Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-10-11
Peace Commissioners Alleged to Be
at Variance Over Philippines.
DENIED At STATE DEPARTMENT
Declared There That This QUESTION
Has Not Come Up.
JOINT ESSION TODAY

| PARIS, October 1.-THE peace commits
| sions each held a separate session this
| morning, preparatory to the fourth Joint
| session, which began at 2 o'clock this after
noon.
| LONDON, October IA dispatch to the
Exchange Telegraph Company from Paris
| says the United States and Spanish peace
commissioners are at entire variance
garding the question of the disposition of
the Philippine Islands, and that they have
referred the matter to their respective gov
ernmentS
The News at Madrid.
| MADRID, October 1.-THE semi-official
Correspondence today, touching upon the
negotiations now in progress at Paris says:
'Wel-informed circles assert that the
peace negotiations are not proceeding sat
isfactorily. Senor' Montero Rios has writ
| ten asking for new instructions to enable
MIN to come to an agreement with the
American commissioners. His letters have
| been read at a meeting of the cabinet and
the ministers have agreed upon the terms
OF new instructions, which will be sent be-
fore tomorroWs meeting of the commits
slonerS. A minister has expressed the opir-
ion that probably the Philippine question
Will not be discussed. as the Americans are
also waiting for instructions.
'SenOr Montero Rios writes daily to Senior
Sagasta and the foreign office concerning
the work of the commission.
The council also considered the repatria-
ton of the troops in Cuba. By November
10 $4,000 sick men will be back and then
the return Of the healthy troops begins
Philippine Insurgents Defeated.
The minister of war, Gen. Correa has
received dispatch from Gen. Rias the
Spanish commander in the Philippines an
| nouLcing another victory in the Visayas
Islands over insurgents from the Island of
Luzon. who are said to have lost I'D men
killed and many wounded, besides losing
ali tier guns. several cannon and i guam
uty of ammunition.
Gen. Rios adds that he considers the re-
bellion in the Visayas Islands to be ended.
and he asserts that the natives do not re-
spond to the appeals of the insurgents.
The Philippines Not Yet Considered.
Notwithstanding all statements to the
contrary, the peace commissioners in Paris
SO far from reaching a point of absolute
variance on the question of the Philippines,
have not as yet taken up that subject for
consideration. 1t is true that at the very
first session of the joint commission the
Spanish representatives sought to raise q
question concerning the occupancy of Ma
Mia bay. and town by the United States
military and naval forces. The United
States commissioners promptly anI I'M
equivocally refused to consider this point
in any aspect, and with some reluctance
the Spaniards gave over for the time being
the effort to raise that point. Since that
moment the commission, whenever meeting
jointly. has been engaged entirely with
three questions, to the complete exclusion
of the Philippines. The questions relate
entirely to Cuba, Porto Rico and Guam,
and according to the very last reports from
the American commissioners to Washing
ton they are still under consideration.
No Spanish Debts to Be Assumed.
The United States will not assume any
financial indebtedness as the result of the
cession or release of Cuba and Porto Rico.
1t was fully expected by the authorities
here that the Spanish contingent on the
peace commission would make a strong ef-
fort to make the assumption of the heavy
financial obligations of these islands con-
ditIon of the cession of Porto Rico and the
abandonment of sovereignty over Cuba.
But the American commissioners were fully
and definitely instructed on these points,
and the general tenor of these instructions
was that such obligations not to be as
sumed by the United States.
No dissatisfaction is felt here at the
progress of the commission in the settle
ment of the questions assigned to it. 1t
was fully understood here that the issue
presented would require the most delicate
and cautious handling, and while the Amer
lean commissioners were expected to deal
with these questions with the greatest
hrmnesS it was realized that some consd-
Grafton must be shown for the Spanish
commissioners, who would be obliged to at
least make an effort to secure an abate-
ment OF the American demands in order to
satisfy public feeling at home.
Satisfactory Outcome Expected,
1t can be stated that there has been no
diminution in the confidence of the admin
1stration Of satisfactory outcome Of the
peace commission negotia atoms at Paris
When that city was selected for the meet
ing place of the peace commissioners at the
most earnest and repeated prayer of M.
Cambon it was understood that the Ameri-
can commissioners would be obliged to
bear up against a strong pressure from the
pro-SpanlSh element III the French press
out this had all been discussed before the
commissioners sailed from America and
the President was satisfied that the men he |
mad selected to represent the United States
were OF suhcient individual strength TO re-
slst any improper influences.