The Portland daily press., 1898-11-01

Paris, October 3l.-The American peace
commissioners, each Of them carrying
portfolio containing records and personal
memoranda. left their headquarters in
the Continental hotel for the meeting
with the Spanish commissioners at the
foreign Office shortly before O'Clock
this afternoon.
The health of the president of the Span
ish commission, Senior Montero Rios had
improved to the extent of enabling him
to attend today's meeting. He arrived
at the foreign Office in closed carriage,
with his colleagues, shortly after the
Americans reached the meeting place.
Soon after 2 O'Clock the ten commits
sioners confronted each other across the
table on which, in 1883, Benjamin Frank
lin and his colleagues signed the treaty
|of Independence of the United States.
The day was black with flying clouds,
fitful sunshine, whirling leaves and raw
air.
The American commissioners presented
a written expression of the purpose of
the United States to take the entire
sumo such proportion of the Philippine
debt as has been spent for the benefit Of
the islands Of their Inhabitants in pub.
lie works. improvements and permanent
betterments.
1t was also set forth that the United
States would not assume any part of the
Philippine debt which had been incurred
by Spain for the furtherance of military
or naval operations to quell instructions
of the natives.
The session was eventually adjourned
until Friday in order to give the Span
iards time to prepars reply. The session
lasted little over an hour.
The Americans were renewing their
wraps when the Spaniards entered the
ings were exchanged as the two groups,
commingling. passed through the grand
salon, where a buffet was spread, and
entered the conference cham ber in which,
before leaving, the Spaniards would learn
the attitude Of the United States toward
the Philippines.
The Spanish commissioners took their
accustomed places at the historic table,
the afternoon light full in their faces,
while the American ranged themselves
opposite, with their backs to the light,
and with the interpreter standing at the
end of the table, on the right sof Judge
Day and the left of Senior Rios and be-
tween the two secretaries, Mr.. Moore and
Senor Ogeda.
Secretary Moore, upon the right Of
Judge Day, passed to Mr. Ferguson, the
Interpreter, the formulated demands OF
the United States regarding the Ph1lln-
pines which were read to the Spaniards
in their own tongue by a rapid render
ing from the English in which they were
written. Although the Spanish commits
sioners did not betray any anxiety, their
attention to the reading was keen.
They had anticipated that the United
States would take over the islands, but
the terms and detaiIsssof the transfer had
all along been a subject of speculation.
The reading disclosed the fact that the
United States government had determined
parcels of land bounded by and lying
within such parallels of latitude and
longitude as marked the limits of the
Philippines. They will assume
the debt . of S4O,O0O.COo but they
are willing to be responsible to Spain
for sum of money equal to the actual
expenditures by Spain in the Philippines
the good of their people, for perm ansnt
betterments and for improvements both
physical and mental
ina reading of the presentment speci-
fies that the United States will reimburse
Spain to the extent of her Pacific expen-
ditures," made in the archipelago. This
nhase 7Pacitic expenditures, is employed
TO differentiate the expenditures by Spain
in combating instructions in the Philip
mines. The one is felt by the American
commissioners TO be fair burden upon
the acquired power while the other and
latter class Of expenditures. ia held to
have been logically assumed by Spain
as the inevitable hazard to a nation re-
sorting to arms to enforce order in its
own territory.
Such is the determinative, ana there
fore. the vital portion of the presentment
made by the American commissioners
today; and it is to be observed tnat, while
the main proposition as to possession and
financial responsibility is clear and
definite, many details have been left to
the developments Of the discussion be-
tween the Two commissions. Thus, while
the Spaniards are tonight quite certain