Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-06
SPAIN CRASPS AT STRAWS
Oastilian Commissioners Try to Save What
They Gan from the Wreck.
PRoLoNe THE AGONY AS MUCH As PosslBL
Punctili0us DOns Resort to All the
Known Devices of Dilatory Diplo-
macy i'm the Endeav0r to bet.
ter Their Condition..


| known Devices Of DiIatory DipIO-
macy In the Endesvor to Bet-
ter Their Condition.
| Copyright, 1898. by Press Publishing Co..
PARIS, Dec. 6.--(New York World Cable
gram-Speclal Telegram.)-The joint peace
| commission had q four hours sitting today
| when the first eight articles of the treaty
were discussed and finally adopted. These
| deal with amity in commerce and naviga-
ton. but the arguments we're mostly on the
Philippines. Montero Rios, to the surprise
| Of the American commissioners declined to
bulge from his previous propositions to
| separate protocol matters from the sub
| sidary ones. The Americans are at a loss
| to understand the meaning OF this maneu-
yer, as the Spaniards have nothing further
| to gain from delay. The Spaniards are
clearly much disappointed that the presi
dents message gives them no grievance.
PARIS. Dec. 5.-At the meeting of the
joint peace commission today much of the
discussion concerned details as to the
guaranteeing of the rights Of Span.
ish citizens in the ceded colonies
The debate was Occasionally ener-
getic and the spaniards bn adjourning ap-
peared to be detected. Secretary Ojeda Of
| the Spanish commission,i when questioned
after the meeting as to the progress made.
said excitedly: II am almost mad. cannot
talk. We are making progress
The American commissioners declined to
say anything further than the progress
| made was satisfactory.
The history Of the document which will
certify the passing the Oldest colonial
| power in the world and the advent OF the
| new. was signalized this evening in a
single sentence: "A peace treaty can con-
tain anything which victors put in it,"
Frye Takes French Leave.
The Americans had listened for hours
| with their customary patience to the tech
nicalities brought forward by the Spaniards
with their customary shrewdness and per-
| sistency against the proposal making for
the dismemberment Of their empire. Dark
ness had come on and the lveried attend
ants mobilized by the French authorities
had placed a tiny lamp at the elbow Of
each commissioner. Senator Frye, whose
| unconcealed contempt for diplomatic quib-
blings excitee the amazement Of the punc-
tilious Castilians, had stalked out Of the
! room, his patience exhausted.
The burden Of the Spanish argument was
| that matters outside the bare cession and
evacuation of the Spanish territory, which
! the Americans proposed to cover by the
treaty, were beyond the legitimate and GUS
tomary scope Of a peace treaty. Behind this
bulwark Senior Montero Rios. president Of
the Spanish cotnmission. fortified himself.
| bombarding his opponent with supply Of
arguments and prsce3c -. y. yeich inspired
| the freely expressed sadb2if1tion OF the
Americans. Finally Judge Day summarized
the American position In the foregoing
memorable utterance. It was given and
| taken in good spirit and from that moment
the proceedings were entirely friendly. =
The session accomplished much. Eight
open questions were canvassed. seven being
practically settled without noteworthy fric-
tion. The commissioners decline to say
what conclusion was reached, but the bar
gain for a coaling station in the Carollnes
was not cemented and, according to pres
ent prospects, 1t is likely to fail. The
temper of the Americans in this matter Is:
1--WE made you a good offer for an island,
you may take 1t or leave it." The Span
iards seem disposed to leave 1t. The Amer
leans do not regard 1t as a prize which
they can demand as one of the natural
fruits of the war, while the whole policy
Of the Spaniards Is to confine the negotia-
tions as narrowly as possible to the letter
of tho protocol signed In Washington and
to exclude all extraneous matters. The re-
suit of this policy may be the leaving OF
many details involved in the change Of
sovereignty over the various possessions to
settlement by the regular diplomatic pro-
ccsses when normal relations between the
two governments have been resumed.
Spain stiII Quibbles.
The Spanish commissioners insisted at
the previous meeting that the settlement OF
the status of the Spaniards who remain IN
the col lonies was a problem so closely akin
to oession that it could not be logically
separated from the latter but should be
considered next to the question of cession
and before such matters as coaling sta
tons and religious liberation. They ap-
pealed to the Americans, having gained all
the great points, to be generous on the
minor ones. Accordingly the American COM
miss'oners were conciliatory today on the
order of procedure as to the status of Span
iards remaining in the lost colonies.
The Spanish commissioners continue fight
ing with tooth and nail to secure every
pecuniary and other concession. The Ameri-
cans had already promised to guarantee the
return Of Spanish prisoners in the hands of
the Fiipinos. Today Senor Montero Rios
proposed that the United States should pay
the expenses of shipping them to Spain,
arguing with his customary ingenuity that
this was the duty Of the Americans as
matter Of course. The Americans thought
the request unreasonable and a good deal
Of time was consumed in discussing the
question.
Another problem entailing debate was the
disposition to be made Of the Spanish num-
tions Of war In a number Of military posts
outside Of Manila which the Americans have
not captured. The Spanish commissioners
contend that Spain should be permitted to
ship such munitions home. The Americans
replied that as the United States had con.
quered the Philippines these munitions were
the spoils of war. The Spaniards finally
waived their quibble.
They appear reconciled to the inevitable
and appear to be striving to save a. much
from the wreck as they can.
Giant Eight Feet Tall.
Copyright, 1898, by Press Publishing Coz
LONDON, Dec. 6.-(New York World Ca
blegram-Special .Telegram.)-The Paris
| correspondent of the Mail wires that NJ
Constantine a Young Frenchman NJ 10