Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-05
PRIVATE STRINGS.
Merritt Confers with Amer.
can Commissioners.
Rumored that Cuban Situation viii Be
First Disposed Of.
Both Commissions Received by Pres. Faure-
Interchange Of Compliments.

Paris, Oct. 4.-The American peace
commissioners devoted today's session
to conference with Major General
Merritt. who detailed to the commits
sioners his personal views and those of
Rear Admiral Dewey regarding the
physical. geographical, moral and po-
litical conditions prevailing in the Phil
ippine islands. Gen. Merritt will meet
the commission again, tomorrow.
President Lotelio Rios of the Spanish
commission. and his colleagues Were
busy, today, with telegraphic and 9TH
er correspondence. Senior Rios denied
himself to all callers.
newspaper, LIE Petit Bleu, this
morning. declares it has authority for
the statement that it has been decided
that IAN adjustment relative to Cuba
will be the first discussed at the next
meeting owing to incidents which have
recently taken place in the Philip
pines" The same newspaper remarks
that Senior Rios. yesterday, bought
three copies of work on international
law by one of our most eminent jur-
lists" The Petit Bleu does not accept
the view that the work of the commits
sions will be concluded before Decem-
Der, but expresses the belief that it will
require a long time.
The United States ambassador Gen.
Horace Porter, will give a dinner in
honor of the American commission, to-
morrow afternoon, and next week, Gen
Porter will give a dinner in honor of
both commissions at the United States
embassy.
no SIGH
were received. this afternoon, at 4
o'clock by President Faure at the Ely
see palace. The Spanish commission
ers were presented by the Spanish am
bassador. Senior Leon y Castillo, and
Senior Rios expressed the qualification
of the commission at meeting the Pres
ident of France.
AT AS p. NJ. the members of the Amer
lean peace commission were received by
President Faure at Elysee. Gen. Porter
met the commissioners on the steps of
the court of honor and they proceeded to
the grand salon. President Faure sur
rounded by few members of his official
household. received Gen. Porter who pre-
sented Judge Day and the other members
of the United States commission in turn.
after which Judge Day presented Presi-
dent Faure with a cable message from
President Mckiley. 1t was dated Sept.
30, and read as follows
con this occasion. when the commits
sions of the United States and Spain are
about to assemble at the capital of
France to negotiate peace and when the
representatives of this government are
receiving the hospitality and good will of
the republic. l beg to tender you my most
friendly personal greeting and the assur-
ances of my grateful appreciation of your
kind courtesies to the American commits
sioners.
President Faure. in replying. very cour-
teously expressed his appreciation of the
cordial sentiments uttered and heartily
reciprocated them.
President Faure futher remarked that
everything possible would be done for the
comfort of the commissioners, and he
concluded with saying graciously: "As
the name of Lafayette is held dear in the
United States, so is the name of Wash
ington revered in France
The President then added that he would
dent Mckinley his reply to the latter's
cordial message.
The following is the text of President
Faure's cable message to President Nc
Kinley:
1 have had great pleasure in receiving
the American plenipotentiaries to the
Hispano-American peace commission
During the course of an audience Mr..
Day read the telegram which you so graz
ciously sent me. am very much touched
by the sentiments which Your Excellency
has been kind enough to express and
heartily thank you for them. hope the
American commissioners will have kind
recollections of their sojourn in Paris,
which shall try TO render agreeable to
them, and l sincerely hope for happy
termination of the pacific work of the
commission"
La Patrie this evening, prints an in
terview said to have been had with
Gen. Rafael Cerero y Saenz of the
Spanish peace commission, in which he
is represented as saying:
Peace between Spain and the
United States will complicate all the
questions. The day upon which the
prelimlnaries are signed the first chap
ter in the new history of Europe will
be commencedz as the United States
henceforth win play a preponderant
role in events of which different parts
of the world will be the theatre.
1T has been pretended that Spain
wanted war. or at least, allowed her
self to be dragged into it, This is a
since the United States have
long coverted our colonies. They in
troduce seperatists and autonomic ideas
into Cuba, ideas which were not shared
by "a majority of the Inhabitants of the
island. Influences of all kinds have
been brought into play to excite risings
and hence ensued war the eonse-
quances of which may be so prejudicial
to ourselves and may affect all Europ-
can interests.
The North Americans on their side
will be compelled TO create at once the
naval forces demanded by the situa-
ton. brought about by events. The
stronger the United States are the
more their friendship will be sought
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