The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-11


was signed this evening at S.45 o'clock
by the members of the American and
Spanish commissioners. This was the
elimination of over II weeks of ne
gotiations which have included formal
demands by the Americans and pro-
tests and counter propositions by the
Madrid ENJOYS, ending in the final ac-
ceptance of the protocol articles, which
embodied the demands of the United
States as the outcome of the Spanish
American war. The Spanish commits
sioners have fought bravely and with
great diplomatic skin throughout the
discussions at Paris, yielding little by
little to the ultimatum of their oppon-
ents.
This afternoon the American commits
sioners were the first to arrive at the
foreign Office where the final act in the
drama was to take place. The Span
iards reached there half an hour later
Senior Rios ascended the steps leaning
on a cane and bundled up in fur coat
The Americans shook hands with the
Spaniards when the latter entered the
conference hall.
The faces of the representatives Of
Spain were exceedingly solemn APP
parently, they regarded the occasion as
a funereal one. The treaty, which was
not completed, was brought in sec
tions from the hands of the engrossers,
while the commission was sitting,
After being photographed, the COM
missioners listened to the reading Of
the treaty until 515 o'clock, at which
hour they took recess until Z o'clock,
while awaiting the arrival of the last
sections of the treaty.
There has been a great contest among
the families and friends Of the Amer
lean commissioners for possession of
the pens with which the signatures to
the treaty were written. Some Of the
Americans were provided with hand
some pens purchased for the purpose
The Spaniards appeared 30 be unafect-
er by the souvenir craze, and contented
themselves with the ordinary quill pens
strewn on the table.
Arthur Ferguson, the interpreter Of
the American commission, requested
pen, saying: Have you any desire to
preserve the pen with which you Will
sign? q
mot in the slightest" said the Span
lard with a courtly bow.
Secretary Moore of the American
and Senior Villaurrutia,
acting secretary of the Spanish COM
in the absence of Senior Ojeda,
Z na gs
fering from the effects of his cold, COM
pleted the drafting Of the treaty Of
peace late yesterday afternoon. Some
of the articles were divided for the
sake of olearness. The treaty will
consist of II articles instead of ID, as
was at one time contemplated.
The task of drawing up the treaty |
was more laborious than was antiei- !
pated. The material on which the
treaty is based consists, first, of the |
articles indicated in the protocol; sec
ond, of subsidiary articles made up Of |
a large number of Spanish proposals; |
and, third of an American list accept |
ing some of these articles and reject |
ing others, and a series of counter pro- |
posals from the Americans, which the
Spaniards accepted en- bloc. The num-
Der of articles resulting from q careful |
checking of the above documents |
proved to be H.
At the close of the last meeting of |
the joint peace commission, Senior Mon /
tero Rios, president of the Spanish |.
commission, made a statement which, |
though not technically so, was virtu- |
ally protest against the re |
lection of certain propositions |
made by the Spaniards. Among |
the propositions he thus indi- |
Gated was one for the recognition of |
existing contracts for public works In |
the coded territories, and another for |
the delivery to the Spaniards of the |
sums deposited in the public treasury, |
ca1arde dispositions, as guarantees of |
the fulfllment of these contracts and
other public engagements. The Amer
lean attitude can be best described as |
a refusal to accept the contracts with
out Investigations, some of the Weyler |
contracts being possibly queer ones. 1t !
was declared that the United States |
government, in a spirit of Justice |
would return all guarantee moneys to |
the persons legally entitled to the |
same.
The signing of the treaty tonight
would have afforded a subject for
great historical painting. The group |
gathered about the table in the stately |
chamber of the foreign office was i'm
pressive in itself, while the fact that
the sense of momentousness of the is
sues which the act decided was deeply |
felt by all the participants, gave an |
impressive and solemn tone to the
scene.
Around the great mahogany table sat
the ten arbiters of the destinies of an
old and a young nation. Ranging
standing behind them. were numerous
of the American commission.
There was a theatrical contrast be- |