The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-11-21

PARIS, Nov. 2O.-The Spanish peace
commissioners have been notified that
the United States commissioners will be
ready to treat with them in Joint session
tomorrow afternoon. Unless the Span,
iards have an adequate reason for fur
ther delay, the two commissions will join
in the most important meeting thus Ear
held.
The American commissioners in a
written communication will declare that
the third article of the protocol regard
Ing the Philippines Is capable OF only
one construction, that no arbitration is
needed to elucldate Its terms and that
the United States cannot admit any
other power to figure here purely as a
lexicologlst. They will maintain that
the two commissions are charged to de-
terrnine whether Spain or the United
States shall in future own the Philip
pines,
This will be accompanied by the clear
declaration that the United States will
possess the Philippines.
Following this declaration the Ameri-
can commissioners Will lay before the
Spaniards two alternatives.
First, to accept sum Of money from
the United States and to cede and eHac-
uate the Philippines.
Second, TO lose the Philippines to the
United States by conquest with the pos
sTbIlity OF other territorial losses to In
demnify the United States for the added
expense OF conquest.
This communication may not be for
mally designated as an ultimatum out
1t will lack naught Of the conclusiveness
Indicated by that word. This Will be 90
plain that the Spanish commissioners
wifi scarcely ilaggie for money on the
first alternative nor cherish any doubt
Of American action under the second,
should the first be declined.
No one here, except the American
commissioners knows how much Will be
rendered Spain as the cheapest and most
humane way Of settling the difficulty.
She Is exceedingly anxious to escape the
Philippine debt and possibly the sum TO
be offered may be determined by an
analysis of that debt. which consists OF
10000, 600 In bonds. on which she has
realized $S6, 900, 900. OF the latter amount,
she Is believed to have expended some
$40 900, 900 or $11,0O0,OO0 in fighting the
United States and a part In attempting
to quefI the Philippine iasurrectton:p a
reasonable guess at the sum for tender
would be $90,OOO,00O. though II may fall
below that.
The Cuban question may come up
again tomorrow. The American COM
nissioners had thought the discussion
on that point finished but the Spanish
commissioners are reported to have de-
clared last week, that the mortgages
imposed by Spain on Cuba as well as on
the Philippine revenues, must not be Inn
paired or questioned. This would COM
pei the American commissioners soon
and probably to-morrow-to demand
whether Spain means to repudtate the
plain compact OF the protocol to relin-
duisE sovereignty over and title to Cuba.
Three weeks ago, the Spanish commits
sloners accepted the Cuban article In
the protocol without conditions cave
that It's embodiment In the treaty should
depend only on an agreement here on all
the articles in the protocol. Recently,
however, Spain's representatives have
said that the Cuban matter had been
only temporarily passed and was still In
o1PVance,