The Portland daily press., 1898-11-21
SPAIN MUST DECIDE.
Important Meeting Of Peace Com.
mission Today.
ONE OF TWO ALTERNATIVES WILL
BE SUBMITTED.

Spain AZ usL Scut L hAlAlpRtAcS anu ANAAo
What United States VIII Give or To Go
Fighting Again and Have to Lose
More Territory as Indemnity For
Additional Expense.
Paris, November 20. The Spanish peace
commissioners have been notified that
the United States commi ssioners will be
ready to treat with them in join session
tomorrow afternoon. Unless the Spsn-
iards have adequate reason for further
delay the two commissions will Joint In
the most Important meeting thus far held.
The American commissioners, In
written communication, will declare that
the third article Of the protocol, regard
ing the Philippines, as capable of only
one fair construction, that no arbitration
is needed to elucidate it's terms. and chat
the United States cannot admit any 9th
er. power to figure here purely as
lexicologist. They will maintain that the
two commissions are charged to deter
mine whether Spain or tho United States
shall in the future own the Philippines.
This will be accompanied by clear de-
olaration that the United States will
possess the Philippines. Following this
declaration the American commissioners
will lay before the Spaniards two alterna-
tives.
First, to accept a sum of money from
the United States and to ceie and
eyacuate the Philippines.
Second, to lose the Philippines to the
United States by conquest with the pos
sibility of other territorial losses to in
demnify the United States for the added
expense Of the conquest. This commu-
nication may not be formally designated
as an ultimatum, but it will lack naught
of the conclusiveness indicated by that
word. This win be SO plain that the
Spanish commissioners Will scarcely
haggle for more money on the first alter
native nor cherish any doubt of Ameri-
can action under the second, should the
first be declined.
No one here except the American COM
missioners, knows how much will be ten
dered Spain as the cheapest and most
humane way Of settling the difficulty.
She is exceedingly anxious to escape
the Philippine debt and possibly the sum
to be offered may be determined by an
analysis OF that debt. which consists of
$40, ,0O0, 600 in honds,on which she realized
$36, 600, 900.
OF the latter amount she Is believed to
have expended some 5000. 000 or $11.-
600, 900 in lighting the United States and
part in attempting to quell the Philip
pine insurrection.
A reasonable guess at the sum for ten
der would be $40. 600, 900, though it may
fall below that
The Cuban question may come up again
tomorrow. The American commissioners
had thought the discussion on that point
finished. but the Spanish commissioners
are reported to have declared last week
that the mortgages imposed by Spain on
the Cuban, as we'll as on the Philippine
revenues. must not be impaired or ques-
toned. This would compel the Ameri-
can conan issionsrs soon-and probably to-
morrow-to demand whether Spain means
to repudiats the plain compact of the
protocol to Ielinquish soverei gnty over
and title to Cuba. Three weeks ago, the
Spanish commissioners accepted the Gu
ban article in the protocol without condi-
tions, save that,s its embodiment in the
treaty should depend only on agree
msnt here on the articles in the protocol.
Recently, however, Spain's representa-
tives have said that the Cuban matter
had been only temporarily passed and
WAS still in abeyance.