The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-12-04
CLEVER GAME
o.. DIPLOMACY
IN PROGRESS
r. 7.-- - -
Peace Commissions
!. 4" Act Slowly.
SPAIN SEEKS. A scAPEGoAT
A DIVERGENCE OF OPINION
AMONG THE AMERICANS.
Although Germany Wants the Caro-
lines, Their Possession Is Not
Likely to Cause Conplica-
I. for the United States.
. s0eoIaI- plspatch. 70 The can.

.
PARIS, Dec. 3.-There was no Joint
session. of the Peace Commission to-
day but the Americans had three
hours meeting.
p. The report from Berlin that Germany
is negotiating for the purchase of the
Caroline Islands is confirmed from sew
eral quarters. although Count. Won
Munster Ladenburg, the German EN-
bassador here, informed a correspond
ent of the Associated Press that he
. knew nothing: at all about the mat
ter" The American Commissioners are
inclined to believe: the report, and ii is
Hooked upon as explaining the reluc-
: lance of the Spaniards to give the
Americans an answer in regard to the
Carolines, as well as on the: question of
religious liberty there, and the latest
! developments confirm the report that
the Spaniards have been. instructed not
toyield on these points until they have
made a good bargain. -
The position of the commission, says
an American. gentleman, is the same
as two card players. each studying
his own hand and waiting :. for his
opponents lead. In spite of this tenn
pOrary halt in the negotiations and
contrary TO general opinion, Judge
Day, president of the American COM
mission, believes the treaty will be
signed next week, but great deal of
work must be done before the treaty
is ready for the signatures, as after
ten weeks Of negotiations the only ar
.ticleS accepted by the commission are
the three leading ones, providing for
the cession of the Spanish colonies, and
those only in principle, and not in lam
guage. *"......
The adjournment to-day was at
Judge Days request, as the. long ses-
sion. developed divergence Of opinion.
Had the joint session been held, the
=. Americans would not have entered 1t
=as a united body. The exact nature of
the differences of opinion cannot be
ascertained, but it is believed some of
the Commissioners are in a more yield
ing mood toward Spain than their COL
leagues. T. :.
There is no doubt that the Spaniards
on Monday Will report the arrival: of
their Governments instructions, the
absence OF. which caused Fridays ad-j
lourpnl9nt. - 80. = - =. r. i.
Among .on-lookers there is a ~skepti-
.eism concerning these instructions. 1t
is believed that they constitute a d.
plomatic scapegoat put forward by the
Spaniards TO cover the delay neces-
sary to them. l.. ...
The question of coaling station of
the United States in the Caroline ISL
ands is not likely to prove a serious
stumbling block. The Americans have
not made it one of the demands the
granting of which is essential to the
conclusion of the treaty of peace. Some
of them think Gernany's negotiations
for the Caro1ines are likely to lead to
complications between Germany and
the United States.
In French official circles it is assert
ed that under the Pope's award of 1885
Germany already possesses certain
rights in the Carolines, which would
prevent Spain selling us one of those
islands, but this is matter which has
already been investigated by The Amer
leans, who find that Germany's rights
refer to certain fishing privileges of
German citizens and their right to a
coalfng station to be agreed upon mu-
tually between Spain and Germany.
All this was set out in our foreign
relations book of 1856, and there is
nothing to prevent Spain selling Us any
island she chooses. She undoubtedly
desires to sell the group, and might be
willing TO transfer them to the United
States if her price is paid. Americans
familiar with the question consider
that the Philippines and Ladrones fur
nish all the coaling basis necessary.