Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1898-11-26
TWO ALTERNATIVES.
Spain Must Accspt Americas Offer or be
Prepared to Suffer StiIl Greater
Loss OF Territory.


Paris, Nov. 21.-The Spanish peace
commissioners have been notified
that the United States commissioners
will be ready to treat with them in
joint session this afternoon. Unlesz
the Spaniards have an adequate rea-
son for further delay the two COM
missions will join in the most inn
portant meeting thus far held.
Only One Fair Construction.
The American commissioners, in .
written communication, will declare
that the third article of the protocol
regarding the Philippines is capable
OF only one fair construction that no
arbitration is needed to elucidate its
terms, and that the United States can
not admit any other power to figure
here purely as lexcologst. They
will maintain that the two commits
sions are charged to determine
whether Spain or the United States
shall in future own the Philippines.
This will he accompanied by the clear
declaration that the United States will
possess the Philippines.
viii Lay Before the Spaniards Two Alter
natives
Following this declaration the Amer
lean commissioners will lay before
the Spaniards two alternatives:
First-1o accept "A sum Of money
from the United States and to cede
and evacuate the Philippines.
Seconda-To lose the Philippines to
the United States by conquest, with
the possibility of other territorial
losses to indemnify the United States
for the added expense of conquest.
A Practical Ultimatum.
This communication may not be
formally designated as an ultimatum,
but it will lack naught of the concu-
siyeness indicated by the word. This
will be so plain that the Spanish COM
missioners will scarcely haggle for
|
cherish any doubt of American action
| under the second, should the first be
| declined.
Nobody But the Commissioners Know.
| No one here but the American com
missioners known how much will be
rendered Spain as to the Philippine
| islands as the most humane way OF
settling the difficulty. She is exceed
ingly anxious to escape the Philippine
debt. and possibly the sum to be of
fered may be determined by an analy
sis of that debt, which consists of $40,
100000 in bonds on which she realized
| $4,000, 600. OF the latter amount sht
is believed to have expended some SO,
nO0,O0O or S11,000,000 in fighting tn,
United States and a part in attempt
ing 10 qutIl the Philippine insurrec
ton. 4 reasonable guess at the sun
for tender would be $4,000, 900 though
it may fall below that.
The Cuban Question Again.
The Cuban question may come u
again to-day. The American commits
sioners had thought the decision ol
that point finished, but the Spanisl
commissioners are reported to hav
declared last week that the mortgage
imposed by Spain on the Cuban. a
well as on the Philippine revenue
must not be impaired or questioned
This would compel the American com
missioners soon-and probably to-da,
to demand whether Spain means t.
repudiate the plain compact of tn,
protocol TO relinquish sovereignt.
over and 'itle to Cuba. Three week.
ago the Spanish commissioners ac
cepted the Cuba article in the pro
tocol without conditions. save that il
embodiment ia the treaty should de
pend only on an agreement here OF
all articles in the protocol. Recently
however, SPANS representatives hav'
said that the Cuban matter had beer
only temporarily passed and was still
in abeyance.