The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-12
Spaniards Will Evacuate Porto Rico, and Miles
Will March His Army Into San Juan.
No Haste to Be Made in Taking Possession of Havana
and Other Cuban Cities-Names of Day, Allison and
German Mentioned for Peace Commissioners.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Aug. u.-Ambassador
Cambon said tonight that the Spanish Cab
met had agreed to accept the American
draft of the protocol. He gave the addi-
tional information that unless there is
change in the programme over night he will
structions from Madrid. thereby binding
Spain to the preliminary peace agreement.
The signing of the protocol will be a very
formal and imposing ceremony. The high
officials of the Department of State and
the French ambassador, with his suite,
will assemble in the diplomatic reception
room at the State Department at an agreed
hour and go through with the perform
ance. The signatures to the two copies of
the protocol will be affixed by Secretary
Day and Ambassador Cambon on a table
directly under pictures of Daniel Webster
and Lord Ashburton. The great seals of the
United States and of France will be duly
stamped on the documents The two rank
ing dignitaries will exchange compliments
negotiations and then the participants will
retire.
An immediate cessation of military opera
tions everywhere will be ordered by tele-.
graph and cable, and within the next few
hours the President will announce peace
commission 1t is probable that this COM
mission will meet the Spanish commission
ers in Paris and that by the 1st of Septem-
Der considerable progress will have been
made upon a treaty for permanent peace.
1t will remain for the Spanish Cortes and
for the American Senate to confirm the
treaty agreed on by the peace commission.
If the commission completes it's work with
in a few weeks the President will call
special session of the Senate. If the COM
mission should continue its sessions until
late in the fall special session of the Sen
ate may not be necessary.
An Associated Press dispatch says the
news from Madrid announcing that the
Spanish Cabinet had approved the peace
protocol and that the French ambassador
would receive instructions to sign it was
very gratifying to the administration, but
it was expected that such would be the
course of the Spanish government. 1t is
confidently expected that the signatures
will be affixed to this document tomorrow,
and Immediately thereafter both govern
ments will begin carrying out its provisions.
The first will be the cessation of hostiIities,
followed Immediately by the occupation of
Manila by General Merritt and the United
States troops under his command, the occu-
patton of San Juan, in Porto Rico, by Gen
eral Mics, and the evacuation of that island
there Will be delay in the evacuation of Ha-
vana, Matanzas and other Spanish strong
holds in Cuba, as some difficulties are an
ticipated in arranging for proper form of
government of Cuba. and because there is
no desire to hurry American troops into the
island at the present time, the preference
being to wait for cooler weather.
The near approach of the signing Of the
protocol has required the discussion of the
personnel of the peace commission. There
is good authority for the statement that
Secretary Day will be at the head of the
commission, and that two United States
senators will be members or 4.. Senator
Allison, of Iowa, and Senator Gorman of
Maryland, have been prominently mentioned
for places on the commission, and It is
known that they have been under consid-
Grafton by the President. 1t is not believed
by members of the administration that the
commission can complete its work in time
to cause an extra session of Congress to
consider legislation which the treaty of
peace will necessitate. although there is
prospect that an extra session of the Senate
might be called in November to consider the
treaty of peace.
Up to the hour of midnight the President
has received 70 official communication as to
the action of the Spanish government, but
night that he was very expectant that this
was the last day of the war. The French
embassy has as yet received no communi-
cation from Madrid authorizing NJ Camhon
to sign the protocol. but the secretaries OF
the embassy left orders on retiring to be