
to present the reply OF Spain TO the Presi-
dent.
Secretary Day was asked this question as
he went into the cabinet session: Has tie
substance or general outline of the Spanish
rote been made known to the admiusira-
tion and can it be taken up at this rect
mgr Secretary Day answered: NO; not
yet He also stated that no appointment
had been made for a call of the a.,,bassa-
dor at the White House
1t was noticed that Secretary Day held
in his hand a State Department packet
This gave rise t. speculation that he might
have something in his possession which he
did not care to make public II was
strongly suspected that. while the French
on alare- .7..r l,.z1
the White House, he had communicated
its substance to the officials The only
basis for this suspicion was that Secretary
Day appeared to be positive that Cambon
would not go to the White House before
the cabinet meeting.
Deciphering the Reply.
Spains reply was not delivered nrior to
the meeting of the cabinet. The last of il
had not come until late hour last night
and although tie cipher experts worked
until long after midnight, there was still
some deciphering to be done today Morex
over the early assembling of the cabinet.
at IL o'clock, made it inexpedient to hold =
conference before that hour, which might
be protracted by the Importance of the
questions considered. In the meantime tha
government had been informed that the re-
ply had been received by the French am
bassador. The plan was TO present the
communication later in the day, and no
doubt existed that by evening the govern
ment would be in full possession of SPANS
position. Under the circumstances it was
evident that the cabinet meeting could, at
most, not consider the situation with all
the light which the text of the reply would
give, and at most the only consideration
would be as to the policy of entertaining in
cidental questions which might be raised
by the reply. AS to this official opinion
appeared to be divided.
The general drift of sentiment was to-
ward standing strictly on the conditions
first laid dowr by the United States and
requiring a direct answer, accepting or re-
jecting, without any considerations of in
cidental questions which Spains reply
might raise. But en- the other hand there
was believed to be considerable and in
fuential element of the administration de-
sirous of a realization of the present pros
poets of peace, so long as every vital and
essential condition laid down by this gov
ernment was accepted, even though the
Spanish reply sought to dispose of other In
cidental points involved in transaction of
this vast magnitude.
Regarded by Spain as Acceptance.
So far as the reply itself is concerned.
even the best Informed government officials
had no Information, and there wss nothing
but conjecture as TO its contents. But
there were several points apparently es-
tabiished beyond question.
First of these was that the reply was 80
framed as to be considered by those who
drafted it an acceptance of all the icond-
tions laid down by the United States
Second. 1t was established that this ac-
ceptance was a general characterization OF
the document as a whole. and that I'm max
Ing the acceptance 6psin had presented
elaborate views on each point involved and