Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-03
NO HITCH AT PARIS
Peace Negotiations Progressing Satisfactorily
to United States Government.
COMMISSION BUSY WITH MINOR DETAILS
No Doubt Remains but That the Treaty Will
be Signed.
AMERICA LOOKING FOR A CABLE STATION
Caroline Islands Most Desirable Place for
Such . Location.
AeRIcA LOOKING FOR A CABLE STATION
SOME FEARS CONCERNING THE FILlPINos

American Troops Are Arriving Daily
at Manila, However, and the
Force II Thought Ample to
Cope with the situation.
WASHINGTON. D. c., Dec. At can bs
stated positively that no hitch has occurred
in the proceedings Of the peace commits
sion at Paris. and an impression to the
contrary in certain quarters probably 10 due
to a misunderstanding OF the phase those
proceedings have reached. With the ac-
quiescence by the Spanish commissioners
In the American demands set out In the
original protocol, all danger Of a failure to
reach the point Of signature OF peace
treaty disappeared and that such q treaty
will be forthcoming, covering at least all
the protocol points, is considered assured.
What Is now going on in Paris Is a negotia-
tion respecting certain objects which the
United States government seeks to ac-
complish In that manner. instead Of resort
ing to the more usual but more. tedious
method Of correspondence between the two
governments. These objects have been
clearly stated in general terms, namely, the
acquisition of one Of the Caroline islands
as cable station and coalng station; Of
certain rights to land cables on Spanish
possessions at other points; the procure
ment Of freedom Of religious worship In the
Carolines, and the revival Of certain treaties
OF trade and commerce, etc.
But. as stated, these matters are purely
the subjects Of diplomatic negotiation and
do not In any way effect the conclusion of
the peace treaty. They might all fail to
be realized and still the treaty would not
be effected. Moreover, while Spain was the
subject Of peremptory demands in the case
Of the protocol points, that nation is free
OF compulsion now, while these diplomatic
exchanges are in progress. 1t may sell to
the United States one Of the Caroline
islands, or may refuse to do 20. and, more
over. II we buy the islands 1t must be at
price satisfactory to Spain. Spain may
even sell the Caroline group to Germany.
instead Of the United States, II II can obtain
q better price from the former. There Is
good reason to assume the correctness Of
the report that Germany i9 even now, bar
| gaining for theae tslaAds. All che dther
points covered " t>sese negotiations like
!.MiaAs atD H matter .Ioe mutual .aryAnSo1nan
and not Of demand. 4 s,.
Tho statement that Spain has refused to
sell us Ceuta, opposite Gibraltar, for a coal
and cable station, IL inaccurate. The United
States government has not made any such
! proposition for the acquisition Of that is
| land and would hesitate very long before
entering upon the turbulent field Of activity
involved In the assumption Of territory in
the neighborhood Of the Mediterranean.
CaroIines Are Desirable.
The case Is different respecting the Caro-
| lines The American naval experts have
urged very strongly that this group. on
| the whole, be retained, II possible; and In
addition, that the Pelew group lying to
the westward, be purchased. They have
pointed out that the southernmost island OF
the Ladrone group, Waleoa. lies only 300
miles north Of Ponape, in the Caroines,
and the Pelew islands are only about 600
miles distant from the Philippines. With
| these the United States would have a COM
plete chain Of islands located at convenient
distances more than half way across the
Pacific.
Moreover. the vast bulk Of trade in that
quarter Of the world passes directly through
the natural channel between the Ladrones
and the Carolines. Of which the United
States would have command. II Germany
Is able to outbid the United States for these
islands 1t may obtain them but a suspicion
| iB entertained that the naming Of 1000 900
was inspired by . desire to get the best
possible terms for Spain from the United
States by raising the price Of the goods.
One Of the pledges which is almost as
good as treaty obligation In Its force even
now. is that the United States. in return for
the release OF the political prisoners from
Cuba and Porto Rico held by Spain. will
secure the release of the Spanish prisoners
held by Aguinaldo. and to this matter at
tention Is being devoted here. There has
been an almost daily dispatch from General
nrtn tho riSyol 80 tvan
there loaded with United States troops and
the War department is fairly confident now
to undertake the full control of the Islands
with the assistance OF the naval contingent
under Dewey. 1t Is realized that the task
Of inducing Aguinaldo to surrender the cap
tives for whom he has demanded such IN
eNtravagant ransom-$1, 500, ,000-under PEN
atty Of cutting their throats, is going to be
a dificult one; but, after ALL the United
States commissioners In Paris have only
undertaken that the United States govern
ment shall use Its best efforts to secure the
release OF the prisoners they have not
pledged the government to perform the Inn
possible.
Commission Awaits Instructions.
PARIS, Dec. 2.-The joint session OF the
peace commissions today lasted two hours
No real progress was made, The Spaniards
are awaiting instructions. Spain's proposi-
tion for commercial privileges in the West
Indies was not settled and was scarcely
considered today. The Americans have also
asked for instructions on certain matters
The Caroline islands question was not con-
sidered. The Joint commission adjourned
until Saturday.
The United States peace commission con
cluded its consultation with Major Genera
Wesley Merritt at today's private session
after which 1t took up the question OF Span.
ish commercial rights in the West Indie:
for a term Of years and other subjects Of
negotiation to be considered later at the
joint session.
Spanish sympathizers having a quasi,
connection with the Spanish commission are
making much over the reported attitude o.
the Filipinos toward the United States
These sympathizers profess to have informa.
tion that Aguinaldo means to fight and tha
he now has go, 900 soldiers.
Aguinafdo's soldiers are now armed with
$1,000 Mauser rifles and eighteen quick-hring
guns, and II is asserted that he will be sat
isfied with nothing but independence. Agon-
I'LL A. -. ~