The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-23
MAY REFUSE THE MILLIONS.
SENIOR RIOS SAID TO BE EXAsPEH-
ATED OVER AMERICAN OFFER.

Inference of Opinion Among Paris
ians Near the Commissions. Hat
Prediction Is Made That spain
VIII Refuse the Money OHer and
Retire From the Philippines He
fore FOrcS-SenOr Rios Repug-
nance Not the Sense OF the Spanish
Commission.
Paris, Nov. 22-The Spanish peace com
missioners last night telegraphed to Mad
rid the substance of the United States
memorandum presented In yesterday and
later in the evening they were discussing
1t among themselves.
As late as l o'clock this morning a Span
ish commissioner affirmed that he and his
colleagues did not know what to do regard
ing the American offer.
There is a difference of opinion among TN
official people near the commission, but
the prediction is made that Spain win de-
cline the American offer of money. that
she will refuse TO cede the Philippines, and
will say to the United States: "You may
take the archipelago because you have the
powder TO do so. AS you advance We
will retire protesting against greedy ag-
gression. We will faithfully carry out cur
protocol pledges and leave Cuba and Porto
Rico in your hands. You came here to
engage in discussion under the terms of
the protocol. but you EVIDENTLY meant,
when drawing up that document, to pro-
vide a conference In which, though we
differ, man to man, you proposed to an
nounce at The proper time what you win do,
whether we agree to il or object Such
an attitude robs the conference Of a ne
gotiative character, and sets up the United
States as a dominant power, whose first
purpose Is to listen, but whose ultimate
determination is to do Its own will"
AS matter of fact Senior Montero Rios
is reported to have used virtually such
language and arguments as the foregoing
He said more even, indicating a high de-
gree of evaporation at the American offer
OF $2OO00000. His manner, no less than
his words, betrayed his repugnance. His
display of feeling and utterances, however,
are not wholly approved by his Spanish
colleagues, who did not hesitate TO say as
much after yesterdays session.
Utterances later by a Spaniard of i'm
portance, whose name Is withheld for the
present, indicates another line of action,
a treaty ceesfon o. the Philippines.
Suppose said the speaker in question,
! that Spain says to the United States, we
are exhausted. We have no funds with
which to continue the war. We do not
want to continue 1t and we cannot. You
serve us with an ultimatum. We must sub
init to your power Prepare your treaty
] 70 eta ma mill
sign We must bend to physical force.
"You have the Antilles and you win pos
eess the Philippines as a conquest from
a helpless people. We yield, but we de-
cline $50 600 for property on which our
valuation was not asked nor respected.
You have your will. We trust you win not
continue the war upon our helplessness,
because forsooth, we decline your $2O,-
OOO,OCO Surely this waiver by us OF your
money will not provoke a further use of
arms against Spain.
1--WE cede, we are dumb. 1t Is finished,
and we may be permitted to retain the
privilege of assuring our people and our
| national creditors that we at least have
not stolen and resold territory we had
pawned."
Should Spain cede by treaty, or, on the
other hand, should she refuse and break
off the negotiations here, her protests viii
embody some such declaration as this
I AS against such sentiment Ii is argued
! that the business in hand is work for
grown men and that 1t would be childish
! folly to refuse $20,000,000, and that the
Spanish government could not Justify such
a refusal before the Spanish people or the
| public creditors of Spain, a deliberate
| throwing away of s2O,0OO00O in addition TO
the loss of the Philippines.
1t is felt that the Spanish government
must now answer the American ultimatum.
but as It is not likely that the answer Of
Madrid will arrive tomorrow in time for
the commissioners to formulate their reply
| 10 the Americans by the Afternoon II is
probable that the joint meeting will be
deferred from tomorrow to day later
| In the week