The Irish standard., 1898-08-13
TAKES A LONG STEP. :,
Material Advancement Shown In
Peace Negotiations.
HOW THIS PROGRESSED WEDNESDAY,.
Spain and the United States Agree
Upon q Protocol EmbodytnQ
President McKinley's Pro-
posed Conditions.

Warrington, Aug. II. - Secretary
Day at one O'Clock Wednesday made
the following statement to the press:
I'VE have agreed upon a protocol sm-
bodying the proposed terms for the negotla-
tion Of q treaty Of peace, including the
evacuation OF Cuba and Puerto Rico. and
It IL expected that protocol will be exc
Guted."
1t can be stated that the terms are
precisely those laid down by the pres
ident in his original note about week
ago.
1t is believed that nothing but few
formulities remain to be disposed of
to secure the signature of the proto-
col.
The preliminary negotiations look
ing toward the confirmation of peace
advanced long step Wednesday when
the secretary of state and the French
Ambassador agreed upon the terms
upon which future negotiations for
treaty are to be conducted and res
This protocol, it is true, is yet to be
signed, and is to be submitted to the
Spanish government before the formal
signatures are affixed, but the adminis-
tration's view as to the progress made
Wednesday was set out in Secretary,
Days sentence: ut is expected that
this protocol will be executed" There
is always the possibility, in dealing
with the Spanish government, that it
may recede at the last moment from an
implied agreement, but it is scarcely
III %1,ok ! l..
involve the French ambassador in the
difficulties that would follow what to
the world would seem to be repudia-
ton of his benevolent efforts in behalf
of Spain.
Delay Inevitable.
There must be delay-possibly
from "a to 4s hours-before the next
step can be taken and the protocol
made binding upon both the United
States and Spain by the attachment Of
the signatures of the plenipoten,
tiaries, Secretary Day for the United
States and NJ. Cambon for Spain. The
delay will be largely attributable to
physical causes. The protocol is long;
1t must be translated and turned back
and forth into code and simple Ian.
guage no less than five times before
it reaches Madrid through the French
foreign Office. This work was not be.
gun until late Wednesday afternoon
after it had consumed the best ener.
gies of Assistant Secretary Adee, of
the state department, and NJ. THE.
baut, secretary of the French embassy,
In the preparation in formal shape OF
two copies of the protocol, one in Eng
1ish and one in French. These were
prepared very carefully, the idiomatic
variance in the two languages necessi.
Eating the greatest caution in order
that the identical character of the two
copies should be preserved. The
length Of the protocol imposed a great
amount of labor upon the cipher
clerks, or whoever is charged with the
work Of rendering the original into
cipher, SO that altogether it is appar.
emit the consumption of time involved
In purely mechanical functions will
be SO considerable as to make the rem.
dftion of a very early answer imDroba.
BILE.
Character of the Protocol.
AS to the character of the protocol,
1t can be stated on authority that the
terms are in all practical points those
set out tn the abstract of the presi.
dents conditions published from the
white house a week ago. From this
fact 1t is deduced that the extra condi.
lions or qualifications sought to be i'm
posed by the Spanish government were
abandoned at least in large part by
the French ambassador. This deduc-
ton is supported by the circumstance
that IN the early morning, and before
the conference between Secretary Day
and M. Cambon which resulted in the
agreement, there was prevalent i'm
preston, based upon the utterances
of public men who had talked with the
president, that the Spanish answer
was unsatisfactory and that the nego.
tiations looked as if they might ter
inmate suddenly. AS this situation
changed SO suddenly after the con-
ference, 1t may be fairly assumed that
the ambassador abandoned the con-
ditions which the president was re.
pu!ed to have regarded as unsatisfac-
tory.
Cessation of HostiIities.
1t is believed that the protocol car
ries within itself provision for the ces-
sation of hostilities. On this point the
naval contingent is urgent that our
government adopt the Napoleonlc pol
icy of refusing to enter into an arms.
tice without acquiring some substan.
tial pledge to secure the consumma-
ton OF peace. What they particular
ly desire is that our government shall
demand as condition of the cessation
of hostilities the surrender to the
United States military forces Of Moro
castle at the entrance of Havana har-
Dor and some such points of vantage
at the other important ports in the
territory soon to fall under our con-
troll.
The Peace COmmissioncrr.
The peace negotiations are now be-
1ieved to he advanced to point where
the president has felt warranted in
turning his attention to the selection
of the commissioners to be charged
by the United States with the drafting
of treaty Of peace.
So far as can be gathered but one
name has been positively determined
upon, namely, that of Secretary Day,
who will head the commission. Be-
You'd that point there is no certainty,
although some prominent names have