Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-11-10
A LITTLE GAME OF BLUFF
DOns Claim that Porto Rico is
Sufficient War Indemnity.
EXCITEMENT IN: MADRID.
Newspapers OF the Spanish Capital Protest
Vigorously Against "the Americans
Abuse of Strength" but Have No Hopes
of Assistance from Their Neighbors.

New York, Nov. "A dispatch to
the Evening Post from Paris says:
The reported rupture of peace nego-
| tiations between Spain and the United
! States is not credited in the French
foreign Office. France willingly will
serve again as an intermediary in the
hope of putting Spain under permanent
moral as well as financial obligations,
thus strengthening her own position
in the European balance of power.
paris and Brussels bankers are
taking active interest in the question
of Spanish debts The Spanish mem
bers of the commission are offended by
the curtness of the memorandum of
the American claims.
The American members probably
will welcome a change in the Spanish
side, as they are not a match in legal
subtleties for Senor Montero Rios
| Whether there is a rupture or not
Senior Sagasta is likely to continue to
dictate the negotiations. | have high
authority for prognosticating the
course of the first dispute over the
American Interpretation of the third
article of the protocol and the claims
upon the Philippines for war indemnity
as inconsistent with the previous arti-
cles.
"Senor Sagasta will say that he con-
siders that Porto Rico is sufficient in
demnity. In the second place, if non
suited, he will proceed to put value
upon the Philippines far in excess of
any possible war indemnity, on the
ground that Germany and England, or
off fnr
than the Americans take as the basis
of negotiations. He will plead that no
Spanish ministry could live if they ac-
cepted the American terms AS third
step he would resign ofibce, leaving the
negotiations to begin over again under
a conservative ministry. Thus speedy
termination of negotiations is not eN-
pected."
Washington, Nov. BY way of
preparation for what may happen at
| the meeting of the peace commissions
ers in Paris to-day it may be said that
the officials here have no idea that the
| Spanish reply will be an unconditional
acceptance of our last proposition re-
lating to the acquisition of the Philip
pines. On the other hand they do not
expect an unequivocal re lection. What
is likely to occur is that the Spanish
commissioners viii come in with a
counter proposition, the basis of which
probably will be a considerable in
crease in the sum of money to be paid
to the Spanish government for the
| Philippines. This will open Il way to
negotiations on that subject, and mas
| much as the commissioners spent about
/ six weeks CONSIDERING the sections of
| the protocol, dealing with Cuba and
! Porto Rico it is reasonable to believe
| that at least few days may be prop
! erly allowed for the discussion of the
| Philippines.
Madrid, Nov. 4.-The announcement
of the intentions of the United States
regarding the Philippines has greatly
excited the public here. 1t is gener-
ally recognized, however, that it would
| be futile to appeal to Europe. which
! has abandoned Spain to her fate. The
newspapers protest vigorously against
! the ''incredible cynicism and abuse of
strength by the Americans" FL Globo
eXclalms: Europe and America seem
/ determined to sanction by cOWardicc
| and seltishneSs Il crime that viii be a
blot upon the history Of the century"
steamer Pacific Burned.
'Collingwood, Ont. Nov. 1.-The pas
Senger steamer Pacific, owned by the
| Great Northern Transit Co.. burned at
| the Grand Trunk wharf here Thursday.
| The railway freight sheds were also
! destroyed. The Pacific was valued at
| SG5 coo and was insured for So, 900
The loss from the burning of the